List of state leaders in 1788

This is a list of heads of state, heads of governments, and other rulers in the year 1788.

Africa

• Akwa Akpa – Ekpenyong Offiong Okoho, King of Akwa Akpa (1786–1805)
• Ashanti Confederacy – Osei Kwame Panyin, Asantehene (1777–1803)
• Cayor -
• Kingdom of Dahomey – Kpengla (1774–1789)
• Sultanate of Darfur – Abd al-Rahman (1785–1801)
• Ethiopian Empire –
  • Iyasu III (1784–1788)
  • Atse Iyasus (Pretender, 1787–1788)
  • Atse Baeda Maryam (Pretender, 1787–1788)
  • Tekle Haymanot of Gondar (Pretender, 1788–1789)
  • Tekle Giyorgis I (second reign, 1788–1789)
• Imamate of Futa Toro – Abdul Kaader, Almami of Futa Toro (1776–1807)
• Kingdom of Koya – Nembanga (1775–1793)
• Madagascar – Andrianampoinimerina, King of Merina 1787–1810
• Sultanate of Morocco – Mohammed III (1757–1790)
• Zulu – Senzangakona, King of the Zulu (1781–1816)

Americas

• United States – President of the Continental Congress:
  • Cyrus Griffin, 22 January 1788 to 4 March 1789
• Vermont Republic – Thomas Chittenden, Governor of Vermont (13 March 1778 – 13 October 1789)

Asia

• Abu Dhabi – Dhiyab bin Isa, Shaikh of Abu Dhabi (1761–1793)
• Aceh Sultanate - Alauddin Muhammad Syah, Sultan of Aceh (1781-1795)
• Brunei - Omar Ali Saifuddin I, Sultan of Brunei (1740-1795)
• China (Qing dynasty) – Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796)
• Durrani Empire – Timur Shah (1772–1793)
• Empire of Japan
  • Monarch – Kōkaku (1780–1817)
  • Tokugawa shogunate – Tokugawa Ienari (1786–1837)
  • Ryukyu Kingdom – Shō Boku (1752–1795)
• Joseon (Korea) – Jeongjo (1776–1800)
• Mughal Empire – Shah Alam II (1759–1806)
• Quba Khanate – Fatali Khan (1758–1789)
• Rattanakosin Kingdom (Siam) – Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1782–1809)
• Đại Việt
  • Lê Chiêu Thống (Later Lê dynasty) (1786–1788)
  • Nguyễn Nhạc (Tây Sơn dynasty) (1778–1793)
  • Nguyễn Huệ (Tây Sơn dynasty) (1788–1792)

Australia and Oceania

• Colony of New South Wales
  • Monarch – George III, King of Great Britain (1760–1801)
  • Governor – Captain Arthur Phillip (1788–1792)

Europe

• Principality of Abkhazia – Kelesh Begi (1747–1806)
• Andorra – Co-princes:
  • Josep de Boltas, Bishop of Urgell (1785–1795)
  • Louis XVI of France (1774–1792)
• Kingdom of Denmark–Norway
  • Monarch – Christian VII (1766–1808)
  • Minister of State – Andreas Peter Bernstorff (1784–1797)
• Kingdom of France – Louis XVI (1774–1792)
• Genoa – Raffaele De Ferrari Rodino, Doge of Genoa (1787–1789)
• Kingdom of Great Britain –
  • Monarch – George III (1760–1820)
  • Prime Minister – William Pitt the Younger (1783–1801, 1804–1806)
• Holy Roman Empire – Joseph II (1765–1790)
  • Bavaria and the Electorate of the Palatinate – Karl Theodor, Elector Palatine (1742–1799) and Elector of Bavaria (1777–1799)
  • Kingdom of Bohemia – Joseph II (1780–1790)
  • Electorate of Brandenburg – Frederick William II (1786–1797)
  • Electorate of Cologne – Maximilian Francis of Austria, Archbishop of Cologne (1784–1801)
  • Electorate of Hanover – George III (1760–1814/1820)
  • Electorate of Mainz – Friedrich Karl Josef von Erthal, Archbishop of Mainz (1774–1802)
  • Electorate of Saxony – Frederick Augustus III (1763–1806/1827)
  • Electorate of Trier – Clement Wenceslaus of Saxony, Archbishop of Trier (1768–1802)
• Kingdom of Hungary – Joseph II (1780–1790)
• Kingdom of Ireland – George III (1760–1820)
• Ottoman (Turkish) Empire
  • Sultan of the Ottoman Empire – Abdülhamit I (1774–1789)
  • Grand Vizier – Koca Yusuf Pasha (1786–1789)
• Duchy of Modena – Ercole III d'Este (1780–1796)
• Kingdom of Naples – Ferdinand IV (1759–1799) also King of Sicily
• Papal States – Pope Pius VI (1775–1799)
• Duchy of Parma – Ferdinand (1765–1802)
• Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth – Stanisław August Poniatowski (1764–1795)
• Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves – Maria I (1777–1816)
• Kingdom of Prussia – Frederick William II (1786–1797)
• Russian Empire – Catherine II, Tsaritsa of Russia (1762–1796)
• Kingdom of Sardinia – Victor Amadeus III (1771–1796)
• Kingdom of Sicily – Ferdinand III (1759–1825) also King of Naples
• Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights of St. John Hospitaller of Malta – Jean-Emmanuel-Marie-des-Neiges, Prince de Rohan-Polduc, Grand Master (1775–1797)
• Kingdom of Spain –
  1. Charles III (1759–1788)
  2. Charles IV (1788–1808)
• Kingdom of Sweden – Gustav III (1771–1792)
• Grand Duchy of Tuscany – Peter Leopold (1765–1790)
• United Provinces –
  • Estates of Friesland, Groningen, Guelders, Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (1581–1795)
  • Stadtholder – William V, Prince of Orange, Stadholder of Friesland, Groningen, Guelders, Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland (1751–1795)
    • Holland – Grand Pensionary Laurens Pieter van de Spiegel of Holland (1787–1795)
• Republic of Venice – Paolo Rainiero, Doge of Venice (1779–1789)