Dynasties: A Global History Of Power, 1300-1800
by Jeroen Duindam /
2015 / English / PDF
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For thousands of years, societies have fallen under the reign of a
single leader, ruling as chief, king, or emperor. In this
fascinating global history of medieval and early modern dynastic
power, Jeroen Duindam charts the rise and fall of dynasties, the
rituals of rulership, and the contested presence of women on the
throne. From European, African, Mughal, Ming-Qing and Safavid
dynasties to the Ottoman Empire, Tokugawa Japan and Chosŏn Korea,
he reveals the tension between the ideals of kingship and the lives
of actual rulers, the rich variety of arrangements for succession,
the households or courts which catered to rulers' daily needs, and
the relationship between the court and the territories under its
control. The book integrates numerous African examples, sets
dynasties within longer-term developments such as the rise of the
state, and examines whether the tensions inherent in dynastic power
led inexorably to cycles of ascent and decline.
For thousands of years, societies have fallen under the reign of a
single leader, ruling as chief, king, or emperor. In this
fascinating global history of medieval and early modern dynastic
power, Jeroen Duindam charts the rise and fall of dynasties, the
rituals of rulership, and the contested presence of women on the
throne. From European, African, Mughal, Ming-Qing and Safavid
dynasties to the Ottoman Empire, Tokugawa Japan and Chosŏn Korea,
he reveals the tension between the ideals of kingship and the lives
of actual rulers, the rich variety of arrangements for succession,
the households or courts which catered to rulers' daily needs, and
the relationship between the court and the territories under its
control. The book integrates numerous African examples, sets
dynasties within longer-term developments such as the rise of the
state, and examines whether the tensions inherent in dynastic power
led inexorably to cycles of ascent and decline.