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A 'dynasty' is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "house", e.g. the ''House of Saud'' or ''House of Habsburg''. In the histories of Europe, much of Asia and some of Africa, ruling and noble houses have usually been patrilineal; inheritance and kinship being predominantly viewed and legally calculated through descent from a common ancestor in the male line. Often, however, if the male lineage died out, descendants through females (and sometimes the females themselves) were recognized as entitled to inherit the dynasty's realms and/or wealth.
The term "dynasty" is also used to describe the era during which a family reigned, as well as events, trends and artifacts of that period, e.g. "Ming dynasty vase". In such cases, often the "dynasty" is dropped but the name may be used adjectively, e.g. "Tudor style", "Ottoman expansion", "Romanov decadence".
Historians traditionally consider a state's history within a framework of successive dynasties, particularly with such nations as China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire. Much of European political history was dominated, successively and together, by dynasties such as the Carolingians, the Capetians, the Habsburgs, the Stuarts, the Hohenzollerns and the Romanovs. Until the nineteenth century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty, that is, to increase the territory, wealth and power of family members.^[1]
Dynastic names may not be the same as individual surnames, in that titles are customarily used instead. Or the name of the dynasty may follow the throne by descending through females, e.g. the current heads of the dynasties of Grimaldi, Habsburg, Orange and Romanov actually descend paternally from, respectively, the houses of Polignac (Chalençon), Lorraine, Lippe and Oldenburg. Also, often a new dynastic name does not signal an altogether different family, so much as a new branch of the dynasty that has obtained the throne: kings of the House of Anjou, Bourbon, Valois and Burgundy dynasties were all male-line descendants of Hugh Capet of France and are collectively called Capetians. Thus, by a royal decree of 1960 the British ruling dynasty remains the House of Windsor, despite the present Queen having married Philip Mountbatten, who is by birth a prince of the reigning Danish dynasty of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, itself a branch of the House of Oldenburg, of which the Romanovs descended from Peter III were also agnatic descendants.
Dynasties may change due to war, but also when a king fails to produce an heir, sometimes resulting in a maternal relative's succession. The dynasty usually then takes the name of that successor's paternal family name.

Contents

Dynasts

Dynasties by region

Political families

References

Dynasts

A ruler in 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 succession rights to a throne. For example, following his abdication, Edward VIII of the United Kingdom ceased to be a ''dynastic'' member of the House of Windsor.
A "dynastic marriage" is one that complies with monarchical house law restrictions, so that the descendants are eligible to inherit the throne and/or other royal privileges. For instance, the 2002 marriage of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange to Máxima Zorreguieta was dynastic, and their eldest child is expected to eventually inherit the Dutch crown. But the marriage of his younger brother Prince Friso to Mabel Wisse Smit in 2003 lacked government support and parliamentary approval. Thus Friso forfeited his place in the order of succession, lost his title as a ''Prince of the Netherlands'', and his children have no dynastic rights.
In historical and monarchist references to formerly reigning families, ''dynastic'' describes a family member who would have succession rights if the monarchy's rules were still in force. For example, after the 1914 assassinations of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his morganatic wife Sophie von Hohenberg, their son Max was bypassed for the Austrian throne because he was not legally a dynastic Habsburg. Even since abolition of the Austrian monarchy, Max and his descendants have not been considered the rightful pretenders by Austrian monarchists, nor have they claimed that position.
Confusingly, "dynast" is sometimes used to refer to agnatic descendants of a realm's monarchs, and sometimes to those who hold succession rights through cognatic royal descent. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people. For example, David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, a nephew of Queen Elizabeth II through her late sister, Princess Margaret, is in the line of succession to the British crown, and in that sense is a British dynast. Yet he is not a male-line member of the royal family, and is therefore not a dynast of the House of Windsor.
On the other hand, the German aristocrat Ernst August, Prince of Hanover (born 1954), although a male-line descendant of George III of the United Kingdom, is too distantly related to the present sovereign to be entitled to one of the styles reserved for Britain's royal family (although he is entitled to re-claim the once-royal dukedom of Cumberland). Yet he was born in the line of succession to the British crown and is bound by the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Thus, in 1999 he requested and obtained formal permission from Elizabeth II to marry Princess Caroline of Monaco. But immediately upon marriage he forfeited his (remote) claim to the British throne because she is a Roman Catholic and Ernst August is also bound by the English Act of Settlement 1701 which permanently deprives dynasts of succession rights upon marriage to a Roman Catholic. However, the couple's daughter, Princess Alexandra of Hanover (born 1999), remains a legal dynast of both the United Kingdom and Monaco, not to mention her father's claim to dynasticity as pretender to the former royal crown of Hanover.

