The King is who? Definition of the term. Ancient and modern kings

Reading historical literature, we come across different names for titles of rulers of states. European countries were most often led by kings. What does this title mean and how does it differ from the emperor or the king? Let's deal with this issue.

Definition of term

The king is an ancient monarchical title. Traditionally, it is inherited. The title of the title comes from the name of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks, who ruled in the second half of the VIII - beginning of the IX centuries. For the Russian lands this term was a stranger and was associated with the Catholic faith. Until 1533, the royal title in Europe, all the rulers received from the hands of the Pope.

In the Middle Ages, the king acted as an intermediary between the subjects of his state and God. He was equated with the Creator and was endowed with unlimited power. Those who resisted his will were severely punished. To ascend to the throne, the ruler needed to undergo a complex ceremony of coronation. Only then did he have the right to wear a mantle that symbolizes the sky. Other symbols of royalty also had a hidden meaning. The rod and scepter in the hands of the monarch were associated with justice and undeniable right. The medieval king is a man personifying the state by his appearance. According to his state of health, they judged the state of health of all subjects. There was even a belief that if the monarch is ill, a good harvest should not be expected.

A woman could wear a royal title. She received it on two occasions: if she married the ruling king and when she headed the state alone.

The difference between monarchical titles

And how does the king differ from the emperor or the king? After all, all these rulers are leading countries and have unlimited power. Emperors call the rulers, governing empires - huge states, within the boundaries of which many different nations are united. As a rule, they consisted of previously independent lands that were conquered as a result of military invasions. Some empires were so large that they consisted of separate kingdoms or kingdoms, headed by governors subordinate to the emperor. People of several nationalities lived in vast territories of empires. Often they spoke different languages.

Unlike the emperor, the king is a monarch, in whose subordination there is a state inhabited by people of one nationality. As mentioned above, this title was distributed in European countries. In the n state from the middle of the XVI century, the supreme rulers began to be called kings. They, like kings, possessed unlimited power on their lands. The royal title could be obtained by inheritance.

The King in Russia

There was also a Russian king in the East Slavic lands. This title was worn by the ruler of the Galicia-Volyn principality, Daniil Galitsky. He fell out of rule during difficult times, when the Russian lands suffered from Mongol-Tatar invasions. To save his principality from the Horde yoke, Galitsky sought support from European countries. For this he accepted the Latin faith and was crowned on the throne by the Pope Innocent IV. So Daniel Galitsky became the first king in Russia among the princes. This title he passed on to his successors.

Modern Kingdoms

In some countries, the king and queen are in power today. In modern Europe, such states are Great Britain, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway. In Asian countries also preserved kingdoms. They are Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain and Bhutan. In Africa, kings rule in Morocco, Swaziland and Lesotho, and in Polynesia in Tonga. The king and the queen are to this day the supreme rulers in their states and enjoy immense love from their subjects.

The fate of the monarchy in France

But not in all countries did the kings manage to hold power in their hands. A good example of this is France. The rulers of this state for many centuries wore the title of kings. At different times, the French throne was led by the monarchs of several dynastic families (Merovingians, Carolingians, Capetings, Valois, Bourbons). The royal title in the country was abolished as a result of the revolution of 1848, which pursues the establishment of equal rights and freedoms for all citizens. The last monarch, who was called the "French King", was the representative of the Bourbon dynasty, Louis-Philippe. Forsaken by the pressure of protesters from the throne in February 1848, he fled to England. After that, a republic was established in France.

The king is a title that many representatives of noble families dreamed of. To inherit the throne, and with it the authorities aspired at all costs, not stopping even before the killing of rivals. The modern king is not much like the monarch of the Middle Ages. But he, as before, is the face of his state, that's why he is always in the center of attention of the public.