List of state leaders in 1481

This is a list of heads of state, government leaders, and other rulers in the year 1481.

Africa

• Ethiopian Empire – Eskender (1478–1494)
  • Adal Sultanate – Shams ad-Din ibn Muhammad (1472–1488)
• Kingdom of Kongo – João I, Manikongo (1470–1509)
• Songhai Empire – Sonni Ali (1464–1492)

Americas

• Aztec Empire –
  1. Axayacatl (1469–1481)
  2. Tízoc (1481–1486)
• Inca Empire – Tupac (1471–1493)
• Muisca Confederation
  • zaque Michuá (1470-1490)
  • zipa Saguamanchica (1470-1490)
• Texcoco – Nezahualpilli, King of Texcoco (1472–1515)

Asia

• China (Ming dynasty) - Chenghua Emperor (1464–1487)
• Sultanate of Cirebon - Sunan Gunungjati (1479–1568)
• Japan (Muromachi period)
  • Monarch – Emperor Go-Tsuchimikado (1464–1500)
  • Ashikaga shogunate - Ashikaga Yoshihisa (1473–1489)
• Joseon (Korea) – Seongjong (1469–1494)
• Ryukyu Kingdom – Shō Shin (1477–1526)

Europe

• Kingdom of Aragon – Ferdinand II (1479–1516)
• Duchy of Burgundy – Mary (1477–1482)
• Crimean Khanate – Meñli I Giray (1478–1515)
• Denmark and Norway – John I, King of Denmark (1481–1513), King of Norway (1481–1513)
  • Duchy of Schleswig –
    1. Christian I (1460–1481)
    2. John I (1481–1513)
• Kingdom of England – Edward IV (1461–1483)
• Kingdom of France (House of Valois) - Louis XI (1461–1483)
• Holy Roman Empire – Frederick III (1452–1493)
  • Duchy of Holstein –
    1. Christian I (1474–1481)
    2. John I (1481–1513)
• Kingdom of Hungary – Matthias Corvinus (1458–1490)
• Polish–Lithuanian union – Casimir IV, Grand Prince of Lithuania (1440–1492), King of Poland (1447–1492)
• Ottoman (Turkish) Empire
  1. Mehmed II, the Conqueror, Ottoman Sultan (1451–1481)
  2. Bayezid II, Ottoman Sultan (1481–1512)
• Kingdom of Portugal and the Algarves –
  1. Afonso V (1438–1481)
  2. John II (1481–1495)
• Russia - Ivan III the Great, Grand Duke of Muscovy (1462–1505)
• Kingdom of Scotland – James III (1460–1488)
• Kingdom of Sweden – Sten Sture the Elder, Regent of Sweden (1470–1497, 1501–1503)

Middle East and North Africa

• Kingdom of Cyprus – Catherine Cornaro (1474–1489)
• Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt – Qait Bay (1468–1496)