Dynasties by region

===Africa

Egypt

★ 1st dynasty

★ 2nd dynasty

★ 3rd dynasty

★ 4th dynasty

★ 5th dynasty

★ 6th dynasty

★ 7th and 8th dynasties

★ 9th dynasty

★ 10th dynasty

★ 11th dynasty

★ 12th dynasty

★ 13th dynasty

★ 14th dynasty

★ 15th dynasty

★ 16th dynasty

★ 17th dynasty

★ 18th dynasty

★ 19th dynasty

★ 20th dynasty

★ 21th dynasty

★ 22th dynasty

★ 23th dynasty

★ 24th dynasty

★ 25th dynasty

★ 26th dynasty

★ Achaemenid dynasty

★ 28th dynasty

★ 29th dynasty

★ 30th dynasty

★ Achaemenid dynasty

★ Argead dynasty

★ Ptolemaic Dynasty

Ethiopia

★ Solomonic dynasty

Morocco

★ Idrisid dynasty (780-974)

★ Maghrawa dynasty (987-1070)

★ Almoravid dynasty (1073-1147)

★ Almohad dynasty (1147-1269)

★ Marinid dynasty (1258-1420)

★ Wattasid dynasty (1420-1547)

★ Saadi dynasty (1554-1659)

★ Alaouite dynasty (1666- current)
===Americas

Araucania and Patagonia

★ Tounes dynasty (1860 – 1862)

Brazil

★ House of Braganza (1822-1889)

Haiti

★ Dessalines Dynasty (1804 - 1806)

★ Christophe Dynasty (1811 - 1820)

★ Soulouque Dynasty (1849 - 1859)

Inca Empire

★ Hurin dynasty (1197 - c.1350)

★ Haran dynasty (c.1350 - 1572)

Mexico

★ House of Iturbide (1822 - 1823)

★ House of Habsburg (1864 - 1867)
===Pacific

Hawai'i

★ Kamehameha Dynasty (c.1810-1872)

★ Kalākaua Dynasty (c.1874-1893)

★ Kawananakoa Dynasty (c.1868- ??)

New Zealand Māori

★ Te Wherowhero Dynasty (1856 to the present)

Tahiti

★ Pōmare Dynasty (1788-1880)

Tonga

★ Tu'i Tonga Dynasty (c. 900-1865)

★ Tupou Dynasty (1875 to the present)
===Asia

Afghanistan

★ Durrani Dynasty (1747–1823 and 1839–1842)

★ Barakzai Dynasty (1818–1839, 1842–1929 and 1929–1973)

★ Usurper King (January 17, 1929 - October 13, 1929)

Israel

★ Davidic Dynasty

★ Hasmonean Dynasty

★ Herodian Dynasty

China

Main articles: Dynasties in Chinese history


★ Xia Dynasty (2070 BCE–1600 BCE)

★ Shang Dynasty (1600 BCE–1046 BCE)

★ Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE–256 BCE)

★ Qin Dynasty (221 BCE–206 BCE)

★ Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220)

★ Three Kingdoms (220–280)

★ Jin Dynasty (265–420)

★ Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589)

★ Sui Dynasty (581–618)

★ Tang Dynasty (618–907)

★ Song Dynasty (960–1279)

★ Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368)

★ Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

★ Qing Dynasty (1644–1912)

Japan

★ Imperial House of Japan (officially 660 BC to the present)

Korea

★ Old Joseon Dynasty

★ Goguryeo Dynasty

★ Baekjae Dynasty

★ Gaya Dynasty

★ Buyeo Dynasty

★ Okjeo Dynasty

★ Dongye Dynasty

★ Three Hans

★ Tamla Dynasty

★ Usan Dynasty

★ Silla Dynasty (57 BCE-935)

★ New Goguryeo Dynasty

★ New Beakjae Dynasty

★ Goryeo Dynasty (935-1392)

★ Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)

India

★ Chalukya dynasty 6th Century to 12th Century

★ Chola dynasty 11th Century

Maldives

★ House of Theemuge (1117-1388)

★ Hilaalee dynasty (1388-1558)

★ (1558-1573) Interregnum

★ Utheemu dynasty (1573-1692)

★ (1692-1701) Kings who do not belong to a particular dynasty.

