soldan Now arch. or Hist.
(ˈsɒldən)
Forms: α. 3–7, 9 soudan (4 -en, -on, 6 -ane), 4–6 sowdan (4 -ane, 5 -on, 6 -en, -own), 6 sowdeyn, 6–7 -aine (7 -ayne). β. 4, 6 saudan (4 -ayn, 6 -ant), 4 sawden, 5–6 sawdon, 6 -ant, -an, sodan, -en. γ. 4, 6–7 souldan (5 -one, 7 -en), 6 sowldan, 7 sauldan, suldan. δ. 4– soldan (6 -ane, 7 -ian).
[a. OF. soudan, sodan, souldan, soldan (also -ain, -ant), = Prov. soudan, saudan, Cat. soldá, Sp. soldan, Pg. soldão, It. soldano (med.L. soldanus), ad. Arab. sulṭān: see sultan.]
1. The supreme ruler of one or other of the great Muslim powers or countries of the Middle Ages; spec. the Sultan of Egypt.
The Soldan is sometimes contrasted with the (Great) Turk and with the Sophy of Persia.
| α 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 10901 Þe soudan somdel uor fere Triwes wiþ him nom. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 140 Bode com..How þe fals soudan destroied alle þe lond. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 375 Þei harmen Cristen men more cruely þen þo Soudon of Sarazenes. c 1440 Generydes 3942 The Sowdon went ayeyn to his disporte. 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. viii. 174 With hym he fond slayne the Sowdan of Surrey. 1513 More Rich. III (1883) 79 In a stage play all the people know right wel that he that playeth the sowdayne is percase a sowter. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 87 Feare of treason..to be wrought betwene Saladine the Soudane and king Richard. 1832 tr. Sismondi's Ital. Rep. xi. 257 James, who, with the aid of the soudan of Egypt,..seized the crown from his sister and the duke. |
| attrib. 15.. Droichis Part of Play 5 in Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) 314 A sargeand out of Sowdoun land. |
| β 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1323 Emperour of alle þe erþe & also þe saudan. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) VI. 43 The Sawden and duke of Turkes, the grete malle of Cristen peple. c 1500 Melusine 275 My right redoubted lordes the Sawdants of Barbarye & of Damaske. c 1511 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. 31/2 As the[y] wryte to the Sodan, than gyueth he them that they dyssyre. |
| γ 1390 Gower Conf. I. 180 Thei gon to Barbarie ayein, And ther the Souldan for hem sente. 1475 Bk. Noblesse 11 The souldone of Babiloyne had waged hym to doo it. 1587 Greene Penelope's Web Wks. (Grosart) V. 181 That Saladyne the mighty Souldan of ægipt. 1592 Warner Alb. Eng. viii. xliii. 207 Richard..wonne Cyprus, Syria, and Ierusalem, debelling quite the Sowldan from his land. 1630 R. Brathwait Eng. Gentlem. (1641) 364 This is all that Souldan Saladine hath left of all his ensignes. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii. 321 The Mamaluks..were the guard of the Suldans, as the Iannizaries are to the great Turke. |
| δ 1390 Gower Conf. I. 245 The grete Soldan thanne of Perse. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) VI. 313 The Soldan of Babilony. 1562 Whitehorne Ord. Souldiers 38 The Turke by meanes of artillerie, againste the Sophi and the Soldan, hathe had victory. 1594 Greene Selimus 566 Wks. (Grosart) XIV. 216 We that haue..stript th' Egyptian soldan of his camp. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World ii. 199 He plainely shewes, that the Soldans of Egypt were not Lords of the Countrie. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 764 Where Champions bold..at the Soldans chair Defi'd the best of Panim chivalry To mortal combat. 1708 J. Philips Cyder ii. 83 The Soldan, as he fled, Oft call'd on Alla. 1742 Hume Ess. & Treat. i. iv. (1777) I. 29 The soldan of Egypt, or the Emperor of Rome, might drive his harmless subjects..against their sentiments and inclination. 1849 J. A. Carlyle Dante, Inf. v, She held the land which the Soldan rules. 1864 Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. xii. (1889) 182 It [a letter] bids the Soldan withdraw at once from the dominions of Rome. |
† b. The governor of a town.
Obs.—1| 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 16 A little turret..where the treasure belonging to the Soudan or Governour of the Town is kept. |
2. With
a and
pl. A Muslim ruler; one having the rank of sultan.
| α 13.. K. Alis. 1781 (W.), Darie..holdith riche gestnyng, Of dukes, eorles, amiraylis, And of soudans. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 98 More [harm] þan ony soudon or sarsyn or oþer men of wrong bileue. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas ix. xxii (1554) 29 Mightye princes Soudans twayne. c 1470 Rauf Coilȝear 898 Thow slane hes oft,..of my Counsingis, Soudanis and sib men. 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 108 The malignitie and cruell attemptates of the deuelishe rablement, and wicked sowdanes. |
| γ, δ 1390 Gower Conf. III. 145 A Soldan whilom was of Perce. 1483 Cath. Angl. 348/2 A Soldan, soldanus. 1598 Hakluyt Voy. I. 55 We saw in the Emperours court..many great Soldanes receiuing no due honour. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. 195 Who..made paiment to his souldans and soldiers. 1611 Cotgr., Sultan, a Sultan, or Souldan. 1795 Southey Maid of Orleans ii. 337 Cæsars and Soldans, Emperors and Kings,..here they were all. 1840 Macaulay Ess., Ranke's Hist. (1851) II. 136 He could no longer hope to strike down gigantic soldans. 1884 Tennyson Becket iv. ii, I had it from an Arab soldan. |