Adynastyis a sequence of rulers from the same family,[1]usually in the context of amonarchicalsystem, but sometimes also appearing inrepublics.A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house","family"or"clan",among others.
Historiansperiodizethe histories of many states andcivilizations,such asAncient Iran(3200 – 539 BC),Ancient Egypt(3100 – 30 BC), andAncient and Imperial China(2070 BC – AD 1912), using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned.
Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckonedpatrilineally,such as those that follow theFrankishSalic law.In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, wheresuccession lawand conventions have maintained dynastic namesde jurethrough a female.
Dynastic politics has declined over time, owing to a decline in monarchy as a form of government, a rise in democracy, and a reduction within democracies of elected members from dynastic families.[2]
Terminology
editThe word "dynasty" (from theGreek:δυναστεία,dynasteía"power", "lordship", fromdynástes"ruler" )[3]is sometimes used informally for people who are not rulers but are, for example, members of a family with influence and power in other areas, such as a series of successive owners of a major company. It is also extended to unrelated people, such as major poets of the same school or various rosters of a single sports team.[1]
The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a "noble house",[4]which may bestyledas "imperial","royal","princely","ducal","comital"or"baronial",depending upon the chief or presenttitleborne by its members.
Definition
edit
A ruler from a dynasty is sometimes referred to as a "dynast", but this term is also used to describe any member of a reigning family who retains aright to succeedto athrone.For example,King Edward VIIIceased to be a dynast of theHouse of Windsorfollowing his abdication.
In historical andmonarchistreferences to formerly reigning families, a "dynast" is a family member who would have had succession rights, were the monarchy's rules still in force. For example, after the 1914 assassinations ofArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austriaand hismorganaticwife, their sonMaximilian, Duke of Hohenberg,was bypassed for the Austro-Hungarian throne because he was not aHabsburgdynast. Even after theabolitionof the Austrian monarchy, Duke Maximilian and his descendants have not been considered the rightful pretenders by Austrian monarchists, nor have they claimed that position.
The term "dynast" is sometimes used only to refer toagnaticdescendants of a realm's monarchs, and sometimes to include those who hold succession rights throughcognaticroyal descent. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people. For example,David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon,a nephew ofQueen Elizabeth II,is in theline of succession to the British crown,making him a British dynast. On the other hand, since he is not a patrilineal member of the British royal family, he is therefore not a dynast of the House of Windsor.
Comparatively, the German aristocratPrince Ernst August of Hanover,a male-line descendant ofKing George III,possesses no legal British name, titles or styles (although he is entitled to reclaim the formerroyal dukedomofCumberland). He was born in the line of succession to the British throne and was bound by Britain'sRoyal Marriages Act 1772until it was repealed when theSuccession to the Crown Act 2013took effect on 26 March 2015.[5]Thus, he requested and obtained formal permission from Queen Elizabeth II to marry the Roman CatholicPrincess Caroline of Monacoin 1999. Yet, a clause of the EnglishAct of Settlement 1701remained in effect at that time, stipulating that dynasts who marry Roman Catholics are considered "dead" for the purpose of succession to the British throne.[6]That exclusion, too, ceased to apply on 26 March 2015, with retroactive effect for those who had been dynasts before triggering it by marriage to a Roman Catholic.[5]
Dynastic marriage
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A "dynastic marriage" is one that complies with monarchicalhouse lawrestrictions, so that the descendants are eligible to inherit the throne or other royal privileges.[7]For example, the marriage ofKing Willem-Alexander of the NetherlandstoMáxima Zorreguietain 2002 was dynastic, making their eldest child,Princess Catharina-Amalia,theheir apparentto the Crown of the Netherlands. The marriage of his younger brother,Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau,in 2003 lacked government support and parliamentary approval. Thus, Prince Friso forfeited his place in theorder of succession to the Dutch throne,and consequently lost his title as a "Prince of the Netherlands", and left his children without dynastic rights.
