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A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, English Dictionary , "dynasty, n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchy system, but sometimes also appearing in . A dynasty may also be referred to as a " house", " family" or " clan", among others.
Historians periodization the histories of many states and , such as the Roman Empire (27 BC – AD 1453), Imperial Iran (678 BC – AD 1979), Ancient Egypt (3100–30 BC), and Ancient 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 were traditionally reckoned patrilineality, such as those that followed the Franks Salic 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, where succession law and conventions have maintained dynastic names de jure through a female.
Dynastic politics has declined over time, owing to a decline in monarchy as a form of government, a rise in democratic and communist seizure of power, and a reduction within democracies of elected members from dynastic families.
The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a "noble house", Oxford English Dictionary, "house, n.1 and int, " Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2011. which may be styled as "emperor", "King", "", "duke", "count" or "", depending upon the chief or present title borne by its members, but it is more often referred by adding the name afterwards, as in "House of Habsburg".
In historical and monarchism references 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 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his morganatic wife, their son Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg, was bypassed for the Austro-Hungarian throne because he was not a Habsburg dynast. Even after the abolition of 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 to agnatic descendants of a realm's monarchs, and sometimes to include those who hold succession rights through matrilineality royal descent. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people. For example, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, a nephew of Elizabeth II, is in the line 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 not a dynast of the House of Windsor.
Comparatively, the German aristocrat Prince Ernst August of Hanover, a male-line descendant of George III, possesses no legal British name, titles or styles (although he is entitled to reclaim the former royal dukedom of Cumberland). He was born in the line of succession to the British throne and was bound by Britain's Royal Marriages Act 1772 until it was repealed when the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 took effect on 26 March 2015. Statement by Nick Clegg MP, UK parliament website , 26 March 2015 (retrieved on same date). Thus, he requested and obtained formal permission from Queen Elizabeth II to marry the Roman Catholic Princess Caroline of Monaco in 1999. Yet, a clause of the English Act of Settlement 1701 remained in effect at that time, stipulating that dynasts who marry Roman Catholics are considered "dead" for succession to the British throne. 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.
The Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 was an edict issued by Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI on 19 April 1713 to ensure that the Habsburg monarchy could be inherited by his daughter undivided (→ agnatic-cognatic primogeniture). In 1736, Francis Stephen of Lorraine married Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, the sole heir of Emperor Charles VI. With the marriage of Maria Theresa, the only offspring of the House of , she became together with her husband the founder of the new dynasty of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Since 1740 he was her co-regent in the Habsburg hereditary lands and from 1745 he was Holy Roman Emperor as Francis I, but was hardly involved in government affairs. Francis was as Duke of Lorraine the last non-Habsburg monarch of the Holy Roman Empire. The couple were the founders of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, which ruled until 1918. Empress Maria Theresa of the Habsburg dynasty had her children married into various European dynasties. Habsburg marriage policy amongst European dynasties led to the Pax Austriaca.
Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world had traditionally been reckoned patrilineality, such as those that followed the Franks Salic 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, where succession law and conventions have maintained dynastic names de jure through a female. For instance, the House of Windsor is maintained through the children of Elizabeth II, as it did with the monarchy of the Netherlands, whose dynasty remained the House of Orange-Nassau through three successive queen regnant. The earliest such example among major European monarchies was in the Russian Empire in the 18th century, where the name of the House of Romanov was maintained through Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna. This also happened in the case of Queen Maria II of Portugal, who married Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, but whose descendants remained members of the House of Braganza, per Portuguese law;, since the 1800s, the only female monarch in Europe who had children belonging to a different house was Queen Victoria and that was due to disagreements over how to choose a non German house. In Limpopo of South Africa, Rain Queen determined descent matrilineally, 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.
Dynastic marriage
A "dynastic marriage" is one that complies with monarchical house law restrictions, so that the descendants are eligible to inherit the throne or other royal privileges. For example, the marriage of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands to Máxima Zorreguieta in 2002 was dynastic, making their eldest child, Princess Catharina-Amalia, the heir apparent to 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 the order 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
Historians periodization the histories of many states and , such as Ancient Iran (3200 BC – 1979 AD), Ancient Egypt (3100–30 BC) and Ancient 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 artefacts of that period (e.g., "a Ming dynasty vase"). 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.
