View source for Dynasty

{{Short description|Sequence of rulers considered members of the same family}}
{{About|the general concept of a line of rulers}}
{{Distinguish|Political dynasty}}
{{Redirect|Ruling family|other uses|Royal family}}
{{Redirect|Royal house|royal residences and headquarters|Palace|and|Royal household}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
[[File:The Imperial Family of Japan, 2021.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Family photograph of the [[Imperial House of Japan]], the world's oldest continuous royal dynasty since at least 539, with three generations (from left) [[Empress Michiko]], [[Emperor Akihito]], their son [[Emperor Naruhito]] and his consort [[Empress Masako]], [[Crown Prince Akishino]] and [[Crown Princess Akishino]], and behind them their children (2021)]]

A '''dynasty''' is a sequence of rulers from the same family,<ref> English Dictionary'', {{nowrap|1st ed.}} "dynasty, ''n''." [[Oxford University Press]] (Oxford), 1897.</ref> usually in the context of a [[monarchy|monarchical]] system, but sometimes also appearing in [[republic]]s. A "'''house'''" is a royal or noble family, not always ruling. 
Historians [[periodization|periodize]] the histories of many states and [[civilization]]s, such as the [[Roman Empire]] (27 BC – AD 1453), [[History of Iran|Imperial Iran]] (678 BC – AD 1979), [[Ancient Egypt]] (3100–30 BC), and [[History of China#Ancient China|Ancient and Imperial China]] (2070 BC – AD 1912), using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned.

Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world were traditionally reckoned [[patrilineality|patrilineally]], such as those that followed the [[Franks|Frankish]] [[Salic law]]. In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, where [[Order of succession|succession law]] and conventions have maintained dynastic names ''de jure'' through a female.

==Terminology==

The word "dynasty" (from the {{langx|el|δυναστεία}}, ''dynasteía'' "power", "lordship", from ''dynástes'' "ruler")<ref>{{OEtymD|dynasty}}</ref> is sometimes used informally for people who are not rulers but are, for example, members of a family with influence and power in other areas, such as a series of successive owners of a major company, or any family with a legacy, such as a dynasty of poets or actors. It is also extended to unrelated people, such as major poets of the same school or various rosters of a single sports team.<ref name=OED>''Oxford English Dictionary'', {{nowrap|1st ed.}} "dynasty, ''n''." [[Oxford University Press]] (Oxford), 1897.</ref>

The dynastic family or lineage may be known as a "noble house",<ref name="OED2">''Oxford English Dictionary'', {{nowrap|3rd ed.}} "house, ''n.<sup>1</sup>'' and ''int'', {{nowrap|10. b.}}" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2011.</ref> which may be [[Style (form of address)|styled]] as "[[emperor|imperial]]", "[[King|royal]]", "[[prince]]ly", "[[duke|ducal]]", "[[count|comital]]" or "[[baron]]ial", depending upon the chief or present [[imperial, royal and noble ranks|title]] borne by its members, but it is more often referred by adding the name afterwards, as in "[[House of Habsburg]]".

===Dynast===
[[File:Order of the Civil Merit Ceremony. 5th Felipe VI Reign Anniversary 02 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Spanish royal family]] of the [[House of Bourbon]] dates its roots to the [[Capetian dynasty]] of the 9th century, thus making it the oldest still reigning dynasty in Europe (photograph of King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia, the Princess of Asturias and her younger sister Infanta Sofía, in 2019)]]

A ruler from a dynasty is sometimes referred to as a "dynast", but this term is also used to describe any member of a reigning family who retains a [[order of succession|right to succeed]] to a [[throne]]. For example, [[Edward VIII|King Edward VIII]] ceased to be a dynast of the [[House of Windsor]] following his abdication.

In historical and [[monarchism|monarchist]] references to formerly reigning families, a "dynast" is a family member who would have had succession rights, were the monarchy's rules still in force. For example, after the 1914 assassinations of [[Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria]] and his [[morganatic marriage|morganatic]] wife, their son [[Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg]], was bypassed for the Austro-Hungarian throne because he was not a [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] dynast. Even after the [[abolition of monarchy|abolition]] of the Austrian monarchy, Duke Maximilian and his descendants have not been considered the rightful pretenders by Austrian monarchists, nor have they claimed that position.

The term "dynast" is sometimes used only to refer to [[Patrilineality#Agnatic succession|agnatic]] descendants of a [[realm]]'s monarchs, and sometimes to include those who hold succession rights through [[matrilineality|cognatic]] royal descent. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people. For example, [[David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon]], a nephew of [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]], is in the [[Succession to the British throne|line of succession to the British crown]], making him a British dynast. On the other hand, since he is not a patrilineal member of the British royal family, he is not a dynast of the House of Windsor.

Comparatively, the German aristocrat [[Prince Ernst August of Hanover (born 1954)|Prince Ernst August of Hanover]], a male-line descendant of [[George III|King George III]], possesses no legal British name, titles or styles (although he is entitled to reclaim the former [[duke#Royal dukes|royal dukedom]] of [[Duke of Cumberland|Cumberland]]). He was born in the line of succession to the British throne and was bound by Britain's [[Royal Marriages Act 1772]] until it was repealed when the [[Succession to the Crown Act 2013]] took effect on 26 March 2015.<ref name=inforce>[http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-03-26/HCWS490/ Statement by Nick Clegg MP, UK parliament website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705020637/http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-03-26/HCWS490/ |date=5 July 2016 }}, 26 March 2015 (retrieved on same date).</ref> Thus, he requested and obtained formal permission from Queen Elizabeth II to marry the Roman Catholic [[Caroline, Princess of Hanover|Princess Caroline of Monaco]] in 1999. Yet, a clause of the English [[Act of Settlement 1701]] remained in effect at that time, stipulating that dynasts who marry Roman Catholics are considered "dead" for succession to the British throne.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news | url=http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4426171.stm | title=Monaco royal taken seriously ill | work=[[BBC News]] | date=8 April 2005 | access-date=27 January 2013 | location=London | archive-date=12 March 2010 | archive-url=http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100312144516/http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4426171.stm | url-status=dead }}</ref> That exclusion, too, ceased to apply on 26 March 2015, with retroactive effect for those who had been dynasts before triggering it by marriage to a Roman Catholic.<ref name=inforce/>

===Dynastic marriage===
[[File:Maria Theresia im Kreise ihrer Familie.jpg|thumb|Family portrait of Empress [[Maria Theresa]] of the [[Habsburg dynasty]], surrounded by her children who were married into various European dynasties. Marriage policy amongst dynasties led to the ''[[Pax Austriaca]]''.]]

