View source for Dynasty

{{Short description|Sequence of rulers considered members of the same family}}
{{About|the general concept of a line of rulers}}
{{Distinguish|Political dynasty}}
{{Redirect|Ruling family|other uses|Royal family}}
{{Redirect|Royal house|royal residences and headquarters|Palace|and|Royal household}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
[[File:The Imperial Family of Japan, 2021.jpg|thumb|400px|Family photograph of the [[Imperial House of Japan]], the world's oldest continuous royal dynasty since at least 539, with three generations (from left) [[Empress Michiko]], [[Emperor Akihito]], their son [[Emperor Naruhito]] and his consort [[Empress Masako]], [[Prince Akishino]] and [[Princess Akishino]], and behind them the children (2021)]]

A '''dynasty''' is a sequence of rulers from the same family,<ref name=OED>''Oxford English Dictionary'', {{nowrap|1st ed.}} "dynasty, ''n''." [[Oxford University Press]] (Oxford), 1897.</ref> usually in the context of a [[monarchy|monarchical]] system, but sometimes also appearing in [[republic]]s. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "'''house'''", "'''family'''" or "'''clan'''", among others.

Historians [[periodization|periodize]] the histories of many states and [[civilization]]s, such as [[Ancient Iran]] (3200–539 BC), [[Ancient Egypt]] (3100–30 BC), and [[History of China#Ancient China|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 have traditionally been reckoned [[patrilineality|patrilineally]], such as those that follow the [[Franks|Frankish]] [[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 [[Order of succession|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 democracy, and a reduction within democracies of elected members from dynastic families.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Van Coppennolle |first1=Brenda |last2=Smith |first2=Daniel |date=2023 |title=Dynasties in Historical Political Economy |url=https://www.dropbox.com/s/lqsgoid620klgmi/vanCoppenolle-Smith-DynastiesHPE-final_draft.pdf?dl=0 |journal=The Oxford Handbook of Historical Political Economy |access-date=21 August 2022 |archive-date=20 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920145645/https://www.dropbox.com/s/lqsgoid620klgmi/vanCoppenolle-Smith-DynastiesHPE-final_draft.pdf?dl=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Terminology==

The word "dynasty" (from the {{langx|el|δυναστεία}}, ''dynasteía'' "power", "lordship", from ''dynástes'' "ruler")<ref>{{OEtymD|dynasty}}</ref> 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, or any family with a legacy, such as a dynasty of poets or actors. It is also extended to unrelated people, such as major poets of the same school or various rosters of a single sports team.<ref name="OED" />

The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a "noble house",<ref name="OED2">''Oxford English Dictionary'', {{nowrap|3rd ed.}} "house, ''n.<sup>1</sup>'' and ''int'', {{nowrap|10. b.}}" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2011.</ref> which may be [[Style (form of address)|styled]] as "[[emperor|imperial]]", "[[King|royal]]", "[[prince]]ly", "[[duke|ducal]]", "[[count|comital]]" or "[[baron]]ial", depending upon the chief or present [[imperial, royal and noble ranks|title]] borne by its members, but it is more often referred by adding the name afterwards, as in "[[House of Habsburg|House of Habsburg]]".

===Definition===
[[File:Order of the Civil Merit Ceremony. 5th Felipe VI Reign Anniversary 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Spanish royal family]] of the [[House of Bourbon]] dates its roots to the [[Capetian dynasty]] of the 9th century, thus making it the oldest still reigning dynasty in Europe (photograph of King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, the Princess of Asturias and her younger sister Infanta Sofía, in 2019)]]

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 a [[order of succession|right to succeed]] to a [[throne]]. For example, [[Edward VIII|King Edward VIII]] ceased to be a dynast of the [[House of Windsor]] following his abdication.

In historical and [[monarchism|monarchist]] 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 marriage|morganatic]] wife, their son [[Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg]], was bypassed for the Austro-Hungarian throne because he was not a [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] dynast. Even after the [[abolition of monarchy|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 [[Patrilineality#Agnatic succession|agnatic]] descendants of a realm's monarchs, and sometimes to include those who hold succession rights through [[matrilineality|cognatic]] 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|Queen Elizabeth II]], is in the [[Succession to the British throne|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 therefore not a dynast of the House of Windsor.

