The monarchy is one of the ancient forms of government. Its feature is that the power over all areas of the state belongs to one person on the right of succession. In ancient times, it was believed that the monarch is the anointed of God. However, in many cases, power was not obtained by completely peaceful procedures. Sometimes it was an election, sometimes violence, an invitation. Until the beginning of the 19th century, the monarchy was the dominant form of government in all developed states. Even today, despite the fact that the republic as a form of government is considered more progressive, this type of government successfully exists in many countries.
The essence of the monarchy
In a word, this type of government can be described as the power of one person. The right to govern the country is transferred on the basis of succession. There are 3 transmission systems of the dynasty: salic (a woman cannot inherit the throne), Castilian (a woman can inherit the throne when there are no men in the dynasty), Austrian (all male lines are given priority).
Representative Monarchy
The study of feudal society is impossible without an understanding of the form of state development. We must not forget that each period of history is characterized by certain modes.
Under feudal relations, the estate-representative monarchy was considered the best form of government . This form is such a principle of the organization of power, in which socially closed groups participate in government. Thanks to the division into estates, the ruling monarch could regulate conflicts that arise even among the highest nobility. This greatly facilitated the solution of many internecine issues.
The estate-representative monarchy implied the division of the country into social groups. Deputies who represented one or another territory of the state were chosen from each such class. It is this form of government that is considered the first system of government. Thus, it can be argued that the estate-representative monarchy is an integral political organization of power. This means that the power of one person was limited to a certain extent by a government body.
The estate-representative monarchy in Russia
The prerequisites for establishing this form of government in Russia were many. This was due to the fragmentation of the state. Princes, boyars did not want to obey each other, disagreements arose. In addition to internal causes, there were external ones. Frequent wars led to the fact that Russia became vulnerable. Given these facts, the state needed strong power.
Even under Dmitry Donskoy, the foundation was laid for the formation of an estate-representative monarchy. However, only Ivan IV was able to officially complete this process.
The estate-representative monarchy in Russia was characterized by the Zemsky Council. This governing body met irregularly, but resolved very significant issues in public administration.
Representative Monarchy in England
The establishment of this regime of government took place from the 13th to the 15th centuries. It was characterized by the victory of parliament over the king.
The head of state, for a long time, taking advantage of his position, demanded large taxes not only from citizens and knights, but also from the aristocracy. This caused great indignation, followed by rebellion. As a result, an estate-representative monarchy was established in England.
Essentially, under the conditions of this regime, power still belonged to the king, however, parliament also made important decisions in leading the country.
Today, the monarchy is not the leading form of government, but it is impossible to deny its great importance in history.