Dynasties of the World: A Chronological and Genealogical Handbook

256 Pages·1989·3.73 MB·English

by  John E. Morby

DYNASTIES

OF THE

WORLD

John E. Morhy is Emeritus Professor of History at Californl'l StalL L:ni\er~fly,
Hayward, where he has taught since 1969.
DYNASTIES

OF THE

WORLD

A Chronological and Genealogical

Handbook

JOHN E. MORBY
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
,
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PllBSS
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© John E. Morby 1989

Database right Oxford University Press (maker)

First published 1989

First issued (with corrections) as an

Oxford University Press paperback 2002

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To my family, friends,
and teachers
-- - ----------------
PREF ATORY NOTE

THE present work provides clearly designed chronological tables giving years
of rule, family relationships, and other information for the major dynasties
of the world. The format should enable the reader not only to document
each individual reign, but to grasp at once each royal line's pattern of
succession and temporal span. Though coverage is global, it has not been
possible to include all states conceivably of interest; there is an admitted
emphasis on Europe and on its roots in the ancient world. Dynasties with­
out adequate documentation have been omitted; among these are the king­
dom of the Medes, the Seljuqids of Iconium, and most Hindu Indian royal
lines. The information given in this book attains to the highest level of
accuracy, and rests on a thorough examination of the sources.
Countries are arranged in broad territorial groupings, and are denoted
by their monarchs' highest title; Poland is styled a kingdom, though its
rulers began as princes. A family such as the Bavarian Wittelsbachs, which
ruled a series of states, may give its name to the table. European and
European-influenced dynastic groups are termed houses, which may ram­
ify into lines (these last collateral branches, in the German states ruling
subdivided territories); non-European reigning families arc termed
dynasties. The British 'houses' of Lancaster and York, and the French
'houses' of Valois and Bourbon, would more properly be designated lines;
but here I have followed traditional usage.
Dates are Julian to the later sixteenth century, when the Gregorian
calendar was introduced. Those that follow are Gregorian, even where the
earlier year (from ten to thirteen days behind) remained in use. Thus, Mary
II of England dies in 1695, not 1694; Elizabeth of Russia dies in 1762, not
the previous year. So as not to burden the tables with circas, question marks,
and slashes, information regarding approximate dates and margins of error
will be found in the notes. Where months and days are known, non-western
dates are rendered precisely in western terms; Islamic, Japanese, and
similar years are not rounded off to their nearest Christian equivalents.
Names are given either in versions as faithful as possible to the originals,
or in English equivalents in normal use. Complete consistency is scarcely
possible, and would flout accepted practice; thus, the reader will confront
Pedro of Portugal but Peter of Castile; Francis of France but Francesco of
:VIilan. Arabic names are shown as written, not as pronounced (al-l'\a~ir, not
an-Na~ir); Ottoman names are in Turkish, not Arabic versions. Chinese
names arc emphatically Wade-Giles, and not Pinyin. Hellenized versions
Vlll Prefatory Note
of Mesopotamian and Egyptian names are sparingly used; Greek names
are rendered in Latinized equivalents (Constantine, not Konstantinos).
Descent is shown in the male line unless stated otherwise; thus, 'grand­
son' means son's son, 'nephew' means brother's son, 'tenth in descent'
means through males; 'brother-in-law' means specifically wife's brother,
sister-in-law wife's sister. Collaterals are traced from the nearest reigning
member of a dynasty; bastardy is given only if a factor in the succession.
For more detailed European lineages, see Europiiische StammtaJeln, ed.
D. Schwennicke (21 vols. in 27 pts., Marburg and Frankfurt, 1978-2002),
or, for the modern period, Burke's Royal Families ofthe World, Volume I:
Europe and Latin America (London, 1977).
Titles pertaining to one member of a dynasty hold good for subsequent
members unless otherwise noted. Simultaneous rule by one prince in two
or more states is cross referenced. In the context of European history,
'emperor' alone means Holy Roman emperor; 'caliph' by itself denotes the
original direct line from 632 to 1258.
Sobriquets, most colourful and most abundant for the western world,
follow the rulers' names. As observed by W. Kienast, Historische Zeitschriji,
CCV (1967), 1-14, the epithet 'the Great', from the Latin magnus, may
actually mean 'the Elder'. For medieval sobriquets, see also my own
article in Canadian Journal ofHistory, XIII (1978), 1-16. Following con­
ventional practice, I have left many sobriquets untranslated.
Co-regencies are shown, either explicitly or by means ofoverlapping dates;
regencies normally appear only where the regent also held the sovereign
title. Abdications and depositions are given, together with the year of death
(if known) of former monarchs; captured rulers are termed deposed.
Interregna of over a year are recorded, as are beatifications and canon­
izations in the major churches. Dynastic changes, such as during the
Napoleonic years in Europe, are indicated; so are mandates and protec­
torates, progress from autonomy to independence, dynastic unions, and
finally the end of monarchic rule through conquest or overthrow.
The notes contain supplementary information regarding chronological pro­
blems and uncertainties, calendars and dating systems, and names and royal
style. They will be most detailed where the questions are greatest, and for
those states most distant from the modern western world in space and time.
The bibliographies list books and articles most likely to assist the reader
in search of additional information, or which deal in detail with chrono­
logy and lineage. They do not comprise the sum of works consulted, nor
do they list auxiliary materials such as newspapers and coins.
The index contains references to the major sections and subsections of
the work, to each named dynasty or line, with an indication of the area it
ruled, and to countries or geographical regions linking references scattered
throughout the book.
PREF ATORY NOTE TO