Comparatively, the German aristocrat [[Prince Ernst August of Hanover (born 1954)|Prince Ernst August of Hanover]], a male-line descendant of [[George III|King George III]], possesses no legal British name, titles or styles (although he is entitled to reclaim the former [[duke#Royal dukes|royal dukedom]] of [[Duke of Cumberland|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.<ref name=inforce>[http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-03-26/HCWS490/ Statement by Nick Clegg MP, UK parliament website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705020637/http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-03-26/HCWS490/ |date=5 July 2016 }}, 26 March 2015 (retrieved on same date).</ref> Thus, he requested and obtained formal permission from Queen Elizabeth II to marry the Roman Catholic [[Caroline, Princess of Hanover|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 the purpose of succession to the British throne.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news | url=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4426171.stm | title=Monaco royal taken seriously ill | work=[[BBC News]] | date=8 April 2005 | access-date=27 January 2013 | location=London | archive-date=12 March 2010 | archive-url=http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100312144516/http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4426171.stm | url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name=inforce/>

===Dynastic marriage===
[[File:Maria Theresia im Kreise ihrer Familie.jpg|thumb|Family portrait of Empress [[Maria Theresa]] of the [[Habsburg dynasty]], surrounded by her children who were married into various European dynasties. Marriage policy amongst dynasties led to the ''[[Pax Austriaca]]''.]]

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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Dynastic Marriage |url=http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-networks/dynastic-networks/heinz-duchhardt-the-dynastic-marriage |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=ieg-ego.eu |language=de |archive-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228212538/http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-networks/dynastic-networks/heinz-duchhardt-the-dynastic-marriage |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, the marriage of [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands]] to [[Queen Máxima of the Netherlands|Máxima Zorreguieta]] in 2002 was dynastic, making their eldest child, [[Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange|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 [[Succession to the Dutch throne|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.

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]]''.

==History==
Historians [[periodization|periodize]] the histories of many states and [[civilization]]s, such as [[Ancient Iran]] (3200–539 BC), [[Ancient Egypt]] (3100–30 BC) and [[History of China#Ancient China|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 artifacts 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.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Thomson |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/europesincenapol00thom |title=Europe Since Napoleon |publisher=Knopf |year=1961 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/europesincenapol00thom/page/79 79–80] |chapter=The Institutions of Monarchy |quote=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 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world have traditionally been reckoned [[patrilineality|patrilineally]], such as those that follow the [[Franks|Frankish]] [[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 [[Order of succession|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|Queen Elizabeth II]], as it did with the [[monarchy of the Netherlands]], whose dynasty remained the [[House of Orange-Nassau]] through three successive [[queen regnant|queens 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 of Russia|Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna]]. This also happened in the case of [[Maria II of Portugal|Queen Maria II of Portugal]], who married [[Ferdinand II of Portugal|Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry]], but whose descendants remained members of the [[House of Braganza]], per Portuguese law; in fact, 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|Limpopo Province]] of [[South Africa]], [[Rain Queen|Balobedu]] determined descent [[matrilineal succession|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.

==Longevity==
[[File:Welcome for HM King Tupou VI of the Kingdom of Tonga and HM Queen Nanasipau'u 03.jpg|thumb|King Tupou VI of Tonga and Queen Nanasipau'u, head of one of the oldest still ruling royal dynasties in the world, dating back to c. 950 CE of the [[Tuʻi Tonga Empire]]]]
Dynasties<!-- (including the rule of cadet branches?) --> lasting at least 250 years include the following. Legendary lineages that cannot be historically confirmed are not included.