A "dynastic marriage" is one that complies with monarchical [[house law]] restrictions, so that the descendants are eligible to inherit the throne or other royal privileges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Dynastic Marriage |url=http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-networks/dynastic-networks/heinz-duchhardt-the-dynastic-marriage |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=ieg-ego.eu |language=de |archive-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228212538/http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-networks/dynastic-networks/heinz-duchhardt-the-dynastic-marriage |url-status=live }}</ref> For example, the marriage of [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands]] to [[Queen Máxima of the Netherlands|Máxima Zorreguieta]] in 2002 was dynastic, making their eldest child, [[Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange|Princess Catharina-Amalia]], the [[heir apparent]] to the Crown of the Netherlands. The marriage of his younger brother, [[Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau]], in 2003 lacked government support and parliamentary approval. Thus, Prince Friso forfeited his place in the [[Succession to the Dutch throne|order of succession to the Dutch throne]], and consequently lost his title as a "Prince of the Netherlands", and left his children without dynastic rights.

The [[Pragmatic Sanction of 1713]] was an edict issued by Holy Roman [[Emperor Charles VI]] on 19 April 1713 to ensure that the [[Habsburg monarchy]] could be inherited by his daughter undivided (→ [[Primogeniture#Agnatic-cognatic primogeniture|agnatic-cognatic primogeniture]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/473697/Pragmatic-Sanction-of-Emperor-Charles-VI |title=Pragmatic Sanction of Emperor Charles VI |publisher=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |accessdate=21 September 2025}}</ref> In 1736, [[Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor|Francis Stephen]] of Lorraine married Archduchess [[Maria Theresa of Austria]], the sole heir of Emperor Charles VI. With the marriage of Maria Theresa, the only offspring of the House of [[History of Austria#Charles III: Succession and the Pragmatic Sanction (1713–1740)|Austria]], she became together with her husband the founder of the new dynasty of the House of [[Habsburg-Lorraine]]. Since 1740 he was her co-regent in the [[Habsburg hereditary lands]] and from 1745 he was Holy Roman Emperor as Francis I, but was hardly involved in government affairs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/franz-stephan-founder-habsburg-lorraine-dynasty |title=Franz Stephan as the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty |author=Martin Mutschlechner |publisher=The World of the Habsburgs |accessdate=21 September 2025}}</ref> Francis was as [[Duke of Lorraine]] the last non-[[Habsburg]] monarch of the Holy Roman Empire. The couple were the founders of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, which ruled until 1918. Empress [[Maria Theresa]] of the [[Habsburg dynasty]] had her children married into various European dynasties. Habsburg marriage policy amongst European dynasties led to the ''[[Pax Austriaca]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.habsburger.net/en/chapter/maria-theresa-wife-and-mother |title=Maria Theresa as wife and mother |first=Martin |last=Mutschlechner |publisher=The World of the Habsburgs |accessdate=2 November 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Mitchell|first=A. Wess|title=The Grand Strategy of the Habsburg Empire|date=2019|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-19644-2|url={{Google books |-ciXDwAAQBAJ |page=228 |plainurl=yes}}|pages=228}}</ref>

==History==
Historians [[periodization|periodize]] the histories of many states and [[civilization]]s, such as [[History of Iran|Ancient Iran]] (3200 BC – 1979 AD), [[Ancient Egypt]] (3100–30 BC) and [[History of China#Ancient China|Ancient and Imperial China]] (2070 BC – AD 1912), using a framework of successive dynasties. As such, the term "dynasty" may be used to delimit the era during which a family reigned, and also to describe events, trends and artefacts of that period (e.g., "a [[Ming dynasty]] vase"). Until the 19th century, it was taken for granted that a legitimate function of a monarch was to aggrandize his dynasty: that is, to expand the wealth and power of his family members.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last=Thomson |first=David |url=https://archive.org/details/europesincenapol00thom |title=Europe Since Napoleon |publisher=Knopf |year=1961 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/europesincenapol00thom/page/79 79–80] |chapter=The Institutions of Monarchy |quote=The basic idea of monarchy was the idea that hereditary right gave the best title to political power...The dangers of disputed succession were best avoided by hereditary succession: ruling families had a natural interest in passing on to their descendants enhanced power and prestige...Frederick the Great of Prussia, Catherine the Great of Russia, and Maria Theresa of Austria were alike infatuated with the idea of strengthening their power, centralizing government in their own hands as against local and feudal privileges, and so acquiring more absolute authority in the state. Moreover, the very dynastic rivalries and conflicts between these eighteenth-century monarchs drove them to look for ever more efficient methods of government |url-access=registration}}</ref>

Before the 18th century, most dynasties throughout the world had traditionally been reckoned [[patrilineality|patrilineally]], such as those that followed the [[Franks|Frankish]] [[Salic law]]. In polities where it was permitted, succession through a daughter usually established a new dynasty in her husband's family name. This has changed in all of Europe's remaining monarchies, where [[Order of succession|succession law]] and conventions have maintained dynastic names ''de jure'' through a female. For instance, the [[House of Windsor]] is maintained through the children of [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]], as it did with the [[monarchy of the Netherlands]], whose dynasty remained the [[House of Orange-Nassau]] through three successive [[queen regnant|queens regnant]]. The earliest such example among major European monarchies was in the [[Russian Empire]] in the 18th century, where the name of the [[House of Romanov]] was maintained through [[Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia|Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna]]. This also happened in the case of [[Maria II of Portugal|Queen Maria II of Portugal]], who married [[Ferdinand II of Portugal|Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry]], but whose descendants remained members of the [[House of Braganza]], per Portuguese law;, since the 1800s, the only female monarch in Europe who had children belonging to a different house was [[Queen Victoria]] and that was due to disagreements over how to choose a non German house. In [[Limpopo|Limpopo Province]] of [[South Africa]], [[Rain Queen|Balobedu]] determined descent [[matrilineal succession|matrilineally]], while rulers have at other times adopted the name of their mother's dynasty when coming into her inheritance. Less frequently, a monarchy has alternated or been rotated, in a multi-dynastic (or polydynastic) system—that is, the most senior living members of parallel dynasties, at any point in time, constitute the line of succession.{{cn|date=November 2025}}

