There are several monarchies in Asia, while some states function as absolute monarchies where the king has complete authority over the state, others are constitutional monarchies where a monarch exercises authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making.
National monarchies State Type Succession Dynasty Title Monarch Reigning since First in line Kingdom of Bahrain Mixed Hereditary Khalifa King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa 6 Mar 1999(as emir)14 Feb 2002(as king) Heir apparent: Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain (eldest son) Kingdom of Bhutan Constitutional Hereditary Wangchuck King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck 9 Dec 2006 Heir apparent: Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, Crown Prince of Bhutan (eldest son) Brunei Darussalam Absolute Hereditary Bolkiah Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah 4 Oct 1967 Heir apparent: Al-Muhtadee Billah, Crown Prince of Brunei (eldest son) Kingdom of Cambodia Constitutional Elective Norodom King Norodom Sihamoni 14 Oct 2004 None; appointed by the Royal Council of the Throne within the royal family members Japan Constitutional Hereditary Yamato Emperor Naruhito 1 May 2019 heir apparent: Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan(younger brother) Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Constitutional Hereditary Hashemite King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein 7 Feb 1999 Heir apparent: Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan (eldest son) State of Kuwait Mixed Hereditary Sabah Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 16 Dec 2023 Heir presumptive: To be appointed (appointed by the reigning emir within the royal family members) Malaysia Constitutional Elective Temenggong Yang di-Pertuan Agong Ibrahim Ismail 31 January 2024 None; appointed by the Conference of Rulers every five years or after the king's death, abdication etc. Sultanate of Oman Absolute Hereditary Al Said Sultan Haitham bin Tariq 11 January 2020 Heir apparent: Theyazin bin Haitham, Crown Prince of Oman (eldest son) State of Qatar Mixed Hereditary Al Thani Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani 25 June 2013 None; will be appointed by the reigning emir within the royal family members Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Absolute Hereditary Saud King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud 23 January 2015 Heir apparent: Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (eldest son) Kingdom of Thailand Constitutional Hereditary Chakri King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) 13 Oct 2016 Heir presumptive: Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (only legitimate son) United Arab Emirates Mixed Elective Al Nahyan President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan 14 May 2022 None; appointed by the seven emirs of UAE (normally the Emir of Abu Dhabi is always appointed as president, while the Emir of Dubai is always appointed as Prime Minister
Constituent monarchies
United Arab Emirates (UAE) The United Arab Emirates is a federal presidential semi-constitutional monarchy consisting of 7 emirates, each ruled by absolute monarchs. The President, Vice President and Prime Minister are elected by the Federal Supreme Council, which consists of the rulers of the seven emirates. However, in practice, the office of President is traditionally held by the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, while the offices of Vice President and Prime Minister are held by the Ruler of Dubai. The seven emirates of the UAE are:
Emirate of Abu Dhabi Emirate of Ajman Emirate of Dubai Emirate of Fujairah Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah Emirate of Sharjah Emirate of Umm al-Quwain
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Malaysia Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy consisting of 13 states and 3 federal territories. Among the 13 states, 9 are ruled by Malay rulers, who collectively form the Conference of Rulers to elect the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) and Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Deputy King) for a five-year term via secret ballot. The position has to date, been de facto rotated through the state rulers, originally based on seniority. The nine Malay States are the; State of Negeri Sembilan State of Perlis State of Selangor State of Terengganu State of Kedah State of Kelantan State of Pahang State of Johor State of Perak Remark: The monarchy of Negeri Sembilan is itself elective.
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Other subnational India and Pakistan
The British ruled Indian Empire became independent from British rule in 1947 and became the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan and in 1950 India became the Republic of India, in 1956 Pakistan became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and in 1971 the province of East Pakistan separated from Pakistan to become Bangladesh. Princely states were only in the present-day countries of India and Pakistan, and not Bangladesh. The princely states who were vassal states of the British, had a certain degree of power and autonomy during the British Raj. The princely states had integrated into the newly independent India and Pakistan between 1947 and 1975 (the majority of states ascended into India or Pakistan in 1948) and the former monarchs of the princely states who joined before 1971 in India and before 1972 in Pakistan became titular rulers that received a privy purse and initially retained their statuses, privileges, and autonomy. During this time, the former princely states in India were merged into unions, each of which was headed by a former ruling prince with the title of Rajpramukh (ruling chief), equivalent to a state governor.Wilhelm von Pochhammer, India's road to nationhood: a political history of the subcontinent (1981) ch 57
In 1956, the position of Rajpramukh was abolished and the federations dissolved, the former principalities becoming part of Indian states. The states which acceded to Pakistan retained their status until the promulgation of a new constitution in 1956, when most became part of the province of West Pakistan; a few of the former states retained their autonomy until 1969 when they were fully integrated into Pakistan. The Indian Government formally derecognised the princely families in 1971, followed by the Pakistani Government in 1972, in which their titles, autonomy, and privy purses were taken away. Presently the rulers of the former princely states are pretenders who carry out ceremonial roles.
List of Princely States