{|class=wikitable
|-
!Era 
!Dynasty !!Length of rule
|-
| 400 BCE &ndash; 1618 CE<ref name="Harman">{{cite book |last=Harman |first=William. P |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F_siW9T3ev4C&pg=PA36 |title=The sacred marriage of a Hindu goddess |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1992 |isbn=978-81-208-0810-2 |pages=30–6}}</ref><ref name="சநா ஐயர்4">{{cite book |author=Sathayanatha Iyer |title=History of the Nayaks of Madura |year=1924 |pages=58}}</ref>
|[[Pandya dynasty|Pandya]] 
|2,018 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|{{c. | 300 BCE|lk=no}} &ndash; 1279 CE
|[[Chola dynasty|Chola]]
|1,579 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|539–present
|[[Imperial House of Japan]]||1,458 years
|-
|{{circa|493 CE}} &ndash; 1947 CE
|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty]]
| 1,454 years est.
|-
|{{c.|5th century|lk=no}} &ndash; 1971 CE
|[[Guhila dynasty|Guhila]] - [[Sisodia Dynasty|Sisodia]]||1,371 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|950s CE &ndash; present <br>(title [[Tu{{fakau'a}}i Tonga]] to 1865 CE)
|[[List of monarchs of Tonga|Tonga]]||{{Age nts|954|1|1}} years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|{{c.|780|lk=no}} &ndash; 1812 CE
|[[Bagrationi dynasty|Bagrationi]]||1,032 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|{{circa|900}} &ndash; 1930 CE
|[[Borjigin|Borjigid]]
|1,030 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|c.730 – 1855
|[[Bohtan|Bohkti]]
|1,125 years est.
|-
|{{c.|1700|lk=no}} &ndash; 722 BCE
|[[List of Assyrian kings|Adaside]]
|978 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|{{circa|891|lk=no}} &ndash; 1846 CE
|[[Sayfawa dynasty|Sayfawa]]
|955 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|665–1598 CE
|[[Baduspanids]]||933 years
|-
|57 BCE &ndash; 935 CE
|[[Silla]]||992 years {{estimation|lk=no}}
|-
|1128–1971
|[[Kachhwaha]]
|843 years
|-
|987 &ndash; 1792, 1814 &ndash; 1848 CE
|[[Capetian dynasty|Capetian]]||839 years
|-
|1046&ndash; 256 BCE
|[[Zhou dynasty|Zhou]]||790 years
|-
|750–1258 CE, 1261–1517 CE
|[[Abbasid dynasty|Abbasid]]||764 
years
|-
|862–1598 CE
|[[Rurikid]] ||736 years
|-
|1243–1971
|[[Rathore dynasty|Rathore]]
|728 years
|-
|37 BCE &ndash; 668 CE
|[[Goguryeo]]||705 years
|-
|1270–1975 CE
|[[Solomonic dynasty|Solomon]]||705 years
|-
|651–1349 CE
|[[Bavand dynasty]]||698 years
|-
|18 BCE &ndash; 660 CE
|[[Baekje]]||678 years
|-
|1360s–present
|[[House of Bolkiah|Bolkiah]]
|{{a.y|1368|||round=0}} or {{a.y|1363|||round=0}}
|-
|1278–1914 CE
|[[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]]||636 years
|-
|1299–1922 CE
|[[Ottoman dynasty|Ottoman]]||{{c.|623|lk=no}} years
|-
|543 BCE &ndash; 66 CE
|[[House of Vijaya|Vijaya]]||608 years
|-
|1228–1826 CE
