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Monarchy
Exordium:

• MONARCHY a form of government with a sovereign (supreme ruler) as head of state or in charge (king,
queen or emperor).
• Monarchy Absolute monarchy: the monarch exercises ultimate control.
• Ever since the French Revolution, the idea of popular sovereignty (giving the people a voice) has led to the
monarch becoming a symbol or a figurehead (front) for the government (similar to the president). They
have a great deal of power, but they are no longer the only ones with a say in what happens.
• Constitutional monarchy: the monarch has control as head of state, but where a parliament has a voice in
what happens as well. Examples (absolute monarchy) United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Vatican City Examples (constitutional monarchy) England.
• A monarchy is a form of government led by an individual who holds the position for life, having inherited
position, and who passes it on to a relative, usually a son or daughter.
• Undivided rule or absolute sovereignty by a single person.
• Absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, hereditary monarchy and elective monarchy.
• 44 sovereign nations have monarchs, 16 of which are Commonwealth sovereign states (realm).
• In the past, all monarchs held great power and made all of the decisions and laws of the country. This is
known as absolute monarchy. Today most ceremonial role with little or no power regarding the actual
governing of the country.
• A constitutional monarch is a country which has a written constitution that sets out the rules for how the
country will be governed and the rights and responsibilities of its people.
• Traditionally, and in most cases, the monarch’s post is inherited and lasts until death or abdication (resign).
Each of these has variations in some elected monarchies only those of certain histories are whereas many
hereditary monarchies impose requirements regarding the religion, age, gender, mental capacity etc.

Derivation of Monarchy

The word “monarch” Latin: monarcha comes from the Greek language word monarkhes from monos, “one,
singular” and arkho, “to rule”.

Interpretation of Monarchy

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary:

A government having a hereditary chief of state with life tenure and powers varying from nominal to absolute.

Definitions of Monarchy

According to John Bouvier:

"Government which is ruled (really or theoretically) by one man, who is wholly set apart from all other
members of the state”.
According to Jellinck:
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“a government by a single physical will and its essential characteristics is the competence of the
monarch to express the highest power of the state.

Titles of Monarchy

King Queen
Prince or princess Emperor or empress
Duke, grand duke or duchess Caliph
Sultan Emir
Sheikh Khan or Khagan
Monarchs also are distinguished by styles, such as "Majesty (sovereign power)", "Royal Highness" or "By the
Grace of God".

History of Monarchy

Greek:
The form of societal hierarchy (order) known as chiefdom (a territory or state ruled by a chief) or tribal
kingship (the state or position of being a king) in prehistoric (the vast period of time before written records or
human documentation). The Greek term monarchia is classical, used by Herodotus. The monarch is classical
antiquity is often identified as “king” translating archon, basileus, rex, tyrannos etc.
Egyptian and Mesopotamian Monarchs:
From earliest historical times, with the Egyptian and Mesopotamian monarchs, as well as in reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European religion, the king holds sacral function directly connected to sacrifice, or is considered of
divine ancestry.
Rome Emperor:
The role of the Roman emperor as the protector of Christianity was mixed with the sacral aspects held by
the Germanic kings to create the notion of “Divine right of kings” in the Christian Middle Ages. The Chinese,
Japanese and Nepalese monarchs continued to be considered living Gods into the modern period.
In Rome:
In antiquity, monarchies were abolished in favor of such assemblies in Rome (Roman Republic, 509 BC) and
Athens (Athenian Democracy, 500 BC).
In Germanic Antiquity, Kingship:
In Germanic antiquity, kingship was primarily a sacral function, and the king either directly hereditary for some tribes,
while for others he was elected from among eligible members of royal families by the king.

Abolishing the Monarchy:

Many countries abolished the monarchy in the 20th century and because republics, especially in the wake of either World War
1 or World War 2. Advocacy of republics is called republicanism, while advocacy of monarchies is called monarchism.
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Advantages of Monarchy

It brings about a solid government:

