Summary: History of Governance and Public Institutions: ALL INCLUDING
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Course
History of governance and public institutions
Institution
Tilburg University (UVT)
This all including summary of History of Governance and Public Institutions will make you pass this course! It includes summaries of all knowledge clips, the guiding questions (with answers of course :)), summaries of the readings (except for module 6), the lectures, and you even get exam questions...
, Readings:..........................................................................................................................................34
Reflective questions:........................................................................................................................36
Lecture:.............................................................................................................................................37
Module 6: Towards an International Order..........................................................................................38
Knowledge clip:................................................................................................................................38
Knowledge clip 1:..........................................................................................................................38
Knowledge clip 2:..........................................................................................................................38
Reflective questions:........................................................................................................................39
Lecture:.............................................................................................................................................40
Exam questions:...................................................................................................................................43
2
,Module 1: Dynasty and Dynastic States
Knowledge clip:
The dynasty, dynastic government headed by a hereditary leader such as a king, emperor, khan or a
caliph, is at the foundation of government, hierarchies and of power.
Dynasties took many forms throughout history. It should be seen as a group effort instead of as a
solo leader.
Around 8000 BCE domesticated agriculture rose. People used to be more nomadic before this.
Because of the domesticated agriculture there is a more sedentary way of living. These sedentary
settlements, agricultural villages, allowed for a more complex society. Not everyone had to keep
farming => social differentiation: specialization. And because of this hierarchy became stronger and a
dynastic leader would appear.
Dynastic leader = kings, emperors
“kings were presented as standing above faction and as safeguarding harmony both within society
and between heaven and earth”
Usually this dynastic position was passed on to the next generation of the same family.
Initially the sedentary civilizations were small, as they became more complex, there were more
groups in society => these groups had conflicts. The leaders of these groups came to occupy the
mediating role. Through this mediating role they also came to occupy important functions at the
metaphysical sense. They have sacred qualities. The rulers of China were also called the son of
heaven.
Dynasty = ruling family, line of kings or princes.
Large part of the legitimacy of these rulers is that their (grand)parents of the same family had ruled
before. This lend them credits and strengthened their authority. The lineage was an important
element of maintaining the authority of rulers.
Dynasty is also something that is invented by historians as a label to structure time => in China the
names of dynasties are used as a way to structure time.
Succession:
There is an element of succession in a dynasty=> family’s interest has to be defended. A construct
that is used to preserve certain possessions, rights, certain claims and to hand them over to the next
generation as unharmed or ideally even improved.
- Primogeniture: the rule by the eldest son
- Partible inheritance: the family possessions were split among the sons
- Seniority: the eldest dynastic clan member inherits, for example the brother
- Lateral: election: the ruler had to be part of the dynasty, but they were elected based on the
quality of the various candidates.
3
, Elective monarchy => Holy Roman Empire, Great Khan
An elective monarchy could strengthen their power and avoid a succession struggle, because there
were many people who had to agree about the ruler.
Succession was not always clear and uncontested, for example with a succession system of
primogeniture and than having an incapable eldest son.
Maternal lineages could become very important when there was no clear male successor.
Sometimes succession did not happen within a dynasty, but one dynasty was replaced by another.
China: dynastic cycle. ‘mandate of heaven’ or Tianming: the last dynasty had not maintained
the balance between heaven and earth and clear signs showed this: for example harvest
failures or corruption, than another dynasty could take over. The mandate of heaven had
passed on to the next dynasty.
Goal: bring harmony both to the universe and to society
Requires close attention to ceremonies, rituals and properties: li
Successful revolt = evidence of transition
Outsiders could appropriate system, but had no integrate: Yuan (Mongols) and Qing
(Manchus) could only become rulers over China by adopting the ways of the Chinese:
ceremonial traditions from rulers of the past.
Dynasties in post-roman Europe:
A large part of Europe had been ruled by the Romans in the early middle ages. It fell apart in the west
and splintered into a number of successor states => Frankia.
- Frankia => ‘successor state’ to Rome in the west under Merovingian dynasty. Over time the
Merovingian kings became less capable, and over time the most important officials, court
martial’s, decided to take over.
- Carolingians take over: Charles the Great or Charlemagne crowned as emperor => the
Carolingian empire united many parts of the west that previously were divided. The unity did
not last long.
- Treaty of Verdun (843 AD) splits empire:
France (monarchy), the kings of France did not subject themselves to the authority of
the emperor in the east in Germany. The kings ruled as an ‘emperor in his own
kingdom’
Germany (Holy Roman Empire). Electives, but Habsburgs dominance after 1440. Even
though there were elections, the Habsburgs monopolized the emperial title in the
Holy Roman Empire. Charles V was the last Habsburgs emperor to be crowned by the
pope, after that the Habsburgs simply claimed the dignity of elected emperor and
secured the crown.
Lotharingia (soon splinters)
Delegation of power sharing:
- Court: court of officials who had influence
4
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