|[[Ahom dynasty|Ahom]]||598 years
|-
|1600–1046 BCE or 1766–1122 BCE
|[[Shang dynasty|Shang]]
|554 years or 644 years
|-
|1392–1910 CE
|[[Joseon]] and [[Korean Empire]]||518 years
|-
|1370–1857 CE
|[[Timurid dynasty|Timurid]]||487 years
|-
|918–1392 CE
|[[Goryeo]]||474 years
|-
|247 BCE &ndash; 224 CE
|[[Parthian Empire|Arsacid]]||471 years
|-
|1154–1624 CE
|[[Nabhani dynasty|Nabhani]]||470 years
|-
|202 BCE &ndash; 9 CE, 25 &ndash; 220 CE
|[[Han dynasty|Han]] and [[Shu Han]]||448 years
|-
|858–1301 CE
|[[Árpád dynasty|Árpád]]
|443 years
|-
|1586–present
|[[House of Mataram|Mataram]]{{Efn|Territory split into the [[Surakarta Sunanate]] and [[Yogyakarta Sultanate]] in 1755 by the [[Treaty of Giyanti]]}}
|{{a.y|1586|9|3|round=0}}
|-
|224–651 CE
|[[Sasanian dynasty|Sassanian]]||427 years
|-
|1010–586 BCE
|[[Davidic line|Davidic]]||424 years
|-
|220–638 CE
|[[Ghassanids|Jafnid]]||418 years
|-
|960–1370 CE
|[[Piast dynasty|Piast]]
|410 years
|-
|730–330 BCE
|[[Achaemenid dynasty|Achaemenid]]||400 years
|-
|1220–1597 CE
|[[House of Siri Sanga Bo|Siri Sanga Bo]]||377 years
|-
| 661–750, 756–1031 CE
|[[Umayyad dynasty|Umayyad]]||364 years
|-
|1271–1635 CE
|[[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] and [[Northern Yuan]]||364 years
|-
|1057–1059, 1081–1185, 1204–1461 CE
|[[Komnenos]] <br> (styled as Megas Komnenos from late 13th century)||363 years
|-
|1428–1527, 1533–1789 CE
|[[Lê dynasty|Later Lê]] (Primitive and [[Revival Lê dynasty|Revival Lê]])||355 years
|-
|1047–1375, 1387–1412 CE
|[[House of Estridsen|Estridsen]]||353 years
|-
|{{c.|653 BCE|lk=no}} &ndash; 309 BCE
|[[Argead dynasty|Argead]]||344 years
|-
|1371–1651, 1660–1714 CE
|[[House of Stuart|Stuart]]||334 years
|-
|1154–1485 CE
|[[House of Plantagenet|Plantagenet]]||330 years
|-
|905–1234 CE
|[[Jiménez dynasty|Jiménez]]||329 years
|-
|1699–present
|[[Bendahara dynasty|Bendahara]]||{{a.y|1699|9|3|round=0}}
|-
|960–279 CE
|[[Song dynasty|Song]]||319 years
|-
|1613–1917 CE
|[[House of Romanov|Romanov]]||304 years
|-
|300–602 CE
|[[Lakhmids|Lakhmid]]||302 years
|-
|916–1218 CE
|[[Liao dynasty|Liao]] and [[Qara Khitai|Western Liao]]||302 years
|-
|1616–1912 CE
|[[Later Jin (1616–1636)|Later Jin]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]]||296 years
|-
|1368–1662 CE
|[[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Southern Ming]]||294 years
|-
|305–30 BCE
|[[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]]||275 years
|-
|618–690, 705–907 CE
|[[Tang dynasty|Tang]]||274 years
|-
|909–1171 CE
|[[Fatimid dynasty|Fatimid]]||262 years
|-
|1230–1492 CE
|[[Nasrid dynasty|Nasrid]]||262 years
|-
|1550–1292 BCE
|[[Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Thutmosid]]||258 years
|-
|1034–1286 CE
|[[House of Dunkeld|Dunkeld]]||252 years
|}

