Great King
Encyclopedia
Great King and the equivalent in many languages is a semantic title for historical titles of Monarch
s, suggesting an elevated status among the host of King
s and Prince
s. This title is most usually associated with the kings of Persia under the Achaemenid dynasty whose vast empire in Asia
lasted for 300 years up to the year 330 BC, and later adopted by successors of the Achaemenid empire whose monarchial names were also succeeded by "the Great".
In pre-classical Antiquity
, there was a tradition of reciprocally using such addresses between powers as a way of diplomatically recognizing each other as major, such as the Hittites
, Mitanni
and the Pharaoh
of Egypt.
The case of Maharaja
("Great Raja", great King and Prince, in Sanskrit
and Hindi
) on the India
n subcontinent, originally reserved for the regional hegemon such as the Gupta
, is a striking example how such a lofty style of this or an alternative model can get caught in a cycle of devalution by "title inflation" as ever more, mostly less powerful, rulers adopt the style. This is often followed by the emergence of one or more new, more exclusive and prestigious styles, as in this case Maharajadhiraja ("Great King of Kings")
The aforementioned Indian style Maharajadhiraja is also an example of an alternative semantic title for similar 'higher' royal styles such as King of Kings
. Alternatively, a more idiomatic style may develop into an equally prestigious tradition of titles, because of the shining example of the original – thus various styles of Emperor
s trace back to the Roman Imperator
(strictly speaking a republican military honorific), the family surname Caesar
(turned into an imperial title since Diocletian
's Tetrarchy
), and Khan which comes from Genghis Khan.
As the conventional use of "King" and its equivalents to render various other monarchical styles illustrates, there are many roughly equivalent styles, each of which may spawn a "Great X" variant, either unique or becoming a rank in a corresponding tradition; in this context "Grand" is equivalent to "Great" and sometimes interchangeable if convention does not firmly prescribe one of the two. Examples include:
In fact, there are even cases of such a natural style being conventionally uses to render an original style that does not conform to the semantic model, as in "Great Sultan
".
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
s, suggesting an elevated status among the host of King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
s and Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
s. This title is most usually associated with the kings of Persia under the Achaemenid dynasty whose vast empire in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
lasted for 300 years up to the year 330 BC, and later adopted by successors of the Achaemenid empire whose monarchial names were also succeeded by "the Great".
In pre-classical Antiquity
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
, there was a tradition of reciprocally using such addresses between powers as a way of diplomatically recognizing each other as major, such as the Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, Mitanni
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
and the Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of Egypt.
The case of Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
("Great Raja", great King and Prince, in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
) on the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n subcontinent, originally reserved for the regional hegemon such as the Gupta
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
, is a striking example how such a lofty style of this or an alternative model can get caught in a cycle of devalution by "title inflation" as ever more, mostly less powerful, rulers adopt the style. This is often followed by the emergence of one or more new, more exclusive and prestigious styles, as in this case Maharajadhiraja ("Great King of Kings")
The aforementioned Indian style Maharajadhiraja is also an example of an alternative semantic title for similar 'higher' royal styles such as King of Kings
King of Kings
King of Kings is a title that has been used by several monarchies and empires throughout history. The title originates in the Ancient Near East. It is broadly the equivalent of the later title Emperor....
. Alternatively, a more idiomatic style may develop into an equally prestigious tradition of titles, because of the shining example of the original – thus various styles of Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
s trace back to the Roman Imperator
Imperator
The Latin word Imperator was originally a title roughly equivalent to commander under the Roman Republic. Later it became a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as part of their cognomen. The English word emperor derives from imperator via Old French Empreur...
(strictly speaking a republican military honorific), the family surname Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
(turned into an imperial title since Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
's Tetrarchy
Tetrarchy
The term Tetrarchy describes any system of government where power is divided among four individuals, but usually refers to the tetrarchy instituted by Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293, marking the end of the Crisis of the Third Century and the recovery of the Roman Empire...
), and Khan which comes from Genghis Khan.
As the conventional use of "King" and its equivalents to render various other monarchical styles illustrates, there are many roughly equivalent styles, each of which may spawn a "Great X" variant, either unique or becoming a rank in a corresponding tradition; in this context "Grand" is equivalent to "Great" and sometimes interchangeable if convention does not firmly prescribe one of the two. Examples include:
- Grand dukeGrand DukeThe title grand duke is used in Western Europe and particularly in Germanic countries for provincial sovereigns. Grand duke is of a protocolary rank below a king but higher than a sovereign duke. Grand duke is also the usual and established translation of grand prince in languages which do not...
- Grosswojwod
In fact, there are even cases of such a natural style being conventionally uses to render an original style that does not conform to the semantic model, as in "Great Sultan
Great Sultan
Great Sultan is one of various informal titles, such as Grand Turk, used to refer to the Ottoman Sultan, known in Ottoman Turkish as Padishah, Hünkar or Hakan, the sovereign of the Ottoman dynasty....
".
See also
- High kingHigh kingA high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of Emperor; compare King of Kings.Rulers who have been termed "high king" include:...
- Shahryar
- Shahanshah
- Great Catholic MonarchGreat Catholic MonarchThe Great Catholic Monarch, also referred to as the Great Monarch, is a concept that has or had a certain place in unofficial Roman Catholic eschatology, mainly as a French monarchist variant of the medieval theme of the Last Roman Emperor...
- KatechonKatechonThe Katechon is a biblical concept which has subsequently developed into a notion of political philosophy....