==Longevity==
[[File:Welcome for HM King Tupou VI of the Kingdom of Tonga and HM Queen Nanasipau'u 03.jpg|thumb|King Tupou VI of Tonga and Queen Nanasipau'u, head of one of the oldest still ruling royal dynasties in the world, dating back to c. 950 CE of the [[Tuʻi Tonga Empire]]]]
Dynasties<!-- (including the rule of cadet branches?) --> lasting at least 250 years include the following. Legendary lineages that cannot be historically confirmed are not included.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Dynasty !! Years Ruled !! Corrected Length of Rule !! Notes
|-
| [[Imperial House of Japan]] || 493 CE – present || 1,532 years || Continuous, mostly ceremonial since 12th century; pre-493 CE emperors semi-legendary.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Delmer M. |title=The Cambridge History of Japan, Vol. 1: Ancient Japan |year=1993 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521223522 |pages=140–145}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ponsonby-Fane |first=Richard |title=The Imperial House of Japan |year=1915 |publisher=Ponsonby Memorial Society |pages=10–20}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chera dynasty|Chera]] || c. 200 BCE – 1100 CE || ~1,300 years || Estimation; fragmented early records, gaps likely.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=100–120}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Narayanan |first=M.G.S. |title=Perumals of Kerala |year=2013 |publisher=Thrissur: CosmoBooks |isbn=978-8188765072 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Pandya dynasty|Pandya]] || c. 300 BCE – 900 CE || ~1,200 years || Estimation; intermittent rule after 900 CE, gaps in continuity.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=100–120}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sastri |first=K.A. Nilakanta |title=A History of South India |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=130–140}}</ref>
|-
| [[List of monarchs of Tonga|Tonga]] || c. 950 CE – present || ~1,075 years || Estimation; title changed in 1865, constitutional now.<ref>{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=I.C. |title=Island Kingdom: Tonga Ancient and Modern |year=2001 |publisher=Canterbury University Press |isbn=978-0908812141 |pages=20–30}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Wood |first=A.H. |title=History of the Kingdom of Tonga |year=1932 |publisher=Methodist Mission Press |pages=15–25}}</ref>
|-
| [[Capetian dynasty|Capetian]] || 987 CE – present || 1,038 years || Continuous through cadet branches (e.g., Bourbon); active in Spain.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shennan |first=J.H. |title=The Bourbons: The History of a Dynasty |year=2007 |publisher=Hambledon Continuum |isbn=978-1852855239 |pages=1–10}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bagrationi dynasty|Bagrationi]] || 780 CE – 1801 CE || ~1,021 years || Georgian royal house; ended with Russian annexation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rayfield |first=Donald |title=Edge of Empires: A History of Georgia |year=2012 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1780230306 |pages=50–70}}</ref>
|-
| [[Guhila dynasty|Guhila]] / [[Sisodia dynasty|Sisodia]] || 566 CE – 1537 CE || ~971 years || Mewar rajputs; ceremonial after 1537.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=150–160}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sastri |first=K.A. Nilakanta |title=A History of South India |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[Silla]] || 57 BCE – 935 CE || 992 years || Korean kingdom; estimation for early start.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=Ki-baik |title=A New History of Korea |year=1984 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674615762 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[List of Assyrian kings|Adaside]] || c. 1700 BCE – 722 BCE || 978 years || Neo-Assyrian period; estimation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grayson |first=A.K. |title=The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia: Assyrian Periods |year=1991 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-0802059659 |pages=10–20}}</ref>
|-
| [[Eastern Ganga dynasty|Eastern Ganga]] || 498 CE – 1434 CE || ~936 years || Odisha rulers; diminished after 1434.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=120–130}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sastri |first=K.A. Nilakanta |title=A History of South India |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=180–190}}</ref>
|-
| [[Baduspanids]] || 665 CE – 1598 CE || 933 years || Tabaristan rulers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Madelung |first=Wilferd |title=The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 4 |year=1975 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521200936 |pages=198–200}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chola dynasty|Chola]] || c. 300 BCE – 200 CE, 848–1279 CE || ~929 years || Non-continuous; interregnum ~200–848 CE; early period semi-legendary.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=100–120}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sastri |first=K.A. Nilakanta |title=A History of South India |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=140–160}}</ref>
|-
| [[Zhou dynasty|Zhou]] || 1046 BCE – 256 BCE || 790 years || Nominal rule in later Warring States period; traditional dates.<ref>{{cite book |last=Li |first=Feng |title=Early China: A Social and Cultural History |year=2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521895521 |pages=120–130}}</ref>
|-
| [[Abbasid dynasty|Abbasid]] || 750–1258 CE, 1261–1517 CE || 764 years || Non-continuous; caliphal rule, ceremonial after 1258.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Hugh |title=The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138787612 |pages=150–170}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rurik dynasty|Rurikid]] || 862 CE – 1598 CE || 736 years || Kievan Rus to Tsardom of Russia.<ref>{{cite book |last=Martin |first=Janet |title=Medieval Russia, 980–1584 |year=2007 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521859165 |pages=30–50}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sayfawa dynasty|Sayfawa]]
|c. 1085 CE – 1846 CE
|~761 years
|[[Kanem–Bornu Empire]]; estimation.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Bosworth |first=Clifford Edmund |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_Islamic_Dynasties/maQxEAAAQBAJ |title=The New Islamic Dynasties: A Chronological and Genealogical Manual |date=2012 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year= |isbn=0-7486-2137-7 |pages=126–129 |orig-year=1996}}</ref>
|-
| [[Goguryeo]] || 37 BCE – 668 CE || 705 years || Korean kingdom; well-documented.<ref>{{cite book |last=Byington |first=Mark E. |title=The Ancient State of Goguryeo |year=2016 |publisher=Korea Institute, Harvard University |isbn=978-0674737198 |pages=40–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Solomonic dynasty|Solomon]] || 1270 CE – 1975 CE || 705 years || Ethiopian emperors; restored in 1270.<ref>{{cite book |last=Marcus |first=Harold G. |title=A History of Ethiopia |year=2002 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0520224797 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bavand dynasty]] || 651 CE – 1349 CE || 698 years || Tabaristan rulers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Madelung |first=Wilferd |title=The Cambridge History of Iran, Vol. 4 |year=1975 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521200936 |pages=198–200}}</ref>
|-