Monarchy’s singularity of power provides people with a symbolic and focused area for group loyalty
and identity. There will only be one individual who will make the decisions, so they will be made quickly, and
there will be fewer arguments with regards to new policies going to be imposed.
It can lead to leadership stability:
A monarch has life tenure and is not subject to national elections, unlike other heads of state under
other political systems.
It offers more savings for the government with the absence of elections:
This form of government reduces the huge amounts of expenditure of the country from the
elections, as there is no need to elect the next leader. The existing monarch will be the one to choose who his
or her successor (inheritor).
It allows for a non-partisan (no party) leadership:
Monarchs are born to rule without the obligation to answer to anyone. On the other hand,
politicians need to win the elections and reach out to the people to try to win their votes, which is something
that monarchs do not really experience.
It encourages respect for the ruler:
The masses will have greater respect for their monarch than an elected president, as the latter (last)
can rule for only a certain term.
It lessens cases of corrupt practices:
Nations that are being ruled by monarchs experience less corruption. Also, these rulers know that
they are not ruling for a term, so they most probably have no lust for money. They do not intend to misuse
their authority for corrupt practices.
It looks into family as a state model:
A monarch is considered as the country’s father and the subjects are his children. This form of
government is an organic kind of human organization that everyone can easily relate to.
It does not share blames:
A monarch would not share the blame or pass it to others once he makes a bad decision in the same
way that politicians do. However, it is just him while politicians are hundreds.
It encourages leadership suitability:
An heir (inheritor) to the throne will be taught the proper ways to rule as early as his/her childhood
years, while traditional politicians only learn about these things when they are already grown up.
It is useful for civilized and undeveloped societies:
In the beginning of time, man was cruel and uncivilized—he was not at all disciplined. During such a
time, monarchy was the only form of government that made man disciplined and law-abiding.

Disadvantages of Monarchy
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It might lead to a poor leadership:
Monarchy requires a single person ruling the entire country as long as he or she lives. This means
that the masses do not have the power to remove him or her from leadership even if he is not functioning
accordingly.
It does not allow democratic legitimacy (ability to be defended):
A monarch is not elected or chosen by the people, unlike politicians. It might lead to having a leader
who might not be as serious as needed. A person who knows that he or she will rule the country for the rest of
his or her life might not take the responsibility to serve for the betterment of the people seriously. He is aware
that he or she does not answer to anyone, which can lead to economic disruption.
It lacks democratic accountability and liability:
If a monarch has become an inefficient and bad leader, he cannot be held liable by the people.
It invests much power and fame to a single individual:
A monarch is recognized as a supreme legislator, judicator and executor. Though he is helped by
personal advisors, he still has the final say, and no other person is allowed to break this.
Its structure is very difficult to change internally:
In the event that monarchs become irresponsible and ineffective, it can be quite difficult for the people
to force these leaders out or replace them with those they think are more effective.
Its hereditary office for its leader is not justifiable:
The post of monarchs is the highest, and only a competent person should hold it. If a head of state’s
office is hereditary, the leader shall hold it irrespective of his capability, which might create problems for the
administration.
It can degenerate into tyranny (dictatorship):
Power can corrupt anyone, and after sometime, a king or his successors might degrade (damage)
themselves and exploit (use) the people, bringing into the administration tyranny.

Characteristics of Monarchy

Hereditary and Bloodlines:

Almost every monarchy gives its titles based on heredity. Some rare exceptions exist, such as the Vatican's
elected monarchy. However, by and large, monarchies are birthrights that cannot be elected or appointed.
Rather, you must be born into it. This means that a monarchy will have a royal family, to whom every monarch
is related.
Divine Right:
Monarchies and religion often go hand in hand. Nations with state religions tend to have strong affiliations
between that religion and the nation's monarchy. This harks back (to go back) to the very roots of monarchy
and the concept of the divine right, whereby the monarch received his or her authority to lead the country
through a direct donate from the nation's deity (God) or deities.
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Lifelong Rule:
A monarch will rule for as long as the monarchy exists. Most politicians have term limits and, if not, must be
regularly re-elected. Monarchs, on the other hand, ascend to the throne in succession, usually after the
previous monarch dies. The new monarch will maintain this position until he or she also dies, is deposed or, in
rare circumstances, chooses to resign to throne.
A Spectrum of Monarchies:
As with most political systems, monarchies are not created equal. Rather, each monarchy is subject to its
country's culture, social mores and political climate. Most 21st-century monarchies are constitutional
monarchies where the nation's constitution limits the leader's power. This means that the constitution is a
higher authority than the monarch. Constitutional limitations on the role of monarchs tend to be severe;
monarchs seldom play a substantial role in policy. On the other end of the spectrum, however, are absolute
monarchies where the monarch is completely in charge. In these monarchies, no constitution or legislative
body assists with governance. Only the monarch and his or her advisers set policy without any checks to the
leader's authority.

CONCLUSION