History
editHistoriansperiodizethe histories of many states andcivilizations,such asAncient Iran(3200 – 539 BC),Ancient Egypt(3100 – 30 BC) andAncient and Imperial China(2070 BC – AD 1912), using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned, and also to describe events, trends and artifacts of that period (e.g., "aMing dynastyvase "). Until the 19th century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty: that is, to expand the wealth and power of his family members.[8]
Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckonedpatrilineally,such as those that follow theFrankishSalic law.In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, wheresuccession lawand conventions have maintained dynastic namesde jurethrough a female. For instance, theHouse of Windsoris maintained through the children ofQueen Elizabeth II,as it did with themonarchy of the Netherlands,whose dynasty remained theHouse of Orange-Nassauthrough three successivequeens regnant.The earliest such example among major European monarchies was in theRussian Empirein the 18th century, where the name of theHouse of Romanovwas maintained throughGrand Duchess Anna Petrovna.This also happened in the case ofQueen Maria II of Portugal,who marriedPrince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry,but whose descendants remained members of theHouse of Braganza,per Portuguese law; in fact, since the 1800s, the only female monarch in Europe who had children belonging to a different house wasQueen Victoriaand that was due to disagreements over how to choose a non German house. InLimpopo ProvinceofSouth Africa,Balobedudetermined descentmatrilineally,while rulers have at other times adopted the name of their mother's dynasty when coming into her inheritance. Less frequently, a monarchy has alternated or been rotated, in a multi-dynastic (or polydynastic) system—that is, the most senior living members of parallel dynasties, at any point in time, constitute the line of succession.
Longevity
edit
Dynasties lasting at least 250 years include the following. Legendary lineages that cannot be historically confirmed are not included.
| Era | Dynasty | Length of rule |
|---|---|---|
| 400 BCE – 1618 CE[9][10] | Pandya | 2,018 years est. |
| c. 300 BCE– 1279 CE | Chola | 1,579 years est. |
| 539 – present | Imperial House of Japan | 1,458 years |
| c. 493 CE–1947 CE | Eastern Ganga dynasty | 1,454 years est. |
| c. 5th century– 1971 CE | Guhila-Sisodia | 1,371 years est. |
| 950s CE – present (titleTuʻi Tongato 1865 CE) |
Tonga | 1,070 years est. |
| c. 780– 1812 CE | Bagrationi | 1,032 years est. |
| c. 900– 1930 CE | Borjigid | 1,030 years est. |
| c.730 – 1855 | Bohkti | 1,125 years est. |
| c. 1700– 722 BCE | Adaside | 978 years est. |
| c. 891– 1846 CE | Sayfawa | 955 years est. |
| 665 – 1598 CE | Baduspanids | 933 years |
| 57 BCE – 935 CE | Silla | 992 years est. |
| 1128 – 1971 | Kachhwaha | 843 years |
| 987 – 1792, 1814 – 1848 CE | Capetian | 839 years |
| 1046– 256 BCE | Zhou | 790 years |
| 750 – 1258 CE, 1261 – 1517 CE | Abbasid | 764
years |
| 862 – 1598 CE | Rurikid | 736 years |