★ Isdhoo dynasty (1701-1704)

★ Dhiyamigili dynasty (1704-1757)

★ Huraa dynasty (1757-1766)

★ Dhiyamigili dynasty (1766-1773)

★ Huraa dynasty (1773-1953)

★ (1953-1953) Republic (President Muhammad Amin Didi).

★ Huraa dynasty (1953-1968)

★ (1968-1978) Republic (President Ibrahim Nasir).

★ (1978-Now) Republic (President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom).

Malaysia

★ White Rajahs (1841 to 1946)

Saudi Arabia

★ House of Saud

Thailand

★ Phra Ruang dynasty

★ Mengrai dynasty

★ U-Thong dynasty

★ Suphannaphum dynasty

★ Sukhothai dynasty

★ Prasatthong dynasty

★ Banpluluang dynasty

★ Thonburi dynasty (1767-1782)

★ Chakri dynasty (1782-)
===Europe

Albania

★ Progon Dynasty (1190-1216)

★ Angevin (1272-1368)

★ Kastrioti (1444-1468)

★ Wied (1914)

★ Zogu (1928-1939)

Armenia

★ Orontid Dynasty

★ Artaxiad Dynasty or the Artashesi Dynasty (189 BC-12 AD)

★ Arsacid Dynasty or the Arshakuni Dynasty (54-428)

★ Bagratuni Dynasty or the Bagratid Dynasty of Armenia (885-1045)

★ Rubenid Dynasty of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (1080-1225)

Barbarians

Bavarii

=

★ Agilolfing Dynasty

=Franks

=

★ Merovingian Dynasty (481-751)

★ Carolingian Dynasty (751-843)

★ Arnulfings or Pippinids, mayors of the palaces

=Lombards

=
:''See Early kings of the Lombards.''

★ Lething Dynasty (until early sixth century)

★ Gausian Dynasty (546-572)

★ Bavarian Dynasty (616-712)

=Ostrogoths

=

★ Amal Dynasty (before 474-536)

=Vandals

=

★ Hasdingi (before 407-534)

=Visigoths

=

★ Balthi Dynasty (395-531)

Byzantine Empire

★ Constantinian dynasty (303-336)

★ Valentinian Dynasty (364-457)

★
★ House of Theodosius from 379

★ Leonid dynasty (457-518)

★ Justinian Dynasty (518-602)

★ Heraclian Dynasty (602-695 and 705-711)

★ Isaurian Dynasty (717-802)

★ Phocid Dynasty (802-813)

★ Phrygian Dynasty (820-867)

★ Macedonian Dynasty (867-1056)

★ Comnenid Dynasty (1057-1059 and 1081-1185)

★ Doukid Dynasty (1059-1081)

★ Angleid Dynasty (1185-1204)

★ Laskarid Dynasty (1204-1261), in exile in Nicaea

★ Palaeologid Dynasty (1261-1453)

Croatia

★ Trpimirović Dynasty (845-1091)

★ House of Savoy (1941-1943)

Denmark

★ House of Olaf (late ninth century to c.917)

★ House of Harthacnut (917-1047)

★ see List of Danish monarchs (1047-1412)

★ House of Pomerania (1412-1439)

★ House of Wittelsbach (1439-1448)

★ House of Oldenburg (1448-1863)

★
★ House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1863 to the present)

England

★ Cerdicing Dynasty, or House of Wessex, (829-1016 and 1042-1066)

★ House of Harthacnut (1013-1014 and 1016-1042)

★ Norman Dynasty (1066-1135)

★ House of Blois (1135-1154)

★ Plantagenet Dynasty (1154-1485)

★
★ House of Anjou (1154-1399)

★
★ House of Lancaster (1399-1461 and 1470-1471)

★
★ House of York (1461-1470 and 1471-1485)

★ House of Tudor (1485-1603)

★ House of Stuart (1603-1714)

★ House of Hanover (1714-1901)

★ House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (1901 to the present)

★
★ House of Windsor (1917 to the present), house renamed in 1917 during the First World War
The next house after Queen Elizabeth II death will be the House of Mountbatten-Windsor

France

★ Carolingian Dynasty (843-987)

★ Capetian Dynasty (987-1792, 1814-1848)

★
★ Direct Capetians (987-1328)

★
★ House of Valois (1328-1589)

★
★
★ Direct House of Valois (1328-1498)

★
★
★ House of Valois-Orléans (1498-1515)

★
★
★ House of Valois-Angoulême (1515-1589)

★
★ House of Bourbon (1589-1792 and 1814-1848)

