Imperial power has a rather long history. It originated in ancient Rome since the reign of Augustus. The emperors of the world had unlimited power, and this power at some moments contributed to the unprecedented growth of the state and the dominance of its ruler, and in some cases led to severe economic, social and political consequences. Be that as it may, the emperors played a huge role in the development of human history.
Meaning of the term "emperor"
The first empire in the world was the Roman one, and initially it was not one. During the years of the existence of the republican system, the word "emperor" denoted all the highest ranks endowed with civil, military or judicial power. These included praetors, consuls, magistrates, etc. Subsequently, this title began to be used in relation to one person - the ruler of the state - and he denotedunlimited, all-encompassing power. Indeed, the emperor is the sole ruler, his word is the law, everyone is subordinate to him and everything is subject to him. No significant decision in the empire is made without his personal consent or command.
Military power
The emperor's rights were practically unlimited. Power, concentrated in the hands of the ruler, was conditionally divided into three broad categories: civil, military and judicial. Let's briefly dwell on each point separately.
The Emperor had supreme military power. It was he who was the supreme commander, and all the soldiers swore an oath to him either personally or in front of his image.
Roman emperors distributed all command positions in the army at their own discretion. The number and quantitative composition of the armed forces also depended on the desire of the crowned person. The emperor had the right to declare war and conclude peace.
Civil power
The first emperor Octavian Augustus and those following him enjoyed the exclusive right to collect taxes and set their size at their own discretion. This also included a huge amount of taxes, the so-called gifts presented by almost all citizens of the empire, especially those who had at least some power in their hands.
In fact, the emperor is the owner of absolutely everything that was on the territory of the state. Thus, he could confiscate the property of any person for the "needs of the empire." He himself could spend any amount from the treasury uncontrollably.
Half of the empire's provinces were completely subordinate to the emperor, the second half was in the power of the Senate, but in fact it turned out that in the Senate provinces the sovereign was the complete master, managing individual regions through his own persons.
The Emperor had the right to bestow Roman citizenship on anyone. At the same time, he acted as the supreme censor of the morals and private life of the Romans. That is, he could invade the privacy of any citizen, and everyone enjoyed the position in society that the ruler had given him.
Religious authority
In the Roman Empire, the emperor is the supreme pontiff. A huge number of beliefs, spread over the vast territory of the empire, were in the full power of the ruler, including in Rome itself. As you know, initially the empire was pagan, but over time, the monotheistic religion - Christianity - was declared state. The emperor was in charge of all religious acts, in addition, he was endowed with the exclusive right to oversee a large class of priests.
Judicial branch
The Emperor was the supreme judge in the entire vast empire. His court was the highest authority, so to speak. Decisions made by the ruler could not be appealed.
In addition, he was endowed with legislative power, although this privilege was implemented only after the approval of the Senate. However, the emperor could issue edicts or decrees that had the force of law for the entire society.
BIn the provinces, the ruler transferred his judicial power to the governors - legates, who acted on his behalf and exclusively in his interests.
Title August, or God's Chosen Emperor
Separately, it is necessary to mention the emperors chosen by God. Officially, this title was given only to Octavian, but all subsequent rulers of the empire were also called Augusts. What did this title mean?
August is not just a person with power, he is a sacred being. The emperor is the messenger of God, according to ideology, he was sent down by God to control his subjects. The title of emperor meant the power of the ruler, the title of August meant his holiness. Thus, the emperor also possessed divine power. The subjects were supposed to treat the emperor like a god, which is why obedience to imperial edicts and other acts was unquestioning, given the fact of deep faith among almost the entire population of the empire.
A Brief History
It was said above that the imperial power arose in the Roman Empire, and Octavian, who received the title of Augustus, became the first emperor. In 395 a.d. e. The Roman Empire was divided into Western and Eastern. In turn, Western fell in 476. However, the Eastern Roman Empire lasted for almost 1000 years, and it became the successor to the imperial power. That is, the Eastern part, later called Byzantine, was ruled by emperors.
The reign of emperors in the West was revived in 800, when Charlemagne received this title, and then Otto I(in 962). Later, the title of emperor was assigned to the rulers of some other states, including France with the famous Napoleon, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, and others. In 1876, Queen Victoria of England was declared Empress of India.
It must be said that imperial power existed not only in European culture, but also in Asian and African. In the literature, one can read that the rulers of China, Siam, Ethiopia, Turkey, Japan and Morocco were called only emperors.
Tsars in Russia
The word tsar in Russian came from Greek, that is, from the Byzantine Empire, while retaining its meaning. Its original version - "Caesar", "Caesar" - was gradually replaced by the familiar term "king".
The first ruler crowned king in Russia was John IV, whom European historians called Grozny for supposedly inhuman atrocities. He became king in 1547, and the state was then called the Russian kingdom and existed under that name until 1721.
The Romanovs, who ascended the throne in 1613, were also tsars, but not all of them, but only Mikhail, Alexei, Fedor, John V, Sophia and Peter I until 1721.
The tsars and emperors of Russia were endowed with unlimited, absolute power, so the period of their reign is usually called the era of absolutism.
The title of Russian tsars also had a sacred meaning, they were also anointed by God and acted as if on behalf of God. That is why the kings, and subsequentlythe emperors were inextricably bound by the Orthodox faith, and it is no coincidence that the Soviets, which overthrew the power of the emperors, declared war on Orthodoxy - they were aware of the danger that religion hid in itself, and understood what the role of the legitimate ruler of Russia was in it.
Emperors of Russia
The last Russian tsar and the first emperor was Peter I. It was on him in 1721 that the title of emperor of the Russian state was conferred. His power was unlimited and extended to all spheres of power and society. He was the supreme commander and was endowed with the highest civil, legislative and executive power.
The reign of emperors on the Russian throne is represented by the Romanov dynasty, which was in power for more than 300 years - from 1613 to 1917. During this time, the state has achieved such success that it has become a leader in economic development. The Russian Empire was the only superpower at that time. There are opinions of serious, respected historians that Russia was ruined by its development, which threatens other leading states, especially Great Britain and the United States. The emperors of Russia were indeed patriots of their country and their people, doing everything to ensure that the state prospered, and the standard of living of their subjects improved. The last Russian emperor was de facto Nicholas II, de jure - Mikhail Alexandrovich, his brother.
The era of imperial rule is not over yet. Currently the only emperor in the world isAkihito is the ruler of Japan. He was crowned on November 12, 1990, and to this day, the 82-year-old 125th emperor has been performing his functions.