| 1243 – 1971 | Rathore | 728 years |
| 37 BCE – 668 CE | Goguryeo | 705 years |
| 1270 – 1975 CE | Solomon | 705 years |
| 651 – 1349 CE | Bavand dynasty | 698 years |
| 18 BCE – 660 CE | Baekje | 678 years |
| 1360s – present | Bolkiah | 656 years or 661 years |
| 1299 – 1922 CE | Ottoman | c. 623years |
| 543 BCE – 66 CE | Vijaya | 608 years |
| 1228 – 1826 CE | Ahom | 598 years |
| 1600 – 1046 BCE or 1766–1122 BCE | Shang | 554 years or 644 years |
| 1392 – 1910 CE | JoseonandKorean Empire | 518 years |
| 1370 – 1857 CE | Timurid | 487 years |
| 918 – 1392 CE | Goryeo | 474 years |
| 247 BCE – 224 CE | Arsacid | 471 years |
| 1154 – 1624 CE | Nabhani | 470 years |
| 202 BCE – 9 CE, 25 – 220 CE | HanandShu Han | 448 years |
| 858 – 1301 CE | Árpád | 443 years |
| 1586 – present | Mataram[a] | 438 years |
| 224 – 651 CE | Sassanian | 427 years |
| 1010 – 586 BCE | Davidic | 424 years |
| 220 – 638 CE | Jafnid | 418 years |
| 960 – 1370 CE | Piast | 410 years |
| 730 – 330 BCE | Achaemenid | 400 years |
| 1220 – 1597 CE | Siri Sanga Bo | 377 years |
| 661 – 750, 756 – 1031 CE | Umayyad | 364 years |
| 1271 – 1635 CE | YuanandNorthern Yuan | 364 years |
| 1057 – 1059, 1081 – 1185, 1204 – 1461 CE | Komnenos (styled as Megas Komnenos since late 13th century) |
363 years |
| 1428 – 1527, 1533 – 1789 CE | Later Lê(Primitive andRevival Lê) | 355 years |
| 1047 – 1375, 1387 – 1412 CE | Estridsen | 353 years |
| c. 653 BCE– 309 BCE | Argead | 344 years |
| 1278 – 1914 CE | Habsburg | 636 years |
| 1371 – 1651, 1660 – 1714 CE | Stuart | 334 years |
| 1154 – 1485 CE | Plantagenet | 330 years |
| 905 – 1234 CE | Jiménez | 329 years |
| 1699 – present | Bendahara | 325 years |
| 960 –1279 CE | Song | 319 years |
| 1613 – 1917 CE | Romanov | 304 years |
| 300 – 602 CE | Lakhmid | 302 years |
| 916 – 1218 CE | LiaoandWestern Liao | 302 years |
| 1616 – 1912 CE | Later JinandQing | 296 years |
| 1368 – 1662 CE | MingandSouthern Ming | 294 years |
| 305 – 30 BCE | Ptolemaic | 275 years |
| 618 – 690, 705 – 907 CE | Tang | 274 years |
| 909 – 1171 CE | Fatimid | 262 years |
| 1230 – 1492 CE | Nasrid | 262 years |
| 1550 – 1292 BCE | Thutmosid | 258 years |
| 1034 – 1286 CE | Dunkeld | 252 years |
Extant sovereign dynasties
editThere are43 sovereign stateswith amonarchashead of state,of which 41 are ruled by dynasties.[b]There are currently 26 sovereign dynasties.
Political families
editThough inelectedgovernments,rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals in the elected positions ofrepublics,andconstitutional monarchies.Eminence,influence,tradition,genetics,andnepotismmay contribute to the phenomenon.
Hereditary dictatorship
editHereditary dictatorships arepersonalist dictatorshipsin which political power stays within a strongman's family due to the overwhelming authority of the strongman, rather than by the democratic consent of the people. The strongman typically fills government positions with their relatives. They may groom a successor during their own lifetime, or a member of their family may maneuver to take control of the dictatorship after the strongman's death.