★
★
★ House of Bourbon-Vendome (1589-1792, 1814-1830)

★
★
★ House of Bourbon-Orléans (1830-1848)

★ Bonaparte Dynasty (1804-1814 and 1852-1870)

Georgia

★ Pharnabazid Dynasty (299-90 BC, 30BC-189 AD)

★ Artaxiad Dynasty (90-30 BC)

★ Arsacid Dynasty (189-284 AD)

★ Chosroid Dynasty (284-580, 627-684)

★
★ Guaramid Dynasty (588-627, 684-748, 779-786)

★ Nersianid Dynasty (748-780)

★ Bagratid (Bagrationi) dynasty (813-1810)

Germany

★ Carolingian Dynasty (843-911)

★ Conradine Dynasty (911-918)

★ Saxon Dynasty or Ottonian Dynasty (919-1024)

★ Salian Dynasty or Franconian Dynasty (1024-1125)

★ Supplinburger Dynasty (1125-1137)

★ Hohenstaufen Dynasty (1137-1254)

★ Habsburg Dynasty (1273-1291, 1298-1308, and 1438-1740)

★
★ House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1745-1806)

★ House of Nassau (1292-1298)

★ House of Luxemburg (1308-1313, 1347-1400, and 1410-1437)

★ House of Wittelsbach (1314-1347, 1400-1410, and 1742-1745)

★ Hohenzollern Dynasty (1871-1918)

=Bavaria

=

★ Liutpolding Dynasty 889-947

★ Ottonian Dynasty 947-1017

★ House of Luxembourg 1017-1026, 1039-1047

★ Salian Dynasty 1026-1039, 1053-1061

★ Welf Dynasty 1070-1138, 1156-1180

★ Babenberg Dynasty 1138-1156

★ Wittelsbach Dynasty 1180-1918

=Saxony

=

★ Liudolfing Dynasty 843-961

★ Billung Dynasty 961-1106

★ Supplinburger Dynasty 1106-1127

★ Welf Dynasty 1127-1138, 1142-1180

★ Ascanian Dynasty 1138-1142, 1180-1422

★ Wettin Dynasty 1422-1918

Hungary

★ Árpád Dynasty (c.895-1301)

★ Premyslid Dynasty (1301-1305)

★ House of Wittelsbach (1305-1308)

★ Capetian Dynasty, House of Anjou (1308-1395)

★ House of Luxemburg (1387-1437)

★ Habsburg Dynasty (1437-1457, 1526-1564, and 1563-1918)

★ Jagiellonian Dynasty (1440-1526)

★ Zápolya Dynasty (1526-1571)

Montenegro

★ Vojislavljević Dynasty (c. 7th century - 1186)

★ Nemanjić Dynasty (1186 - 1355)

★ Balšić Dynasty (1356 - 1435)

★ Crnojević Dynasty (1435 - 1516)

★ Petrović-Njegoš Dynasty (1696 - 1918)

Iberia

Aragón

=

★ Jiménez Dynasty (1035-1162)

★ House of Barcelona (1162-1410)

★ House of Trastámara (1412-1516)

=Asturias

=

★ Peláyez Dynasty (718-739)

★ Pérez Dynasty (739-925)

=Castile

=

★ House of Lara (930-1032), counts

★ Jiménez Dynasty (1035-1126), kings

★ House of Burgundy (1126-1369)

★ House of Trastámara (1369-1516)

=León

=

★ Pérez Dynasty (910-1037)

★ Jiménez Dynasty (1037-1126)

★ House of Burgundy (1126-1369)

★ House of Trastámara (1369-1516)

=Navarre

=

★ House of Íñiguez (824-905)

★ Jiménez Dynasty (905-1234)

★ House of Champagne (1234-1305)

★ House of Capet (1284-1349)

★ House of Évreux (1328-1441)

★ House of Trastámara (1425-1479)

★ House of Foix (1479-1516)

★ House of Albret (1483-1572)

★ House of Bourbon (1572-1620)

=Portugal

=

★ House of Burgundy or Afonsine Dynasty (1093-1383), counts until 1139

★ House of Aviz or Joannine Dynasty (1385-1580)

★ House of Hapsburg or Philippine Dynasty (1580-1640)

★ House of Braganza or Brigantine Dynasty (1640-1910)

★
★ House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha or House of Braganza-Wettin (1853-1910)

=Spain

=

★ House of Habsburg or House of Austria (1516-1700)