| [[Kachhwaha]] || 1128 CE – 1818 CE || 690 years || Jaipur rajputs; effective rule ended with British control.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=200–210}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sastri |first=K.A. Nilakanta |title=A History of South India |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Bolkiah|Bolkiah]] || c. 1360 CE – present || ~665 years || Brunei sultans; estimation for early start.<ref>{{cite book |last=Saunders |first=Graham |title=A History of Brunei |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0700716982 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg]] || 1278 CE – 1914 CE || 636 years || Austrian emperors; main line.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wheatcroft |first=Andrew |title=The Habsburgs: Embodying Empire |year=1995 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0140236347 |pages=50–70}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ottoman dynasty|Ottoman]] || 1299 CE – 1922 CE || 623 years || Sultans of Ottoman Empire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Finkel |first=Caroline |title=Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire |year=2005 |publisher=Basic Books |isbn=978-0465023967 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Vijaya|Vijaya]] || 543 BCE – 66 CE || 609 years || Sri Lankan kings; traditional dates.<ref>{{cite book |last=Geiger |first=Wilhelm |title=Mahavamsa: The Great Chronicle of Ceylon |year=1912 |publisher=Pali Text Society |isbn=978-8120812192 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ahom dynasty|Ahom]] || 1228 CE – 1826 CE || 598 years || Assam kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=180–190}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburg]] || 1448 CE – present || 577 years || Danish/Norwegian royals; active in Denmark.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oakley |first=Stewart |title=Scandinavian History, 1520–1970 |year=1972 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226613789 |pages=40–50}}</ref>
|-
| [[Rathore dynasty|Rathore]] || 1243 CE – 1818 CE || 575 years || Marwar/Jodhpur rajputs; ended with British control.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kulke |first1=Hermann |last2=Rothermund |first2=Dietmar |title=A History of India |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138961159 |pages=200–210}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Sastri |first=K.A. Nilakanta |title=A History of South India |year=1955 |publisher=Oxford University Press |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bohtan|Bohkti]] || c. 1330 CE – 1855 CE || ~525 years || Kurdish principality; adjusted start date.<ref>{{cite book |last=van Bruinessen |first=Martin |title=Agha, Shaikh and State: The Social and Political Structures of Kurdistan |year=1992 |publisher=Zed Books |isbn=978-1856490184 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Joseon]] and [[Korean Empire]] || 1392 CE – 1910 CE || 518 years || Korean rulers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=Ki-baik |title=A New History of Korea |year=1984 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674615762 |pages=200–220}}</ref>
|-
| [[Goryeo]] || 918 CE – 1392 CE || 474 years || Korean kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lee |first=Ki-baik |title=A New History of Korea |year=1984 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674615762 |pages=100–120}}</ref>
|-
| [[Parthian Empire|Arsacid]] || 247 BCE – 224 CE || 471 years || Parthian Empire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brosius |first=Maria |title=The Persians: An Introduction |year=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415320894 |pages=90–100}}</ref>
|-
| [[Nabhani dynasty|Nabhani]] || 1154 CE – 1624 CE || 470 years || Oman imams.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rentz |first=George |title=Oman and the Persian Gulf |year=2001 |publisher=Stacey International |isbn=978-0905743813 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[Han dynasty|Han]] and [[Shu Han]] || 202 BCE – 9 CE, 25–220 CE || 448 years || Non-continuous; Chinese emperors.<ref>{{cite book |last=Loewe |first=Michael |title=The Government of the Qin and Han Empires |year=2006 |publisher=Hackett Publishing |isbn=978-0872208193 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[Árpád dynasty|Árpád]] || 858 CE – 1301 CE || 443 years || Hungarian kings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Engel |first=Pál |title=The Realm of St. Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary |year=2001 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1860640612 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Mataram|Mataram]] || 1586 CE – present || ~439 years || Indonesian sultans; estimation for continuity.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ricklefs |first=M.C. |title=A History of Modern Indonesia since c.1200 |year=2008 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0230546868 |pages=40–50}}</ref>
|-
| [[Sasanian dynasty|Sassanian]] || 224 CE – 651 CE || 427 years || Persian Empire.<ref>{{cite book |last=Daryaee |first=Touraj |title=Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire |year=2009 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1850438984 |pages=10–20}}</ref>
|-
| [[Davidic line|Davidic]] || c. 1010 BCE – 586 BCE || ~424 years || Kingdom of Judah; traditional dates.<ref>{{cite book |last=Finkelstein |first=Israel |title=The Bible Unearthed |year=2001 |publisher=Free Press |isbn=978-0684869131 |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ghassanids|Jafnid]] || 220 CE – 638 CE || 418 years || Arab kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fisher |first=Greg |title=Between Empires: Arabs, Romans, and Sasanians |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0199599271 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Piast dynasty|Piast]] || 960 CE – 1370 CE || 410 years || Polish dukes/kings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Davies |first=Norman |title=God's Playground: A History of Poland, Vol. 1 |year=2005 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0231128179 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[Argead dynasty|Argead]] || c. 700 BCE – 309 BCE || ~391 years || Macedonian kings; adjusted start.<ref>{{cite book |last=Worthington |first=Ian |title=Alexander the Great: Man and God |year=2004 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1405801621 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[List of kings of Copán|Copán]] || 426 CE – 810 CE || 384 years || Maya city-state.<ref>{{cite book |last=Martin |first=Simon |title=Ancient Maya Politics |year=2020 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1108483889 |pages=100–110}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Siri Sanga Bo|Siri Sanga Bo]] || 1220 CE – 1597 CE || 377 years || Kandy kingdom, Sri Lanka.<ref>{{cite book |last=Geiger |first=Wilhelm |title=Mahavamsa: The Great Chronicle of Ceylon |year=1912 |publisher=Pali Text Society |isbn=978-8120812192 |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[Umayyad dynasty|Umayyad]] || 661–750 CE, 756–1031 CE || 364 years || Non-continuous; caliphs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Hugh |title=The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates |year=2016 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1138787612 |pages=80–100}}</ref>
|-
