The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word EMEER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
E
M
E
E
R
More clues leading to the result EMEER
- King Edward fencing short, timid eastern ruler
- Arab leader always imprisoning me
- HM receiving Julius, eastern ruler
- Muslim ruler stuck up in tree, methinks
- Prince seen on English lake, reportedly
- Three men hold back Arab leader
- Writer set back 24 19 Islamic title
- Rulers’ title that’s always tacked on to them
- Top man in Dubai backing agreement banks rejected
- Prince always tours Maine
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "eastern ruler" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case eastern ruler = emeer.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.