Military Leaders in AP World History

01.26.25 09:31 PM - By Claire Baumgartner
AP World History mentions about one zillion titles for the person who is in charge of the country.  It can feel like it's impossible to keep them all straight.

Okay, so it's not one zillion.  I may have exaggerated.  But it is a lot!  I often see students struggle with vocabulary terms like these.  The textbook and the teacher often assume that you already know these words. 

I'll help you learn about the similarities and differences between these types of rulers.  That way, you can focus on the big picture while you read.  You may also be interested in my articles on hereditary leaders, religious leaders, and elected leaders.

Table of Contents

Military Leaders Overview

Types of Military Leaders

    Khan and Khatun

    Shogun​

Military Leaders Overview

Another common form of government is rule by a military leader.  Sometimes these leaders may also be royalty.  They may also pass this title on to their children, like royalty does.  The distinction between royalty and military leader is not always a clear line.  I have separated out these two titles because they were often conceived of as deriving most of their power from controlling military troops instead of a family name or hereditary title.  That being said, it's complicated!​

Types of Military Leaders​

Khan and Khatun

Khan was a titled used by Turkic and Mongolian people to refer to their royalty.  The two most famous khans in AP World History are Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan.  The feminine equivalent is khatun.  Khans could rule over empires, khanates, or sultanates.


The Turks and Mongols conquered large parts of Asia between 1200 and 1750 CE. As a result, elements of their culture spread to these locations. Today, Khan is a common surname in parts of Asia and the Middle East. Elements of this lasted long after those empires fell. Today, "Khan" is a common last name. Lower-ranking military leaders and nobles started using it.​

Shogun

The Shogun was the commander of Japan's military.  For much of Japan's history, the Emperor of Japan was only a symbolic leader.  The Shogun had real political power.  In practice, the title of shogun was hereditary like many royal titles.  This allowed various families to remain in power for extended periods of history.  A shogun rules over a shogunate.


AP World History students will study the Tokugawa Shogunate.  This was the final shogunate in Japanese history.  After the Meiji Restoration, Japan's emperor retook control of the government.  We refer to this later period of time as Imperial Japan.

I help ambitious students improve their skills and master the AP World History exam.  Learn more here! 


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