| [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] and [[Northern Yuan]] || 1271 CE – 1635 CE || 364 years || Mongol China.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rossabi |first=Morris |title=The Mongols: A Very Short Introduction |year=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0199840892 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Komnenos]] || 1057–1059 CE, 1081–1185 CE, 1204–1461 CE || 363 years || Byzantine emperors; non-continuous.<ref>{{cite book |last=Haldon |first=John |title=Byzantium: A History |year=2002 |publisher=Tempus |isbn=978-0752423432 |pages=100–110}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lê dynasty|Later Lê]] (Primitive and [[Revival Lê dynasty|Revival Lê]]) || 1428–1527 CE, 1533–1789 CE || 355 years || Vietnamese emperors; non-continuous.<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitmore |first=John K. |title=Vietnam, Ho Quy Ly, and the Ming |year=1985 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0300033687 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Estridsen|Estridsen]] || 1047–1375 CE, 1387–1412 CE || 353 years || Danish kings; non-continuous.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oakley |first=Stewart |title=Scandinavian History, 1520–1970 |year=1972 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226613789 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[Aryacakravarti dynasty|Aryacakravarti]] || 1277 CE – 1619 CE || 342 years || Jaffna kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last=Geiger |first=Wilhelm |title=Mahavamsa: The Great Chronicle of Ceylon |year=1912 |publisher=Pali Text Society |isbn=978-8120812192 |pages=220–230}}</ref>
|-
| [[Lakhmids|Lakhmid]] || c. 268 CE – 602 CE || ~334 years || Arab kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fisher |first=Greg |title=Between Empires: Arabs, Romans, and Sasanians |year=2011 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0199599271 |pages=60–70}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] || 1371–1651 CE, 1660–1714 CE || 334 years || Scottish/British royals; non-continuous.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wormald |first=Jenny |title=Court, Kirk, and Community: Scotland, 1470–1625 |year=1981 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0748602766 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Plantagenet|Plantagenet]] || 1154 CE – 1485 CE || 331 years || English kings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Weir |first=Alison |title=The Wars of the Roses |year=1995 |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=978-0345404336 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[Jiménez dynasty|Jiménez]] || 905 CE – 1234 CE || 329 years || Navarre/Aragon.<ref>{{cite book |last=Collins |first=Roger |title=The Basques |year=1990 |publisher=Blackwell |isbn=978-0631175650 |pages=100–110}}</ref>
|-
| [[Bendahara dynasty|Bendahara]] || 1699 CE – present || ~326 years || Pahang/Malaysia sultans; estimation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ahmad |first=A. Rahman |title=History of the Malay Peninsula |year=2003 |publisher=Archipelago Press |isbn=978-9813018457 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Song dynasty|Song]] || 960 CE – 1279 CE || 319 years || Chinese emperors.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ebrey |first=Patricia Buckley |title=The Cambridge Illustrated History of China |year=2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521124331 |pages=130–140}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Romanov|Romanov]] || 1613 CE – 1917 CE || 304 years || Russian tsars.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hosking |first=Geoffrey |title=Russia and the Russians: A History |year=2001 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674004733 |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[Liao dynasty|Liao]] and [[Qara Khitai|Western Liao]] || 916 CE – 1218 CE || 302 years || Khitan rulers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Twitchett |first=Denis |title=The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6 |year=1994 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521235410 |pages=40–50}}</ref>
|-
| [[Later Jin (1616–1636)|Later Jin]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] || 1616 CE – 1912 CE || 296 years || Manchu China.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rowe |first=William T. |title=China's Last Empire: The Great Qing |year=2009 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674036123 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] and [[Southern Ming]] || 1368 CE – 1662 CE || 294 years || Chinese emperors.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mote |first=Frederick W. |title=Imperial China, 900–1800 |year=1999 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0674012127 |pages=600–610}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Babenberg|Babenberg]] || 962 CE – 1246 CE || 284 years || Austrian dukes.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lechner |first=Karl |title=Die Babenberger: Markgrafen und Herzoge von Österreich |year=1976 |publisher=Böhlau Verlag |isbn=978-3205085089 |pages=50–60}}</ref>
|-
| [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]] || 305 BCE – 30 BCE || 275 years || Hellenistic Egypt.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hölbl |first=Günther |title=A History of the Ptolemaic Empire |year=2001 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415234894 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] || 618–690 CE, 705–907 CE || 274 years || Chinese emperors; non-continuous.<ref>{{cite book |last=Twitchett |first=Denis |title=The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 3 |year=1979 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521214469 |pages=150–160}}</ref>
|-
| [[Fatimid dynasty|Fatimid]] || 909 CE – 1171 CE || 262 years || Caliphs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Halm |first=Heinz |title=The Fatimids and their Traditions of Learning |year=1997 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1860643132 |pages=20–30}}</ref>
|-
| [[Nasrid dynasty|Nasrid]] || 1230 CE – 1492 CE || 262 years || Granada emirate.<ref>{{cite book |last=Harvey |first=L.P. |title=Islamic Spain, 1250–1500 |year=1990 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0226319629 |pages=30–40}}</ref>
|-
| [[Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt|Thutmosid]] || 1550 BCE – 1292 BCE || 258 years || Egyptian pharaohs.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shaw |first=Ian |title=The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt |year=2000 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0192804587 |pages=200–210}}</ref>
|-
| [[House of Dunkeld|Dunkeld]] || 1034 CE – 1286 CE || 252 years || Scottish kings.<ref>{{cite book |last=Duncan |first=A.A.M. |title=Scotland: The Making of the Kingdom |year=1975 |publisher=Oliver & Boyd |isbn=978-0050020371 |pages=100–110}}</ref>
|-
| [[Achaemenid dynasty|Achaemenid]] || 550 BCE – 330 BCE || 220 years || Persian Empire; adjusted start.<ref>{{cite book |last=Briant |first=Pierre |title=From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire |year=2002 |publisher=Eisenbrauns |isbn=978-1575060316 |pages=34–40}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Kuhrt |first=Amélie |title=The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources |year=2007 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0415436281 |pages=47–50}}</ref>
|-
| [[Timurid dynasty|Timurid]] || 1370 CE – 1507 CE || 137 years || Central Asian rulers; Mughal branch excluded.<ref>{{cite book |last=Manz |first=Beatrice F. |title=The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane |year=1989 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521345958 |pages=15–20}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Jackson |first=Peter |title=The Delhi Sultanate: A Political and Military History |year=1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0521404778 |pages=320–330}}</ref>
|}