| Dynasty | Regime | Current leader | Dynastic founder | Year founded[ab] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim dynasty |  Democratic People's Republic of Korea
|
Kim Jong Un | Kim Il Sung | 1948 |
| Gnassingbé dynasty[11] |  Togo
|
Faure Gnassingbé | Gnassingbé Eyadéma | 1967 |
| Assad dynasty |  Syrian Arab Republic
|
Bashar al-Assad | Hafez al-Assad | 1971 |
| Gouled-Guelleh dynasty[12] |  Djibouti
|
Ismaïl Omar Guelleh | Hassan Gouled Aptidon | 1977 |
| Déby dynasty[13] |  Chad
|
Mahamat Déby | Idriss Déby | 1991 |
| Aliyev dynasty[14] |  Republic of Azerbaijan
|
Ilham Aliyev | Heydar Aliyev | 1993 |
| Hun dynasty[15][16][17] |  Kingdom of Cambodia
|
Hun Manet | Hun Sen | 1985 |
| Berdimuhamedow dynasty[18] |  Turkmenistan
|
Serdar Berdimuhamedow | Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow | 2006 |
Influential wealthy families
editSee also
edit- Cadet branch
- Commonwealth realm
- Conquest dynasty
- Dynastic cycle
- Dynastic order
- Dynastic union
- Elective monarchy
- Family seat
- Heads of former ruling families
- Hereditary monarchy
- Iranian Intermezzo
- List of current constituent monarchs
- List of current monarchies
- List of current monarchs of sovereign states
- List of dynasties
- List of empires
- List of family trees
- List of kingdoms and royal dynasties
- List of largest empires
- List of monarchies
- List of noble houses
- Non-sovereign monarchy
- Realm
- Royal family
- Royal household
- Royal intermarriage
- Self-proclaimed monarchy
Notes
edit- ^Territory split into theSurakarta SunanateandYogyakarta Sultanatein 1755 by theTreaty of Giyanti
- ^Existing sovereign entities ruled by non-dynastic monarchs include:
- ^The founder of a dynasty need not necessarily equate to the first monarch of a particular realm. For example, whileWilliam Iwas the dynastic founder of theHouse of Orange-Nassauwhich currently rules over theKingdom of the Netherlands,he was never a monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
- ^Not to be confused withdynastic seat.
- ^TheHouse of Windsoris descended from theHouse of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,which is a branch of theHouse of Wettin.The dynastic name was changed from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Windsor" in AD 1917.
- ^A sovereign state withCharles IIIas its monarch and head of state is known as aCommonwealth realm.
- ^George Vwas formerly a member of theHouse of Saxe-Coburg and Gothabefore AD 1917.
- ^Including:
- ^TheRealm of New Zealandconsists of:
- ^Including:
Anguilla
Bailiwick of Guernsey(Crown dependency)
Bailiwick of Jersey(Crown dependency)
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
Cayman Islands
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Isle of Man(Crown dependency)
Montserrat
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands- Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Turks and Caicos Islands
Virgin Islands
- ^TheHouse of Belgiumis descended from theHouse of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,which is a branch of theHouse of Wettin.The dynastic name was changed from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Belgium" in AD 1920.
- ^Albert Iwas formerly a member of theHouse of Saxe-Coburg and Gothabefore AD 1920.
- ^Claimed by the royal house, but the historicity is questionable.
- ^TheHouse of Norodomis a branch of the Varman dynasty.
- ^TheHouse of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburgis a branch of theHouse of Oldenburg.
- ^Including:
- ^TheImperial House of Japan,orKōshitsu( hoàng thất ), is the world's oldest continuous dynasty. The dynasty has produced an unbroken succession of Japanese monarchs since the legendary founding year of 660 BC.
- ^Most historians regard Emperor Jimmu to have been a mythical ruler.Emperor Ōjin,traditionally considered the 15th emperor, is the first who is generally thought to have existed, whileEmperor Kinmei,the 29th emperor according to traditional historiography, is the first monarch for whom verifiable regnal dates can be assigned.
- ^TheHouse of Hashimis descended fromBanu Qatada,which was a branch of theHouse of Ali.
- ^TheHouse of Luxembourg-Nassauis descended from theHouse of Nassau-Weilburg,which is a branch of theHouse of Nassauand theHouse of Bourbon-Parma.
- ^TheBendahara dynastyis the ruling dynasty ofPahang Darul MakmurandTerengganu.TheSultan of Pahangis the reigningYang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.