★ House of Bourbon (1700-1868, 1874-1931, and 1975 to the present)

★ House of Bonaparte (1808-1813)

★ House of Savoy (1871-1873)

Ireland

★ Fir Ol nEchmacht

★ Dal Fiachrach Suighe

★ The Connachta

★ Uí Fiachrach

★ Uí Néill

★ Eóganachta

★ Uí Dúnlainge

★ Uí Cheinnselaig

★ Dál Riata

★ Dál nAraidi

★ Dál Fiatach

★ Clann Cholmáin

★ Síl nÁedo Sláine

★ Cenél nEógain

★ Cenél Conaill

★ Uí Briuin Brefine

★ Dál gCais

★ MacDermot

★ Burke

★ Ó Neill

★ O Domhnaill

★ O Connor Sligo

★ O'Conor Don

★ Clanricarde

Italy

★ House of Savoy (1003-1946)

Norway

★ Fairhair Dynasty (890-1319)

★ House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1905 to the present)

Turkey

★ Seljuq Dynasty (1077-1307)

★ Ottoman Dynasty (1281-1923)

Poland

★ Piast Dynasty (ninth century-1296 and 1306-1370)

★ Premyslid Dynasty (1291-1306)

★ Capetian Dynasty, House of Anjou (1306-1399)

★ Jagiellonian Dynasty (1386-1572 and 1575-1586)

★ Valois Dynasty (1573-1574)

★ House of Báthory (1576-1586)

★ House of Vasa (1587-1668)

★ House of Wiśniowiecki (1669-1673)

★ House of Sobieski (1674-1696)

★ Wettin Dynasty (1697-1706, 1709-1733 and 1736-1764)

★ House of Leszczyński (1704-1709 and 1733-1736)

★ House of Poniatowski (1764-1795)

Roman Empire

★ Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BC-AD 68)

★ Flavian Dynasty (69-96)

★ Nervan-Antonian Dynasty (96-192)

★ Severan Dynasty (193-235)

Romania

★ House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1866-1947)

Russia

★ House of Rurikovich (862-1598, 1606-1610)

★ House of Romanov (1613-1762)

★ House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, called Romanov (1762-1917)

Scotland

★ House of Alpin (843-1034)

★ House of Dunkeld (1034-1040, 1058-1286)

★ House of Baliol (1292-1296)

★ House of Bruce (1306-1371)

★ House of Stuart (1371-1707)

Sweden

★ House of Uppsala (970-1060)

★ House of Stenkil (1060-1130)

★ House of Sverker (1130-1222), interspersed with House of Eric

★ House of Eric (1156-1250), interspersed with House of Sverker

★ House of Bjällbo or Folkung Dynasty (1248-1387)

★ House of Vasa (1521-1654)

★ House of Wittelsbach or House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Kleeburg (1654-1720)

★ House of Hesse (1720-1751)

★ House of Holstein-Gottorp (1751-1818)

★ House of Bernadotte (1818 to the present)

Two Sicilies

Sicily

=

★ House of Hauteville (1071-1198), counts until 1130

★ House of Hohenstaufen (1194-1266)

★ House of Capet, House of Anjou (1266-1282)

★ House of Barcelona (1282-1410)

★ House of Trastámara (1412-1516)

★ House of Hapsburg (1516-1700 and 1720-1735)

★ House of Bourbon (1700-1713 and 1735-1861)

★ House of Savoy (1713-1720)

Political families

''Main article: Political families of the world''
Though in elected governments rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals. Eminence, Influence, familiarity, tradition, genetics, and even nepotism may contribute to this phenomenon.
Some political dynasties:

★ The Beazley and Crean families (Australian Labour Party)

★ Ziaur Rahman's and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's families (Bangladesh)

★ The Nehru-Gandhi family (India)

★ The Soekarnos (Indonesia)

★ Aung San Suu Kyi's family (Burma)

★ The Kims (North Korea)

★ Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's family (Pakistan)

★ Lee Kuan Yew's family (Singapore)

★ Solomon Bandaranaike's family (Sri Lanka)

★ The Assads (Syria)

★ The Churchills/Dukes of Marlborough) (UK)

★ The (Earl) Russells (UK)

★ The Chamberlains (UK)

★ The Greys (UK)

★ The Pitts (UK)

★ The Kennedys (US)

★ The Bushes (US)

★ The Roosevelts (US)

★ The Tafts (US)

★ The Udalls (US)

References

1. Europe Since Napoleon, , David, Thomson, Knopf, ,