Longevity
Dynasties lasting at least 250 years include the following. Legendary lineages that cannot be historically confirmed are not included.
400 BCE – 1618 Pandya dynasty 2,018 years (estimation) c. 300 BCE – 1279 Chola dynasty 1,579 years (estimation) c.300BCE - 1300s Chera dynasty 1600 years (approximate estimation) c. 493 – present Imperial House of Japan 1,532 years c. 5th century – 1947 Eastern Ganga dynasty 1,454 years (estimation) c. 5th century – 1971 Guhila dynasty / Sisodia dynasty 1,371 years (estimation) c. 730 – 1855 Bohtan 1,125 years (estimation) c. 780 – 1812 Bagrationi 1,032 years (estimation) 987 – present Capetian dynasty 1,037 years c. 900 – 1930 Borjigin 1,030 years (estimation) 57 BCE – 935 Silla 992 years (estimation) c. 1700 – 722 BCE Adaside 978 years (estimation) 950s – present (title Tui Tonga to 1865) Tonga 974 years (estimation) c. 891 – 1846 Sayfawa dynasty 955 years (estimation) 665 – 1598 Baduspanids 933 years 1128 – 1971 Kachhwaha 843 years 1046 – 256 BCE Zhou dynasty 790 years 750 – 1258, 1261 – 1517 Abbasid dynasty 764 years 862 – 1598 Rurikid 736 years 1243 – 1971 Rathore dynasty 728 years 37 BCE – 668 Goguryeo 705 years 1270 – 1975 Solomon 705 years 651 – 1349 Bavand dynasty 698 years 18 BCE – 660 Baekje 678 years 1360s – present Bolkiah 664 years (estimation) 1278 – 1914 Habsburg 636 years 1299 – 1922 Ottoman dynasty 623 years 543 BCE – 66 Vijaya 608 years 1228 – 1826 Ahom dynasty 598 years 1448 – Present Oldenburg 577 years 1600 BCE – 1046 BCE or 1766 BCE – 1122 BCE Shang dynasty 554 years or 644 years 1392 – 1910 Joseon and Korean Empire 518 years 1370 – 1857 Timurid dynasty 487 years 918 – 1392 Goryeo 474 years 247 BCE – 224 Parthian Empire 471 years 1154 – 1624 Nabhani dynasty 470 years 202 BCE – 9, 25 – 220 Han dynasty and Shu Han 448 years 858 – 1301 Árpád 443 years 1586 – present Mataram 438 years (estimation) 224 – 651 Sasanian dynasty 427 years 1010 BCE – 586 BCE Davidic line 424 years 220 – 638 Ghassanids 418 years 960 – 1370 Piast dynasty 410 years 730 – 330 BCE Achaemenid 400 years 426 – 810 CE Copan 384 years 1220 – 1597 Siri Sanga Bo 377 years 661 – 750, 756 – 1031 Umayyad dynasty 364 years 1271 – 1635 Yuan dynasty and Northern Yuan 364 years 1057 – 1059, 1081 – 1185, 1204 – 1461 Komnenos 363 years 1428 – 1527, 1533 – 1789 Later Lê (Primitive and Revival Lê) 355 years 1047 – 1375, 1387 – 1412 Estridsen 353 years c. 653 – 309 BCE Argead dynasty 344 years 1277 – 1619 Aryacakravarti 342 years c. 268 – 602 Lakhmids 334 years 1371 – 1651, 1660 – 1714 Stuart 334 years 1154 – 1485 Plantagenet 330 years 905 – 1234 Jiménez 329 years 1699 – present Bendahara 325 years (estimation) 960 – 1279 Song dynasty 319 years 1613 – 1917 Romanov 304 years 916 – 1218 Liao dynasty and Qara Khitai 302 years 1616 – 1912 Later Jin and Qing dynasty 296 years 1368 – 1662 Ming dynasty and Southern Ming 294 years 962 – 1246 House of Babenberg 284 years 305 BCE – 30 BCE Ptolemaic 275 years 618 – 690, 705 – 907 Tang dynasty 274 years 909 – 1171 Fatimid dynasty 262 years 1230 – 1492 Nasrid dynasty 262 years 1550 BCE – 1292 BCE Thutmosid 258 years 1034 – 1286 Dunkeld 252 years
Extant sovereign dynasties
There are 43 sovereign states with a monarch as head of state, of which 41 are ruled by dynasties. There are currently 26 sovereign dynasties.