==Extant sovereign dynasties==
{{For|non-sovereign dynasties currently ruling subnational monarchies|Non-sovereign monarchy|List of current constituent monarchs}}

There are [[List of current monarchies|43 sovereign states]] with a [[monarch]] as [[head of state]], of which 41 are ruled by dynasties.{{efn|name="Non-dynastic"|Existing sovereign entities ruled by non-dynastic monarchs include:
* {{flag|Andorra|name=Principality of Andorra}}
* [[Holy See]] (ruling the {{flag|Vatican City|name=Vatican City State}})
* {{flag|Sovereign Military Order of Malta|name=Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta}}}} There are currently 26 sovereign dynasties.

{| class="wikitable"
! style="width:200px;"|Dynasty
! style="width:300px;"|[[Realm]]
! style="width:200px;"|[[List of current monarchs of sovereign states|Reigning monarch]]
! style="width:200px;"|Dynastic founder{{efn|name="Founder"|The founder of a dynasty need not necessarily equate to the first monarch of a particular realm. For example, while [[William the Silent|William I]] was the dynastic founder of the [[House of Orange-Nassau]] which currently rules over the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], he was never a monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.}}
! style="width:150px;"|Dynastic place of origin{{efn|name="Origin"|Not to be confused with [[Family seat|dynastic seat]].}}
|-
|rowspan=15|[[House of Windsor]]{{efn|name="Windsor"|The [[House of Windsor]] is descended from the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], which is a branch of the [[House of Wettin]]. The dynastic name was changed from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Windsor" in AD 1917.}}{{efn|name="Commonwealth"|A sovereign state with [[Charles III]] as its monarch and head of state is known as a [[Commonwealth realm]].}}
|{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}
|rowspan=15|[[Charles III|King Charles III]]
|rowspan=15|[[George V|King-Emperor George V]]{{efn|name="GeorgeVI"|[[George V]] was formerly a member of the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] before AD 1917.}}
|rowspan=15|[[Thuringia]] and [[Bavaria]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|{{flag|Australia|name=Commonwealth of Australia}}{{efn|name="Australia"|Including:
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Coral Sea Islands|Coral Sea Islands Territory]]
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands|Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]
* {{flag|Christmas Island}}
* {{flag|Cocos (Keeling) Islands|name=Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands}}
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands|Territory of Heard and McDonald Islands]]
* {{flag|Norfolk Island}}}}
|-
|{{flag|Bahamas}}
|-
|{{flag|Belize}}
|-
|{{flag|Canada}}
|-
|{{flag|Grenada}}
|-
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|-
|{{flagdeco|New Zealand}} [[Realm of New Zealand|New Zealand]]{{efn|name="NewZealand"|The [[Realm of New Zealand]] consists of:
* {{flag|Cook Islands}}
* {{flag|New Zealand}}
* {{flag|Niue}}
* {{flagdeco|New Zealand}} [[Ross Dependency]]
* {{flag|Tokelau}}}}
|-
|{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
|-
|{{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
|-
|{{flag|Saint Lucia}}
|-
|{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
|-
|{{flag|Solomon Islands}}
|-
|{{flag|Tuvalu}}
|-
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}{{efn|name="United Kingdom"|Including:
* {{flag|Anguilla}}
* {{flag|Guernsey|name=Bailiwick of Guernsey}} ([[Crown dependencies|Crown dependency]])
* {{flag|Jersey|name=Bailiwick of Jersey}} (Crown dependency)
* {{flag|Bermuda}}
* {{flag|British Antarctic Territory}}
* {{flag|British Indian Ocean Territory}}
* {{flag|Cayman Islands}}
* {{flag|Falkland Islands}}
* {{flag|Gibraltar}}
* {{flag|Isle of Man}} (Crown dependency)
* {{flag|Montserrat}}
* {{flag|Pitcairn Islands|name=Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands}}
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha]]
* {{flag|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands}}
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]
* {{flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
* {{flag|British Virgin Islands}}
The crown dependencies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Isle of Man are neither part of the United Kingdom nor [[British Overseas Territories|British overseas territories]].}}
|-
|[[House of Khalifa]]
|{{flag|Bahrain}}
|[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa|King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]
|Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed
|[[Najd]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[Monarchy of Belgium|House of Belgium]]{{efn|name="Belgium"|The [[House of Belgium]] is descended from the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], which is a branch of the [[House of Wettin]]. The dynastic name was changed from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Belgium" in AD 1920.}}
|{{flag|Belgium}}
|[[Philippe of Belgium|King Philippe]]
|[[Albert I of Belgium|King Albert I]]{{efn|name="AlbertI"|[[Albert I of Belgium|Albert I]] was formerly a member of the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] before AD 1920.}}
|[[Thuringia]] and [[Bavaria]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|[[Wangchuck dynasty]]
|{{flag|Bhutan}}
|[[Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck|''Druk Gyalpo'' Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck]]
|[[Ugyen Wangchuck|''Druk Gyalpo'' Ugyen Wangchuck]]
|[[Trongsa]], [[Bhutan]]
|-
|[[House of Bolkiah]]
|{{flag|Brunei}}
|[[Hassanal Bolkiah|Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah]]
|[[Muhammad Shah of Brunei|Sultan Muhammad Shah]]
|[[Tarim, Hadhramaut|Tarim]] in [[Hadhramaut]]{{efn|name="Bolkiah"|Claimed by the royal house, but the historicity is questionable.}}<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Yemen]])}}
|-
|[[House of Norodom]]{{efn|name="Norodom"|The [[House of Norodom]] is a branch of the Varman dynasty.}}
|{{flag|Cambodia}}
|[[Norodom Sihamoni|King Norodom Sihamoni]]
|[[Norodom of Cambodia|King Norodom Prohmbarirak]]
|[[Cambodia]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[House of Glücksburg]]{{efn|name="Glücksburg"|The [[House of Glücksburg|House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]] is a branch of the [[House of Oldenburg]].}}
|{{flag|Denmark}}{{efn|name="Denmark"|Including:
* {{flag|Faroe Islands}}
* {{flag|Greenland}}}}
|[[King Frederik X]]
|rowspan=2|[[Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]]
|rowspan=2|[[Glücksburg]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|{{flag|Norway}}
|[[Harald V of Norway|King Harald V]]
|-
|[[House of Dlamini]]
|{{flag|Eswatini}}
|[[Mswati III|King Mswati III]]
|Chief Dlamini I
|[[East Africa]]
|-
|[[Imperial House of Japan]]{{efn|name="Kōshitsu"|The [[Imperial House of Japan]], or ''Kōshitsu'' (皇室), 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.}}
|{{flag|Japan}}
|[[Naruhito|Emperor Naruhito]]
|[[Emperor Jimmu]]{{efn|name="Jimmu"|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, while [[Emperor Kinmei]], the 29th emperor according to traditional historiography, is the first monarch for whom verifiable regnal dates can be assigned.}}
|[[Nara Prefecture|Nara]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Japan)}}
|-
|[[Hashemites|House of Hashim]]{{efn|name="Hashim"|The [[Hashemites|House of Hashim]] is descended from [[Banu Qatada]], which was a branch of the [[Alids|House of Ali]].}}
|{{flag|Jordan}}
|[[Abdullah II of Jordan|King Abdullah II]]
|[[Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz|King Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi]]
|[[Hejaz]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[House of Sabah]]
|{{flag|Kuwait}}
|[[Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah|Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]]
|[[Sabah I bin Jaber|Sheikh Sabah I bin Jaber]]
|[[Najd]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[List of monarchs of Lesotho|House of Moshesh]]
|{{flag|Lesotho}}
|[[Letsie III|King Letsie III]]
|[[Moshoeshoe I|Paramount Chief Moshoeshoe I]]
|[[Lesotho]]
|-
|[[House of Liechtenstein]]
|{{flag|Liechtenstein}}
|[[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein|Prince Hans-Adam II]]
|[[Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein|Prince Karl I]]
|[[Lower Austria]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Austria]])}}
|-
|[[Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg|House of Luxembourg-Nassau]]{{efn|name="Luxembourg-Nassau"|The [[Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg|House of Luxembourg-Nassau]] is descended from the [[House of Nassau-Weilburg]], which is a branch of the [[House of Nassau]] and the [[House of Bourbon-Parma]].}}
|{{flag|Luxembourg}}
|[[Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Grand Duke Henri]]
|[[Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Grand Duke Adolphe]]