PAPERBACK EDITION

THE work before the reader is in most essentials an updated version
of the original English hardcover edition, by the same publisher and with
the same title, of 1989. This has been enlarged and revised through
successive versions in Hungarian, German, Polish, and Japanese; the
Japanese edition of 1998 is the fullest to date, with over fifty states
and tables not found in the original. In the present work it has not been
possible to incorporate additional tables, nor to update most of the notes
and bibliographies; in the absence of major revisions, much recent
research in the various fields covered by the book will not be fully reflected.
The present book does, however, incorporate significant improvements.
Errors have been corrected, and some notes and bibliographies updated;
monarchs coming to power since the work first appeared, such as the
present kings of Belgium, Norway, Morocco, and Jordan, haye been
included, and so have the years of death of dethroned or abdicated rulers
deceased since 1989. Since the original version of the book has been
out of print for a number of years, the author earnestly hopes that this
reissue, in a relatively inexpensive format, will prove of value to a new
circle of readers.
]. E. 1,1.
Hayward, Calif.
June 2001
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I N compiling this work, I have received most generous help from scholars
in many fields. Some have allowed me access to valuable unpublished mater­
ial; some have answered inquiries so numerous as to stretch the bounds
ofacademic courtesy; others have combed unfamiliar sources in little-known
languages in order to send me the data I required. I wish there were space
to list each contribution in detail; my gratitude far exceeds the compass
of this brief acknowledgement. For help with dates, relationships, and titles,
I am deeply indebted to Ludwig W. Adamec, Thanom Anarmwat,
Robert L. Backus, Klaus Baer, Peter Hunter Blair, C. E. Bosworth, John
A. Brinkman, A. A. M. Bryer, David P. Chandler, John P. Chiapuris, Roger
Collins, George T. Dennis, Martin Dimnik, Audrey Droop, Bjorn Englund,
J L. I. Fennell, John V. A. Fine, Richard N. Frye, Hans Gillingstam, Vasil
Giuzelev, N. G. L. Hammond, Kenneth Harrison, Patricia Herbert, Torno­
yuki Inoue, Peter Jackson, Khin Sok, Paul W. Knoll, Dimitur Kosev, Luc
Kwanten, P.-B. Lafont, Erie Leichty, Eric Macro, Robert D. McChesney,
John R. Martindale, W. F. Mkhonza, William J Murnane, princess Nhu
May of Annam, John R. Perry, J-P. Poly, Michael C. Rogers, Wilfrid J
Rollman, Hamad al-Salloom, Robert W. Stookey, Kevin L. Sykes, Marc
Szeftel, Hugh Toye, Denis Twitchett, Wilhelm Volkert, F. W. Walbank,
W. L. Warren, Edward F. Wente, David Williamson, John E. Woods,
Dietrich Worn, David K. Wyatt, Malcolm E. Yapp, and Norman Yoffee.
For the translation of material in languages I cannot read, I am happy
to acknowledge the help of Meyer Galler, my late father, Edwin S. Morby,
Eugenia V. Nomikos, Richard C. Raack, and Helen Schulak.
For calling my attention to valuable books and articles, and for other
references, I am most grateful to Stephen Album, John F. Benton, Frank
D. Gilliard, Rudi P. Lindner, and Peter Topping.
I also thank most sincerely the inter-library loan staff ofCalifornia State
University, Hayward, headed by Ruth Jaeger and Barbara Kwan, who
have tirelessly obtained the hundreds of items I required; the auxiliary
foundation, CSUH, for a small grant to defray the costs of photocopy­
ing; Peva Keane, for the preparation of a most excellent index; and lastly
my several editors at Oxford University Press, whose support and
encouragement have never flagged since my original typescript (so many
times since enlarged and revised) was first accepted for publication.
J E. M.
Hayward, Calif.
June 2001
CONTENTS

I THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST
Ancient Egypt 3

Early Mesopotamia II

Assyria 14

Babylonia 17

The Hittite Kingdom 21

The Hebrew Kingdoms 22

The Kingdom of Lydia 24

The Persian Empire 25

II THE HELLENISTIC WORLD 27

The Kingdom of Macedonia 29

The Kingdom of Syracuse 31

The Ptolemaic Dynasty 32

The Seleucid Dynasty 33

Bithynia and Pontus 35

Pergamum: the Attalids 36

The Parthian Empire 37

The Hasmonacan Kingdom 39

III THE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE

WORLDS 41

The Roman Empire 43

The Kingdom of Numidia 47

The Herodian Kingdoms 48

Persia: the Sasanids
49

The Eastern Roman Empire 51

The Kingdom of Armenia 54

The Empire of Thessalonica 55

The Empire of Trebizond 56

IV THE BARBARIAN WEST 57

The Visigothic Kingdom 59

The Vandal Kingdom 60

The Frankish Kingdom 61