The governance system of modern countries is disparate branches, for which certain authorities are responsible. The government of most countries consists of several hundred people who are divided by party affiliation and other political grounds.
Back in the last century, there were many monarchies that had different succession systems. At present, monarchical rule is a conventional concept in most European countries.
Monarchy
Around the world, there are about 230 states, 41 of which are in the form of a monarchy. Most of the republics are former colonies of the crown. They are the result of the collapse of large empires. This is due to an unstable system of government and frequent conflicts in the territories with the republican government. In particular, Iraq and the countries of the African continent gained independence from the British Empire in the 30s of the XX century.
Modern monarchies
The monarchy today represents a whole system of tribal affiliations, for example, in the Middle East, and a democratically changed sole form of government in European states.
The largest number of countries in which monarchical rule operates is in Asia: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Thailand, Cambodia. The United Arab Emirates and Malaysia are monarchical confederations.
The European monarchical succession system is maintained in countries such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The absolute monarchy is in the Vatican and Liechtenstein.
For the most part, monarchies are structural, and the state is directly controlled by a parliament led by a prime minister.
Succession Systems
Inheritance of the throne is the foundation of the entire monarchical chain. Only the heir or direct relative can take the place of the ruling monarch. This process is governed by the laws of the monarchy country.
There are three main systems of succession:
- Salitskaya - involves the transfer of the right to rule only through the male line, women are not considered heirs to the throne.
- The Castilian system prefers the men of the dynasty, but in the absence of male descendants, the heiress can take the place of the monarch.
- The Austrian system completely excludes women, the throne can be occupied by a man who is in any degree of kinship with the monarch. If there are no male descendants, then the succession to the woman passes.
- Arab countries have their own succession system - the clan system. The head of the monarchy is elected on the advice of the family.
Also, succession systems may vary from country to country. Depending on the region and customs, enthronement had its own characteristics. For example, in Monaco, the family council elects a ruler for a term of five years, the African monarchy of Swaziland, when choosing the successor to the throne, takes into account the voice of his mother, this is an echo of matriarchy. The Swedish view of the succession to the throne is fundamentally different from the rest, the firstborn is the heir, regardless of gender. These rules were introduced relatively recently, since 1980, and have already been adopted by neighboring monarchy states. In Russia, the staircase succession system was used - horizontal inheritance, the right to the throne was first distributed among the brothers of the princely family. Women were not allowed to rule.
Succession in Russia
The first ruler of Russia was Rurik, he is the first of a kind of princes. The Rurik dynasty ruled for about 700 years. The history of the Russian state lies at its source.
The larch succession system is the right to the throne of the next oldest in the family. So, from the elder brother the power passes to the younger, and then to the children of the older brother and only then to the younger. The name comes from the word "ladder", which means climbing, as if on the stairs. So the ruling descendants remain in the clan, and those who drop out of the clan princes, the descendants of which are not considered as candidates for the throne. Those who have left are called "outcasts"; they did not manage to occupy the princely throne even for a short time.
1054 is the year of the creation of stairwell law, which was compiled by Yaroslav the Wise.
The succession system by seniority of the representative of the clan lasted a long time.
Difficulties of the throne in Russia
The main problem during the accession to the throne of the eldest of the family was that the descendants of the ruling prince could never take a seat on the throne, while all the brothers of their father, the prince, were alive.
In the event of the death of the ruler, the right to govern the state passed to his younger brother, bypassing the children. Only after the death of the eldest relative in the family, power passed to the first-born of the previous prince. Such confusion often provoked protests and controversy. This determines the complexity of the ladder system of succession to the throne.
Internal wars and confrontations claimed the lives of entire cities and settlements. The outbreaks of the struggle for power did not stop. Only in the days of strong rulers could the throne be held.
Change of dynasties
The end of the XVI - the beginning of the XVII centuries is called "Time of Troubles" in history. This period was associated with the mass of popular uprisings, the transfer of power and its redivision. Contradictions of Moscow with the Polish king.
In the course of disagreements, wars, and troubles, Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was put on the throne by the Zemsky Council. Thus began the reign of the Romanov dynasty. The kings began to make changes to the succession system.
Changing the throne inheritance system
On February 5, the Great Emperor All-Russian Peter I in 1722 published the "Charter on the Succession" of the throne. So the king wanted to secure his innovations in the lifestyle of the court and the country. According to the new law, anyone who could be named by the ruling king in his will could become the heir to the throne.
After the death of Peter I, who did not leave a will after himself, disagreements and a struggle for power began. During the palace coups, the seat on the throne passed from the emperor’s wife, Catherine I, to his daughter Elizabeth.
After the accession to the throne of Emperor Paul I, the Castilian succession system was introduced. According to her, preference in government was given to male heirs, but women were also not excluded.
Reforms of the succession system in Russia
The Act of Succession of Paul I dated 1797 was applied until 1917. Such a system excluded the struggle for the throne of the emperor. If, according to the Romanov family, there were no men from the eldest to the youngest son, then the woman became the heiress, also by birth seniority.
This document regulated the rules for concluding conjugal unions of imperial families. Marriage could be invalidated if it had not previously been approved by the emperor. The maturity of the sovereign heir was reached at sixteen years, and guardianship over him ceased. Upon reaching the age established by the Act, the heir rules independently.
An important point in the election of the king was his belonging to the Orthodox faith.
History examples
Inheritance of the throne has always passed on the lineage, regardless of the system. Only a few kings were elected, namely:
- 1598 - Zemsky Cathedral elects Boris Godunov as king;
- 1606 - the people and the boyars choose Vasily Shuisky;
- 1610 - Prince of Poland Vladislav;
- 1613 - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov.
After the reform of Paul I’s heritage was introduced, there were no disputes about the inheritance; power was transferred by birthright.
The last ruling king of Russia was Emperor Nicholas II. His reign was ended in 1917 along with the collapse of the Russian Empire during the revolution.