==Extant sovereign dynasties==
{{For|non-sovereign dynasties currently ruling subnational monarchies|Non-sovereign monarchy|List of current constituent monarchs}}

There are [[List of current monarchies|43 sovereign states]] with a [[monarch]] as [[head of state]], of which 41 are ruled by dynasties.{{efn|name="Non-dynastic"|Existing sovereign entities ruled by non-dynastic monarchs include:
* {{flag|Andorra|name=Principality of Andorra}}
* [[Holy See]] (ruling the {{flag|Vatican City|name=Vatican City State}})
* {{flag|Sovereign Military Order of Malta|name=Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and Malta}}}} There are currently 26 sovereign dynasties.

{| class="wikitable"
! style="width:200px;"|Dynasty
! style="width:300px;"|[[Realm]]
! style="width:200px;"|[[List of current monarchs of sovereign states|Reigning monarch]]
! style="width:200px;"|Dynastic founder{{efn|name="Founder"|The founder of a dynasty need not necessarily equate to the first monarch of a particular realm. For example, while [[William the Silent|William I]] was the dynastic founder of the [[House of Orange-Nassau]], which currently rules over the [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]], he was never a monarch of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.}}
! style="width:150px;"|Dynastic place of origin{{efn|name="Origin"|Not to be confused with [[Family seat|dynastic seat]].}}
|-
|rowspan=15|[[House of Windsor|Windsor]]{{efn|name="Windsor"|The [[House of Windsor]] is descended from the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], which is a branch of the [[House of Wettin]]. The dynastic name was changed from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Windsor" in AD 1917.}}{{efn|name="Commonwealth"|A sovereign state with [[Charles III]] as its monarch and head of state is known as a [[Commonwealth realm]].}}
|{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}
|rowspan=15|[[Charles III|King Charles III]]
|rowspan=15|[[George V|King-Emperor George V]]{{efn|name="GeorgeVI"|[[George V]] was formerly a member of the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] before 1917.}}
|rowspan=15|[[Thuringia]] and [[Bavaria]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|{{flag|Australia|name=Commonwealth of Australia}}{{efn|name="Australia"|Including:
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Australian Antarctic Territory]]
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Coral Sea Islands|Coral Sea Islands Territory]]
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Ashmore and Cartier Islands|Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands]]
* {{flag|Christmas Island}}
* {{flag|Cocos (Keeling) Islands|name=Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands}}
* {{flagdeco|Australia}} [[Heard Island and McDonald Islands|Territory of Heard and McDonald Islands]]
* {{flag|Norfolk Island}}}}
|-
|{{flag|Bahamas}}
|-
|{{flag|Belize}}
|-
|{{flag|Canada}}
|-
|{{flag|Grenada}}
|-
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|-
|{{flagdeco|New Zealand}} [[Realm of New Zealand|New Zealand]]{{efn|name="NewZealand"|The [[Realm of New Zealand]] consists of:
* {{flag|Cook Islands}}
* {{flag|New Zealand}}
* {{flag|Niue}}
* {{flagdeco|New Zealand}} [[Ross Dependency]]
* {{flag|Tokelau}}}}
|-
|{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}
|-
|{{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
|-
|{{flag|Saint Lucia}}
|-
|{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
|-
|{{flag|Solomon Islands}}
|-
|{{flag|Tuvalu}}
|-
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}{{efn|name="United Kingdom"|Including:
* {{flag|Anguilla}}
* {{flag|Guernsey|name=Bailiwick of Guernsey}} ([[Crown dependencies|Crown dependency]])
* {{flag|Jersey|name=Bailiwick of Jersey}} (Crown dependency)
* {{flag|Bermuda}}
* {{flag|British Antarctic Territory}}
* {{flag|British Indian Ocean Territory}}
* {{flag|Cayman Islands}}
* {{flag|Falkland Islands}}
* {{flag|Gibraltar}}
* {{flag|Isle of Man}} (Crown dependency)
* {{flag|Montserrat}}
* {{flag|Pitcairn Islands|name=Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands}}
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha]]
* {{flag|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands}}
* {{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]]
* {{flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
* {{flag|British Virgin Islands}}
The crown dependencies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Bailiwick of Jersey, and the Isle of Man are neither part of the United Kingdom nor [[British Overseas Territories|British overseas territories]].}}
|-
|[[House of Khalifa|Khalifa]]
|{{flag|Bahrain}}
|[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa|King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]
|Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed
|[[Najd]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[House of Belgium|Belgium]]{{efn|name="Belgium"|The [[House of Belgium]] is descended from the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], which is a branch of the [[House of Wettin]]. The dynastic name was changed from "Saxe-Coburg and Gotha" to "Belgium" in AD 1920.}}
|{{flag|Belgium}}
|[[Philippe of Belgium|King Philippe]]
|[[Albert I of Belgium|King Albert I]]{{efn|name="AlbertI"|[[Albert I of Belgium|Albert I]] was formerly a member of the [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] before AD 1920.}}
|[[Thuringia]] and [[Bavaria]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|[[Wangchuck dynasty|Wangchuck]]
|{{flag|Bhutan}}
|[[Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck|''Druk Gyalpo'' Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck]]
|[[Ugyen Wangchuck|''Druk Gyalpo'' Ugyen Wangchuck]]
|[[Trongsa]], [[Bhutan]]
|-
|[[House of Bolkiah|Bolkiah]]
|{{flag|Brunei}}
|[[Hassanal Bolkiah|Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah]]
|[[Muhammad Shah of Brunei|Sultan Muhammad Shah]]
|[[Tarim, Hadhramaut|Tarim]] in [[Hadhramaut]]{{efn|name="Bolkiah"|Claimed by the royal house, but the historicity is questionable.}}<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Yemen]])}}
|-
|[[House of Norodom|Norodom]]{{efn|name="Norodom"|The [[House of Norodom]] is a branch of the Varman dynasty.}}
|{{flag|Cambodia}}
|[[Norodom Sihamoni|King Norodom Sihamoni]]
|[[Norodom of Cambodia|King Norodom Prohmbarirak]]
|[[Cambodia]]
|-
|rowspan=2|[[House of Glücksburg|Glücksburg]]{{efn|name="Glücksburg"|The [[House of Glücksburg|House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]] is a branch of the [[House of Oldenburg]].}}
|{{flagdeco|Denmark}} [[Danish Realm|Denmark]]{{efn|name="Denmark"|The [[Danish Realm]] consists of:
* {{flag|Denmark}}
* {{flag|Faroe Islands}}
* {{flag|Greenland}}}}
|[[King Frederik X]]
|rowspan=2|[[Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg]]
|rowspan=2|[[Glücksburg]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|{{flag|Norway}}{{efn|name="Norway"|Including:
* {{flag|Bouvet Island}}
* {{flag|Jan Mayen}}
* {{flag|Peter I Island}}
* {{flag|Queen Maud Land}}
* {{flag|Svalbard}}}}
|[[Harald V of Norway|King Harald V]]
|-
|[[House of Dlamini|Dlamini]]