|[[Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate|Nassau]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|[[Temenggong of Johor|Temenggong dynasty]]{{efn|name="Temenggong"|The [[Temenggong of Johor|Temenggong dynasty]] is the ruling dynasty of [[Johor]] and a cadet branch of the [[Bendahara dynasty]]. The [[Sultan of Johor]] is the reigning [[King of Malaysia|Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia]].}}
|{{flag|Malaysia}}{{efn|name="Malaysia"|The throne of Malaysia rotates among the nine [[Monarchies of Malaysia|constituent monarchies of Malaysia]], each ruled by a dynasty. The [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] is elected by the [[Conference of Rulers]].}}
|[[Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor|''Yang di-Pertuan Agong'' Ibrahim]]
|[[Temenggong Abdul Jamal|''Temenggong'' Tun Abdul Jamal]]
|[[Johor]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Malaysia)}}
|-
|[[House of Grimaldi]]
|{{flag|Monaco}}
|[[Albert II, Prince of Monaco|Prince Albert II]]
|[[François Grimaldi]]
|[[Genoa]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Italy]])}}
|-
|[['Alawi dynasty]]
|{{flag|Morocco}}
|[[Mohammed VI of Morocco|King Mohammed VI]]
|[[Sharif ibn Ali|Sultan Abul Amlak Sidi Muhammad as-Sharif ibn 'Ali]]
|[[Tafilalt]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Morocco)}}
|-
|[[House of Orange-Nassau]]{{efn|name="Orange-Nassau"|The [[House of Orange-Nassau]] is a branch of the [[House of Nassau]]. Additionally, [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]] is also linked to the [[House of Lippe]] through [[Beatrix of the Netherlands]].}}
|{{flagcountry|Kingdom of the Netherlands}}{{efn|name="Netherlands"|The [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] consists of:
* {{flag|Aruba}}
* {{flag|Curaçao}}
* {{flag|Netherlands}}
* {{flag|Sint Maarten}}}}
|[[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|King Willem-Alexander]]
|[[William the Silent|Prince William I]]
|[[Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate|Nassau]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|[[House of Busaid]]
|{{flag|Oman}}
|[[Haitham bin Tariq|Sultan Haitham bin Tariq]]
|[[Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi|Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi]]
|[[Oman]]
|-
|[[House of Thani]]
|{{flag|Qatar}}
|[[Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani|Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani]]
|Sheikh Thani bin Mohammed
|[[Najd]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[House of Saud]]
|{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|[[Salman of Saudi Arabia|King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud]]
|[[Saud bin Muhammad Al Muqrin|Emir Saud I]]
|[[Diriyah]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Saudi Arabia)}}
|-
|[[House of Bourbon-Anjou]]{{efn|name="Bourbon-Anjou"|The [[House of Bourbon-Anjou]] is a branch of the [[House of Bourbon]].}}
|{{flag|Spain}}
|[[Felipe VI|King Felipe VI]]
|[[Philip V of Spain|King Philip V]]
|[[Bourbon-l'Archambault]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[France]])}}
|-
|[[House of Bernadotte]]
|{{flag|Sweden}}
|[[Carl XVI Gustaf|King Carl XVI Gustaf]]
|[[Charles XIV John|King Charles XIV John]]
|[[Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Pau]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[France]])}}
|-
|[[Chakri dynasty]]
|{{flag|Thailand}}
|[[Vajiralongkorn|King Vajiralongkorn]]
|[[Rama I|King Rama I]]
|[[Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city)|Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Thailand)}}
|-
|[[List of monarchs of Tonga|House of Tupou]]
|{{flag|Tonga}}
|[[Tupou VI|King Tupou VI]]
|[[George Tupou I|King George Tupou I]]
|[[Tonga]]
|-
|[[House of Nahyan]]{{efn|name="Nahyan"|The [[Al Nahyan family|House of Nahyan]] is the ruling dynasty of the [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi]]. The Emir of Abu Dhabi is the incumbent [[President of the United Arab Emirates]].}}
|{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}{{efn|name="UAE"|The [[President of the United Arab Emirates]] is elected by the [[Federal Supreme Council]]. The office has been held by the Emir of [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi|Abu Dhabi]] since the formation of the United Arab Emirates in AD 1971.}}
|[[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan|President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
|[[Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan|Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan]]
|[[Liwa Oasis]]<br/>{{small|(in modern United Arab Emirates)}}
|}

