Dynasty has long enjoyed honor, respect and universal recognition. Representatives of dynasties at all times constituted the highest society, set the tone for various events and were in many ways an example to follow. For centuries, representatives of various dynasties have carefully preserved and passed on from generation to generation the huge legacies of their ancestors.
What is a dynasty?
You can find a large number of definitions of the word "dynasty". But in order to most accurately answer the question of what a dynasty is, one should refer to the explanatory dictionary. So, for example, Ozhegov interprets a dynasty as a series of successively ruling monarchs from the same clan. And Dahl calls the dynasty a whole generation of successively reigning persons.
From these definitions, one single conclusion suggests itself: a dynasty is an elite of the population, representatives of "blue bloods" who have influence in all spheres of life of the state and society.
History of dynasties
But what is a dynasty in its origin? The history of the term"dynasty" has ancient Greek roots. Dynasty in Greek (dynasteia) translates as "domination".
Historically, the dynasty was formed by monarchs from one large family, who succeeded each other in power by inheritance. But through mutually beneficial marriages, the dynasties expanded, and not only the throne, but also various professional skills, craftsmanship, traditions, and so on began to be passed from generation to generation.
That is why the dynasties of doctors, scientists, military men, musicians have survived to this day.
Popular dynasties
Despite the fact that the dynasties have survived to this day, now they no longer have the same significance as in the past centuries.
When you mention dynasties, you immediately remember the famous Bourbons and Tudors, which were told about in history lessons. And what about the great Romanovs and their terrible fate? Many great tsars and emperors of Russia came from the Romanov dynasty - Peter I, Catherine II, Alexander I, Nicholas II and others. Well, no less famous throughout Russia, the Rurik dynasty, from which Yaroslav the Wise, Vladimir Monomakh, Yuri Dolgoruky and Ivan the Terrible came from!
What a dynasty is can be successfully observed in our modern XXI century.
A good example of a dynasty that has survived to this day is the Windsor dynasty - a family that has ruled in the UK since 1901. Representatives of this genus today are Queen Elizabeth II and her extended family.
No less ancient, but also retaining its power and honor since 1589, is the Bourbon dynasty and to this day ruling the Kingdom of Spain in the person of King Philip IV.
Modern representatives of dynasties, of course, differ from their ancestors, but the very fact that they survived and exist today confirms the great meaning of the word "dynasty" for all time.