|{{flag|Eswatini}}
|[[Mswati III|King Mswati III]]
|Chief Dlamini I
|[[East Africa]]
|-
|[[Imperial House of Japan|Yamato]]{{efn|name="Kōshitsu"|The [[Imperial House of Japan]], or ''Kōshitsu'' (皇室), is the world's oldest continuous dynasty. The dynasty has produced an unbroken succession of Japanese monarchs since the legendary founding year of 660 BC.}}
|{{flag|Japan}}
|[[Naruhito|Emperor Naruhito]]
|[[Emperor Jimmu]]{{efn|name="Jimmu"|Most historians regard Emperor Jimmu to have been a mythical ruler. [[Emperor Ōjin]], traditionally considered the 15th emperor, is the first who is generally thought to have existed, while [[Emperor Kinmei]], the 29th emperor according to traditional historiography, is the first monarch for whom verifiable regnal dates can be assigned.}}
|[[Nara Prefecture|Nara]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Japan)}}
|-
|[[Hashemites|Hashim]]{{efn|name="Hashim"|The [[Hashemites|House of Hashim]] is descended from [[Banu Qatada]], which was a branch of the [[Alids|House of Ali]].}}
|{{flag|Jordan}}
|[[Abdullah II of Jordan|King Abdullah II]]
|[[Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz|King Hussein ibn Ali al-Hashimi]]
|[[Hejaz]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[House of Sabah|Sabah]]
|{{flag|Kuwait}}
|[[Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah|Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]]
|[[Sabah I bin Jaber|Sheikh Sabah I bin Jaber]]
|[[Najd]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[List of monarchs of Lesotho|Moshesh]]
|{{flag|Lesotho}}
|[[Letsie III|King Letsie III]]
|[[Moshoeshoe I|Paramount Chief Moshoeshoe I]]
|[[Lesotho]]
|-
|[[House of Liechtenstein|Liechtenstein]]
|{{flag|Liechtenstein}}
|[[Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein|Prince Hans-Adam II]]
|[[Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein|Prince Karl I]]
|[[Lower Austria]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Austria]])}}
|-
|[[Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg|Luxembourg-Nassau]]{{efn|name="Luxembourg-Nassau"|The [[Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg|House of Luxembourg-Nassau]] is descended from the [[House of Nassau-Weilburg]], which is a branch of the [[House of Nassau]] and the [[House of Bourbon-Parma]].}}
|{{flag|Luxembourg}}
|[[Guillaume V, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Grand Duke Guillaume V]]
|[[Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Grand Duke Adolphe]]
|[[Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate|Nassau]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|[[House of Temenggong|Temenggong]]{{efn|name="Temenggong"|The [[Temenggong dynasty]] is the ruling dynasty of [[Johor]] and a cadet branch of the [[Bendahara dynasty]]. The [[Sultan of Johor]] is the reigning [[King of Malaysia|Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia]].}}
|{{flag|Malaysia}}{{efn|name="Malaysia"|The throne of Malaysia rotates among the nine [[Monarchies of Malaysia|constituent monarchies of Malaysia]], each ruled by a dynasty. The [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] is elected by the [[Conference of Rulers]].}}
|[[Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor|Sultan Ibrahim III]]
|[[Abu Bakar of Johor|Sultan Abu Bakar]]
|[[Johor]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Malaysia)}}
|-
|[[House of Grimaldi|Grimaldi]]
|{{flag|Monaco}}
|[[Albert II, Prince of Monaco|Prince Albert II]]
|[[François Grimaldi]]
|[[Genoa]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Italy]])}}
|-
|[['Alawi dynasty|Alawi]]
|{{flag|Morocco}}
|[[Mohammed VI of Morocco|King Mohammed VI]]
|[[Sharif ibn Ali|Sultan Abul Amlak Sidi Muhammad as-Sharif ibn 'Ali]]
|[[Tafilalt]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Morocco)}}
|-
|[[House of Orange-Nassau|Orange-Nassau]]{{efn|name="Orange-Nassau"|The [[House of Orange-Nassau]] is a branch of the [[House of Nassau]]. Additionally, [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]] is also linked to the [[House of Lippe]] through [[Beatrix of the Netherlands]].}}
|{{flagcountry|Kingdom of the Netherlands}}{{efn|name="Netherlands"|The [[Kingdom of the Netherlands]] consists of:
* {{flag|Aruba}}
* {{flag|Curaçao}}
* {{flag|Netherlands}}
* {{flag|Sint Maarten}}}}
|[[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|King Willem-Alexander]]
|[[William the Silent|Prince William I]]
|[[Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate|Nassau]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Germany]])}}
|-
|[[House of Busaid|Busaid]]
|{{flag|Oman}}
|[[Haitham bin Tariq|Sultan Haitham bin Tariq]]
|[[Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi|Sultan Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi]]
|[[Oman]]
|-
|[[House of Thani|Thani]]
|{{flag|Qatar}}
|[[Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani|Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani]]
|Sheikh Thani bin Mohammed
|[[Najd]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[Saudi Arabia]])}}
|-
|[[House of Saud|Saud]]
|{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|[[Salman of Saudi Arabia|King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud]]
|[[Saud bin Muhammad Al Muqrin|Emir Saud I]]
|[[Diriyah]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Saudi Arabia)}}
|-
|[[House of Bourbon-Anjou|Bourbon-Anjou]]{{efn|name="Bourbon-Anjou"|The [[House of Bourbon-Anjou]] is a branch of the [[House of Bourbon]].}}
|{{flag|Spain}}
|[[Felipe VI|King Felipe VI]]
|[[Philip V of Spain|King Philip V]]
|[[Bourbon-l'Archambault]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[France]])}}
|-
|[[House of Bernadotte|Bernadotte]]
|{{flag|Sweden}}
|[[Carl XVI Gustaf|King Carl XVI Gustaf]]
|[[Charles XIV John|King Charles XIV John]]
|[[Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques|Pau]]<br/>{{small|(in modern [[France]])}}
|-
|[[Chakri dynasty|Chakri]]
|{{flag|Thailand}}
|[[Vajiralongkorn|King Vajiralongkorn]]
|[[Rama I|King Rama I]]
|[[Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city)|Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya]]<br/>{{small|(in modern Thailand)}}
|-
|[[List of monarchs of Tonga|Tupou]]
|{{flag|Tonga}}
|[[Tupou VI|King Tupou VI]]
|[[George Tupou I|King George Tupou I]]
|[[Tonga]]
|-
|[[House of Nahyan|Nahyan]]{{efn|name="Nahyan"|The [[Al Nahyan family|House of Nahyan]] is the ruling dynasty of the [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi]]. The Emir of Abu Dhabi is the incumbent [[President of the United Arab Emirates]].}}
|{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}{{efn|name="UAE"|The [[President of the United Arab Emirates]] is elected by the [[Federal Supreme Council]]. The office has been held by the Emir of [[Emirate of Abu Dhabi|Abu Dhabi]] since the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971.}}
|[[Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan|President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan]]
|[[Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan|Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa Al Nahyan]]
|[[Liwa Oasis]]<br/>{{small|(in modern United Arab Emirates)}}
|}