==Political families==
{{main|Political family|List of political families}}

Though in [[election|elected]] [[government]]s, rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals in the elected positions of [[republic]]s, and [[Constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchies]]. Eminence, [[Social influence|influence]], [[tradition]], [[genetics]], and [[nepotism]] may contribute to the phenomenon.

===Hereditary dictatorship===
Hereditary dictatorships are [[Dictatorship#Personalist|personalist dictatorships]] in 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.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Current hereditary dictatorships
! style="width:200px;"|Dynasty
! style="width:300px;"|Regime
! style="width:200px;"|Current leader
! style="width:200px;"|Dynastic founder
! style="width:150px;"|Year founded{{efn|Year authoritarian system began}}
|-
|[[Kim family (North Korea)|Kim family]]
|{{flag|North Korea}}
|[[Kim Jong Un]]
|[[Kim Il Sung]]
|1948
|-
|Gnassingbé family<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/2/22/togo-votes-as-faure-gnassingbe-seeks-to-extend-dynastys-rule|website=Aljazeera|title=Togo votes as Faure Gnassingbe seeks to extend dynasty's rule|date=2020-02-22|access-date=2024-02-20}}</ref>
|{{flag|Togo}}
|[[Faure Gnassingbé]]
|[[Gnassingbé Eyadéma]]
|1967
|-
|[[al-Assad family]]
|{{flag|Syria}}
|[[Bashar al-Assad]]
|[[Hafez al-Assad]]
|1971
|-
|Gouled-Guelleh family<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/djiboutis-president-guelleh-wins-fifth-term-with-97-votes-2021-04-10/|website=Reuters|title=Djibouti's President Guelleh wins fifth term with 97% of votes|date=2021-04-10|access-date=2024-02-20}}</ref>
|{{flag|Djibouti}}
|[[Ismaïl Omar Guelleh]]
|[[Hassan Gouled Aptidon]]
|1977
|-
|Déby family<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/12/26/new-constitution-old-playbook-chads-deby-continues-power-play-in-sahel|website=Al Jazeera|title=New constitution, old playbook: Chad's Deby continues power play in Sahel|date=2023-12-26|access-date=2024-04-12}}</ref>
|{{flag|Chad}}
|[[Mahamat Déby]]
|[[Idriss Déby]]
|1991
|-
|Aliyev family<ref>{{Cite web |last=Balci |first=Bayram |date=14 October 2023 |title=Presidential Elections in Azerbaijan Fail to End the Aliyev's Dynastic and Autocratic Rule |url=https://carnegiemoscow.org/commentary/53292 |access-date=7 February 2024 |website=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]]}}</ref>
|{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
|[[Ilham Aliyev]]
|[[Heydar Aliyev]]
|1993
|-
|Hun family<ref>{{cite news |title=What to expect from Cambodia's new 'dynastic' prime minister |url=https://www.dw.com/en/what-to-expect-from-cambodias-new-dynastic-prime-minister/a-66591627 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Syed |first1=Armani |title=What to Know About the Army Chief Who Will Be Cambodia's Next Leader |url=https://time.com/6298046/hun-manet-cambodia-leadership/ |access-date=25 August 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=26 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hunt |first1=Luke |title=Assessing Cambodia's New Political Leadership |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/08/assessing-cambodias-new-political-leadership/ |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=[[The Diplomat]] |date=23 August 2023}}</ref>
|{{flag|Cambodia}}
|[[Hun Manet]]
|[[Hun Sen]]
|1985
|-
|Berdimuhamedow family<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clement |first1=Victoria |title=The Aura of Governance in Turkmenistan |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/03/the-aura-of-governance-in-turkmenistan/ |access-date=27 October 2023 |work=[[The Diplomat]] |date=14 March 2023}}</ref>
|{{flag|Turkmenistan}}
|[[Serdar Berdimuhamedow]]
|[[Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow]]
|2006
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Former hereditary dictatorships
!Dynasty
!Regime
!Dynastic founder
!Last ruler
!Year founded
!Year ended
!Length of rule
|-
|[[Chiang family]]
|{{flag|Taiwan}}
|[[Chiang Kai-shek]]
|[[Chiang Ching-kuo]]
|1928
|1988
|60 years 
|-
|Trujillo family
|{{Flag|Dominican Republic}}
|[[Rafael Trujillo]]
|[[Ramfis Trujillo]]
|1930
|1961
|31 years 
|-
|[[Somoza family]]
|{{Flag|Nicaragua}}
|[[Anastasio Somoza García]]
|[[Anastasio Somoza Debayle]]
|1936
|1979
|43 years 
|-
|[[Duvalier dynasty]]
|{{Flag|Haiti|1964}}
|[[François Duvalier]]
|[[Jean-Claude Duvalier]]
|1957
|1986
|28 years 
|-
|[[Bongo family]]<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2023-08-30 |title=Gabon's coup will worry regional autocrats |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/oxan-es281583 |journal=Emerald Expert Briefings |doi=10.1108/oxan-es281583 |issn=2633-304X}}</ref>
|{{Flag|Gabon}}
|[[Omar Bongo]]
|[[Ali Bongo]]
|1967
|2023
|56 years 
|-
|Kabila family<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Reyntjens |first=Filip |date=2001 |title=Briefing: The Democratic Republic of Congo, from Kabila to Kabila |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3518770 |journal=African Affairs |volume=100 |issue=399 |pages=311–317 |doi=10.1093/afraf/100.399.311 |jstor=3518770 |issn=0001-9909}}</ref>
|{{Flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
|[[Laurent-Désiré Kabila]]
|[[Joseph Kabila]]
|1997
|2019
|22 years
|}

==Influential wealthy families==
{{main|List of wealthiest families}}

==See also==
{{politics}}
{{main|Lists of dynasties}}
* [[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==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{wiktionary}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Monarchy]]
[[Category:Dynasties| ]]
[[Category:History-related lists]]