Windsor Charles III George V Thuringia and Bavaria New Zealand Khalifa King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed Najd Belgium King Philippe King Albert I Thuringia and Bavaria Wangchuck Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Ugyen Wangchuck Trongsa, Bhutan Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan Muhammad Shah Tarim in Hadhramaut Norodom Norodom Sihamoni King Norodom Prohmbarirak Cambodia Glücksburg Danish Realm King Frederik X Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Glücksburg King Harald V Dlamini Mswati III Chief Dlamini I East Africa Yamato Naruhito Emperor Jimmu Nara Prefecture Hashemites King Abdullah II King Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi Hejaz Sabah Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Sheikh Sabah I bin Jaber Najd Moshesh Letsie III Moshoeshoe I Lesotho Liechtenstein Prince Hans-Adam II Prince Karl I Lower Austria Luxembourg-Nassau Grand Duke Guillaume V Grand Duke Adolphe Nassau Temenggong Sultan Ibrahim III Sultan Abu Bakar Johor Grimaldi Prince Albert II François Grimaldi Genoa Alawi King Mohammed VI Sultan Abul Amlak Sidi Muhammad as-Sharif ibn 'Ali Tafilalt Orange-Nassau King Willem-Alexander Prince William I Nassau Busaid Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi Oman Thani Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Thani bin Mohammed Najd Saud King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Emir Saud I Diriyah Bourbon-Anjou Felipe VI King Philip V Bourbon-l'Archambault Bernadotte King Carl XVI Gustaf King Charles XIV John Pau Chakri dynasty Vajiralongkorn Rama I Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Tupou Tupou VI King George Tupou I Tonga Nahyan President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan Liwa Oasis
Political families
Though in election , rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals in the elected positions of and constitutional monarchies. Eminence, Social influence, tradition, genetics, and nepotism may contribute to the phenomenon.
Hereditary dictatorship
Hereditary dictatorships are personalist dictatorships in which political power stays within a dictator's family due to the overwhelming authority of the dictator, rather than by the democratic consent of the people. The dictator typically fills government positions with their relatives. They may groom a successor during their lifetime, or a member of their family may manoeuvre to take control of the dictatorship after the dictator's death.
+Current hereditary dictatorships
! Dynasty
! Regime
! Dynastic founder
! Current leader
! Year founded
! Length of rule Kim family Kim Il Sung Kim Jong Un 1948 Gnassingbé family Gnassingbé Eyadéma Faure Gnassingbé 1967 Bongo family Omar Bongo Brice Oligui Nguema 1967 Nguema Family Francisco Macías Nguema Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo 1968 Gulleh family Hassan Gouled Aptidon Ismaïl Omar Guelleh 1977 Hun family Hun Sen Hun Manet 1985 Déby family Idriss Déby Mahamat Déby 1991 Aliyev family Heydar Aliyev Ilham Aliyev 1993 Berdimuhamedow family Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow Serdar Berdimuhamedow 2006 +Former hereditary dictatorships
!Dynasty
!Regime
!Dynastic founder
!Last ruler
!Year founded
!Year ended
!Length of rule Chiang family Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Ching-kuo 1928 1988 Trujillo family Rafael Trujillo Ramfis Trujillo 1930 1961 Duvalier family François Duvalier Jean-Claude Duvalier 1957 1986 Assad family Hafez al-Assad Bashar al-Assad 1971 2024 Cromwell family Oliver Cromwell Richard Cromwell 1653 1659 5 years, 161 days Somoza family Nicaragua Anastasio Somoza García Anastasio Somoza Debayle 1936 1979 43 years, 39 days López family Carlos Antonio López Francisco Solano López 1844 1870 25 years, 293 days
Influential wealthy families
See also
Notes
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