==Political families==
{{main|Political family|List of political families}}

Though in [[election|elected]] [[government]]s, rule does not pass automatically by inheritance, political power often accrues to generations of related individuals in the elected positions of [[republic]]s and [[Constitutional monarchy|constitutional monarchies]]. Eminence, [[Social influence|influence]], [[tradition]], [[genetics]], and [[nepotism]] may contribute to the phenomenon.

===Hereditary dictatorship===
{{See also|Personalist dictatorship}}

Hereditary dictatorships are characterized by the dictator keeping political power within their family due to personal choice.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Brownlee | first1=Jason | title=Hereditary Succession in Modern Autocracies | journal=World Politics | date=2007 | volume=59 | issue=4 | pages=595–628 | doi=10.1353/wp.2008.0002 | url=https://doi.org/10.1353%2Fwp.2008.0002 | url-access=subscription }}</ref> The successor may be groomed during their lifetime, as was the case for [[Bashar al-Assad]] and his brother [[Bassel al-Assad|Bassel]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Bashar al-Assad &#124; Family, Biography, Religion, Fleeing, & Facts &#124; Britannica | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bashar-al-Assad }}</ref> or a member of their family may manoeuvre to take control of the dictatorship after the dictator's death, similar to the case of [[Ramfis Trujillo]].<ref>{{cite book | last1=Pope Atkins | first1=G. | title=The Dominican Republic and the United States: From Imperialism to Transnationalism | date=January 1998 | publisher=University of Georgia Press | isbn=978-0-8203-1931-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MkBlfCf8I-YC&q=paris&pg=PA120 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Current hereditary dictatorships
! Dynasty
! Regime
! Dynastic founder
! Current leader
! Year founded{{efn|Year authoritarian system began}}
! Length of rule
|-
|[[Kim family (North Korea)|Kim family]]<ref>{{cite news |author=Williamson |first=Lucy |date=December 27, 2011 |title=Delving into North Korea's mystical cult of personality |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16336991 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202083328/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16336991 |archive-date=February 2, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2024 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=North Korea - The Kim Dynasty |url=https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-the-kim-dynasty/a-68384947 |access-date=12 December 2024 |agency=Deutsche Welle |date=3 March 2024}}</ref>
|{{flag|North Korea}}
|[[Kim Il Sung]]
|[[Kim Jong Un]]
|1948
|{{ayd|1948|9|9}}
|-
|Gnassingbé family<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/2/22/togo-votes-as-faure-gnassingbe-seeks-to-extend-dynastys-rule|work=Al Jazeera|title=Togo votes as Faure Gnassingbe seeks to extend dynasty's rule|date=2020-02-22|access-date=2024-02-20}}</ref>
|{{flag|Togo}}
|[[Gnassingbé Eyadéma]]
|[[Faure Gnassingbé]]
|1967
|{{ayd|1967|4|14}}
|-
|[[Bongo family]]<ref name="family">{{Cite web |date=1 September 2023 |title='Family affair': Gabon opposition lambasts coup, claims election victory |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/1/family-affair-gabon-opposition-lambasts-coup-claims-election-victory |access-date=1 September 2023 |publisher=Al Jazeera |language=en |archive-date=1 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901191350/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/1/family-affair-gabon-opposition-lambasts-coup-claims-election-victory |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1 September 2023 |title=Gabon's opposition leader claims coup is a 'family affair' |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/09/01/gabons-opposition-leader-claims-coup-is-a-family-affair/ |access-date=1 September 2023 |publisher=Africanews |language=en |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902043404/https://www.africanews.com/2023/09/01/gabons-opposition-leader-claims-coup-is-a-family-affair/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|{{Flag|Gabon}}
|[[Omar Bongo]]
|[[Brice Oligui Nguema]]
|1967
|{{ayd|1967|11|28}}
|-
|Nguema Family<ref name=dictators/><ref>{{Cite web|first=Paul|last=Melly|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57176712|title=Africa's political dynasties: How presidents groom their sons for power|date=2021-05-30|access-date=2025-04-20|work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
|{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}
|[[Francisco Macías Nguema]]
|[[Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo]]
|1968
|{{ayd|1968|10|12}}
|-
|Gulleh family<ref name=dictators>{{cite web |date=2011-05-16 |title=The world's enduring dictators |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-worlds-enduring-dictators/ |work=CBS News }}</ref>
|{{flag|Djibouti}}
|[[Hassan Gouled Aptidon]]
|[[Ismaïl Omar Guelleh]]
|1977
|{{ayd|1977|06|27}}
|-
|Hun family<ref>{{cite news |title=What to expect from Cambodia's new 'dynastic' prime minister |url=https://www.dw.com/en/what-to-expect-from-cambodias-new-dynastic-prime-minister/a-66591627 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=8 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Syed |first1=Armani |title=What to Know About the Army Chief Who Will Be Cambodia's Next Leader |url=https://time.com/6298046/hun-manet-cambodia-leadership/ |access-date=25 August 2023 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=26 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hunt |first1=Luke |title=Assessing Cambodia's New Political Leadership |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/08/assessing-cambodias-new-political-leadership/ |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]] |date=23 August 2023}}</ref>
|{{flag|Cambodia}}
|[[Hun Sen]]
|[[Hun Manet]]
|1985
|{{ayd|1985|1|14}}
|-
|Déby family<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-13 |title=Chad: Political Transition Ends with Déby's Election {{!}} Human Rights Watch |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/13/chad-political-transition-ends-debys-election |access-date=2024-12-14 |language=en}}</ref>
|{{flag|Chad}}
|[[Idriss Déby]]
|[[Mahamat Déby]]
|1991
|{{ayd|1991|2|28}}
|-
|Aliyev family<ref>{{Cite web |last=Balci |first=Bayram |date=14 October 2023 |title=Presidential Elections in Azerbaijan Fail to End the Aliyev's Dynastic and Autocratic Rule |url=https://carnegiemoscow.org/commentary/53292 |access-date=7 February 2024 |website=[[Carnegie Endowment for International Peace]]}}</ref>
|{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
|[[Heydar Aliyev]]
|[[Ilham Aliyev]]
|1993
|{{ayd|1993|06|24}}
|-
|Berdimuhamedow family<ref>{{cite news |last1=Clement |first1=Victoria |title=The Aura of Governance in Turkmenistan |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/03/the-aura-of-governance-in-turkmenistan/ |access-date=27 October 2023 |work=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]] |date=14 March 2023}}</ref>
|{{flag|Turkmenistan}}
|[[Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow]]
|[[Serdar Berdimuhamedow]]
|2006
|{{ayd|2006|12|21}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Former hereditary dictatorships
!Dynasty
!Regime
!Dynastic founder
!Last ruler
!Year founded
!Year ended
!Length of rule
|-
|[[Third Dominican Republic|Trujillo family]]
|{{Flag|Dominican Republic}}
|[[Rafael Trujillo]]
|[[Ramfis Trujillo]]
|1930
|1961
|{{ayd|1930|8|16|1961|11|17}}
|-
|[[Duvalier family]]
|{{Flag|Haiti|1964}}
|[[François Duvalier]]
|[[Jean-Claude Duvalier]]
|1957
|1986
|{{ayd|1957|10|22|1986|2|7}}
|-
|[[Assad family]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-08 |title=The rise and fall of the Assad Dynasty |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/worldbiz/middle-east/rise-and-fall-assad-dynasty-1012986 |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=The Business Standard |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Simone |date=2024-12-08 |title=Who is Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian leader whose family ruled with an iron fist for more than 50 years? |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/08/middleeast/bashar-al-assad-syria-profile-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2024-12-08 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>
|{{flagcountry|Ba'athist Syria}}
|[[Hafez al-Assad]]
|[[Bashar al-Assad]]
|1971
|2024
|{{ayd|1971|3|14|2024|12|8}}
|-
|[[Somoza family]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Military and the State in Latin America |url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft9b69p386&chunk.id=d0e3262&toc.depth=1&toc.id=d0e3229&brand=ucpress |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref>
|{{flag|Nicaragua}}
|[[Anastasio Somoza García]]
|[[Anastasio Somoza Debayle]]
|1936
|1979
|43 years, 39 days
|-
|López family<ref>{{Cite web |title=Francisco Solano López {{!}} Military Leader, War of the Triple Alliance {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Francisco-Solano-Lopez |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
|{{flag|Paraguay|1842}}
|[[Carlos Antonio López]]
|[[Francisco Solano López]]
|1844
|1870
|25 years, 293 days
|}

==Influential wealthy families==
{{main|List of wealthiest families}}

==See also==
{{politics}}
{{main|Lists of dynasties}}
{{wiktionary}}
* [[Cadet branch]]
* [[Commonwealth realm]]
* [[Conquest dynasty]]
* [[Dynastic cycle]]
* [[Dynastic order]]
* [[Dynastic union]]
* [[Elective monarchy]]
* [[Family seat]]
* [[Genealogy]]
* [[Heads of former ruling families]]
* [[Hereditary monarchy]]
* [[Iranian Intermezzo]]
* [[List of current constituent monarchs]]
* [[List of current monarchies]]
* [[List of current monarchs of sovereign states]]
* [[List of dynasties]]
* [[List of empires]]
* [[List of family trees]]
* [[List of kingdoms and royal dynasties]]
* [[List of largest empires]]
* [[List of monarchies]]
* [[List of noble houses]]
* [[Non-sovereign monarchy]]
* [[Royal family]]
* [[Royal household]]
* [[Royal intermarriage]]
* [[Self-proclaimed monarchy]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist|22em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|22em}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Monarchy]]
[[Category:Dynasties| ]]
[[Category:History-related lists]]