- ^The throne of Malaysia rotates among the nineconstituent monarchies of Malaysia,each ruled by a dynasty. TheYang di-Pertuan Agongis elected by theConference of Rulers.
- ^TheHouse of Orange-Nassauis a branch of theHouse of Nassau.Additionally,Willem-Alexanderis also linked to theHouse of LippethroughBeatrix of the Netherlands.
- ^TheKingdom of the Netherlandsconsists of:
- ^TheHouse of Bourbon-Anjouis a branch of theHouse of Bourbon.
- ^TheHouse of Nahyanis the ruling dynasty of theEmirate of Abu Dhabi.The Emir of Abu Dhabi is the incumbentPresident of the United Arab Emirates.
- ^ThePresident of the United Arab Emiratesis elected by theFederal Supreme Council.The office has been held by the Emir ofAbu Dhabisince the formation of the United Arab Emirates in AD 1971.
- ^Year authoritarian system began
References
edit
- ^abOxford English Dictionary,1st ed."dynasty,n."Oxford University Press(Oxford), 1897.
- ^Van Coppennolle, Brenda; Smith, Daniel (2023)."Dynasties in Historical Political Economy"(PDF).The Oxford Handbook of Historical Political Economy.Archived(PDF)from the original on 20 September 2023.Retrieved21 August2022.
- ^Harper, Douglas."dynasty".Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^Oxford English Dictionary,3rd ed."house,n.1andint,10. b."Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2011.
- ^abStatement by Nick Clegg MP, UK parliament websiteArchived5 July 2016 at theWayback Machine,26 March 2015 (retrieved on same date).
- ^"Monaco royal taken seriously ill".BBC News.London. 8 April 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 12 March 2010.Retrieved27 January2013.
- ^"The Dynastic Marriage".ieg-ego.eu(in German).Archivedfrom the original on 28 February 2023.Retrieved28 February2023.
- ^Thomson, David (1961). "The Institutions of Monarchy".Europe Since Napoleon.New York: Knopf. pp.79–80.
The basic idea of monarchy was the idea that hereditary right gave the best title to political power...The dangers of disputed succession were best avoided by hereditary succession: ruling families had a natural interest in passing on to their descendants enhanced power and prestige...Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, Maria Theresa of Austria, were alike infatuated with the idea of strengthening their power, centralizing government in their own hands as against local and feudal privileges, and so acquiring more absolute authority in the state. Moreover, the very dynastic rivalries and conflicts between these eighteenth-century monarchs drove them to look for ever more efficient methods of government
- ^Harman, William. P (1992).The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess.Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 30–6.ISBN978-81-208-0810-2.
- ^Sathayanatha Iyer (1924).History of the Nayaks of Madura.p. 58.
- ^"Togo votes as Faure Gnassingbe seeks to extend dynasty's rule".Aljazeera.22 February 2020.Retrieved20 February2024.
- ^"Djibouti's President Guelleh wins fifth term with 97% of votes".Reuters.10 April 2021.Retrieved20 February2024.
- ^"New constitution, old playbook: Chad's Deby continues power play in Sahel".Al Jazeera.26 December 2023.Retrieved12 April2024.
- ^Balci, Bayram (14 October 2023)."Presidential Elections in Azerbaijan Fail to End the Aliyev's Dynastic and Autocratic Rule".Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.Retrieved7 February2024.
- ^"What to expect from Cambodia's new 'dynastic' prime minister".Deutsche Welle.8 August 2022.Retrieved25 August2023.
- ^Syed, Armani (26 July 2023)."What to Know About the Army Chief Who Will Be Cambodia's Next Leader".Time.Retrieved25 August2023.
- ^Hunt, Luke (23 August 2023)."Assessing Cambodia's New Political Leadership".The Diplomat.Retrieved25 August2023.
- ^Clement, Victoria (14 March 2023)."The Aura of Governance in Turkmenistan".The Diplomat.Retrieved27 October2023.