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A 'divine king' is a monarch who is held in a special religious significance by his subjects, and serves as both head of state and a deity or head religious figure.

Contents

Examples of divine kings in history

Examples of divine kings in fiction

References

Further reading

See also

Examples of divine kings in history

Some examples of historic leaders who are often considered divine kings are:

★ Japanese Emperors before 1945

★ Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt

★ Kings of the Mayan city-states of the Classical period

★ Inca Emperors in Pre-Columbian Peru

★ The Dalai Lamas of Tibet

★ Many Roman emperors were declared gods by the Roman Senate (generally after their death).

★ Chinese leader Hong Xiuquan, leader of the Taiping Rebellion, claimed to be Christ's younger brother, and attempted to establish rule as a divine king.

★ Javanese Kings during Hindu-Buddhist era (4th century - 15th century AD) such as Sailendra dynasty, Kediri, Singhasari, and Majapahit empire.

★ Srivijaya emperors.

★ Kings of Khmer Empire, Cambodia.

Examples of divine kings in fiction

★ Leto II in ''God Emperor of Dune'': has near immortality and prescience, making him a divine king in a more literal fashion.

★ The Immortal God-Emperor of Mankind in ''Warhammer 40,000'': immortal and somewhat godlike, by the time of the game's setting, he has been in a coma indefinitely and relies on a giant life support machine, the ''Golden Throne''.

★ Xerxes I of Persia in ''300'': referred to by his subjects as a god-king. Spartan King Leonidas makes it his objective to disprove Xerxes' divinity.

★ Lizard-like alien feudal battle lords in John Ringo's military sci-fi ''Alldenata'' series: are called "God-kings," because of the slavish loyalty their troops show in battle.

★ Vivec, Almalexia and Sotha Sil in .

References

Further reading

★ Nepal humbles its god-king

★ The Rastafari Maria Baptist

★ Definition of Divine kingship Rick Effland

★ The World of God Kings

★ The Kataragama God: Shrines and Legends, H.E. Ameresekere, , , Ceylon Literary Register,

★ Wives of the God-King. The RituaLs of the Devadasis of Puri, F. A. Marglin, , , Oxford University Press, ,

See also

★ Sacred king

★ Cult of personality