Dynasty facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Dynasty means a series of rulers who all come from the same royal family. Imagine a family where the power to rule is passed down from parent to child for many generations. The word "dynasty" can also describe the time period when that family was in charge.

Some famous dynasties include:

In England: The House of Tudor (from 1485 to 1603) and the House of Stuart (from 1603 to 1714).
In China: The Shang Dynasty (around 1766 BC to 1050 BC), the Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368), the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644), and the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912).
In India: The Mughal dynasty (1526 to 1858).

Dynasties Around the World

Dynasties have existed in many parts of the world, with powerful families ruling for hundreds of years.

African Dynasties

Ancient Egypt's Rulers

Ancient Egypt had many dynasties, with pharaohs from the same family ruling for a long time. Here are some of the most well-known:

1st dynasty (around 3050 - 2890 BC)
4th dynasty (2613 - 2498 BC) - This was when the Great Pyramids were built!
18th dynasty (1549 - 1292 BC) - Famous pharaohs like Tutankhamun and Hatshepsut belonged to this dynasty.
19th dynasty (1292 - 1186 BC) - Rulers like Ramesses II were part of this family.
Ptolemaic Dynasty (305 - 30 BC) - The last dynasty of ancient Egypt, including Cleopatra.

Moroccan Royal Families

Morocco has also been ruled by several important dynasties:

Idrisid dynasty (780-974)
Almoravid dynasty (1073-1147)
Almohad dynasty (1147-1269)
Marinid dynasty (1258-1420)
Alaouite dynasty (1666 to present) - This family still rules Morocco today!

Dynasties in the Americas

Brazil's Imperial Family

House of Braganza (1822-1889) - This family ruled Brazil when it was an empire.

Hawaiian Kingdoms

Kamehameha Dynasty (around 1810-1872) - This dynasty united the Hawaiian Islands.
Kalākaua Dynasty (around 1874-1893)

Mexican Empires

House of Iturbide (1822-1823)
House of Habsburg (1864-1867)

Asian Dynasties

Afghan Rulers

Durrani Dynasty (1747-1823 and 1839-1842)
Barakzai Dynasty (1818-1839, 1842-1929 and 1929-1973)

China's Long History of Dynasties

China has one of the longest histories of dynasties in the world. Each dynasty brought changes and new ways of life.

Xia Dynasty (around 2205 BC–1766 BCE) - One of the earliest dynasties.
Shang Dynasty (1766 BCE–1046 BCE)
Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE–256 BCE)
Qin Dynasty (221 BCE–206 BCE) - The first imperial dynasty, which unified China.
Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220)
Tang Dynasty (618–907) - A golden age for Chinese culture and power.
Song Dynasty (960–1279)
Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) - Founded by the Mongols.
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)
Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) - The last imperial dynasty of China.

Indian Dynasties

India also has a rich history of powerful ruling families:

Maurya Empire (321-185 BC) - A very large and powerful empire in ancient India.
Gupta Empire (319-642 AD) - Known as the "Golden Age of India."
Mughal dynasty (1526-1858 AD) - A powerful empire that ruled much of the Indian subcontinent.
British Raj (1858-1947 AD) - When India was ruled by the British.

Japan's Imperial Family

Imperial House of Japan (400-500 CE-now) - This is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world!

Korean Dynasties

Silla Dynasty (57 BCE-935)
Goryeo Dynasty (935-1392)
Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) - The last and longest-lived Korean dynasty.

Persian (Iranian) Dynasties

Achaemenid dynasty (525-332 BC) - A vast ancient Persian empire.

Thai Kingdoms

Chakri dynasty (1782-) - This dynasty still rules Thailand today.

European Dynasties

Albanian Rulers

Zogu (1928-1939)

Byzantine Empire's Emperors

The Byzantine Empire was the continuation of the Roman Empire in the East.

Justinian Dynasty (518-602)
Macedonian Dynasty (867-1056)
Palaeologid Dynasty (1261-1453) - The last ruling family of the Byzantine Empire.

Danish Royal Families

House of Oldenburg (1448-1863)
House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1863 to the present) - The current royal family of Denmark.

English Royal Families

England has a long line of royal families:

Cerdicing Dynasty, or House of Wessex (829-1016 and 1042-1066)
Norman Dynasty (1066-1066) - Started by William the Conqueror.
Plantagenet Dynasty (1154-1485) - Included famous kings like Henry II and Edward III.
- House of Lancaster (1399-1461 and 1470-1471)
- House of York (1461-1470 and 1471-1485) - These two houses fought in the Wars of the Roses.
House of Tudor (1485-1603) - Included Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
House of Stuart (1603-1714) - Ruled both England and Scotland.
House of Hanover (1714-1901)
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1901 to the present)
- House of Windsor (1917 to the present) - The current royal family of the UK, renamed during World War I.

French Dynasties

France also had many powerful ruling families:

Carolingian Dynasty (843-987) - Included Charlemagne.
Capetian Dynasty (987-1328)
Valois Dynasty (1328-1589)
Bourbon Dynasty (1589-1792 and 1814-1848) - Included Louis XIV, the "Sun King."
Bonaparte Dynasty (1804-1814 and 1852-1870) - Founded by Napoleon Bonaparte.

German Dynasties

Germany, historically a collection of states, also had many ruling families:

Hohenstaufen Dynasty (1137-1254)
Hapsburg Dynasty (1273-1291, 1298-1308, and 1438-1740) - A very powerful European family.
Hohenzollern Dynasty (1871-1918) - Ruled the German Empire.

Hungarian Dynasties

Árpád Dynasty (around 895-1301) - The first royal dynasty of Hungary.
Hapsburg Dynasty (1437-1457, 1526-1564, and 1563-1918)

Iberian Dynasties (Spain and Portugal)

The Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) saw many kingdoms and dynasties.

Spain's Royal Families

House of Hapsburg (1516-1700) - Also known as the House of Austria.
House of Bourbon (1700-1868, 1874-1931, and 1975 to the present) - The current royal family of Spain.
House of Bonaparte (1808-1813)

Portugal's Royal Families

House of Burgundy (1093-1383)
House of Aviz (1385-1580)
House of Braganza (1640-1910) - Ruled Portugal for a long time.

Irish Dynasties

Ireland had many local ruling families, often called clans or septs. Here are a few examples:

Uí Néill
Dál gCais
Ó Neill
O Domhnaill

Italian Royal Families

House of Savoy (1003-1946) - This family ruled the Kingdom of Italy.

Norwegian Royal Families

Fairhair Dynasty (890-1319)
House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (1905 to the present) - The current royal family of Norway.

Ottoman Empire's Rulers

Ottoman Dynasty (1281-1923) - This powerful dynasty ruled a vast empire for over 600 years.

Polish Dynasties

Piast Dynasty (ninth century-1296 and 1306-1370) - The first ruling dynasty of Poland.
Jagiellonian Dynasty (1386-1572 and 1575-1586)

Roman Empire's Emperors

The Roman Empire had several dynasties of emperors:

Julio-Claudian Dynasty (27 BC-AD 68) - Included emperors like Augustus and Nero.
Flavian Dynasty (69-96)
Nervan-Antonian Dynasty (96-192) - Known for "Five Good Emperors."
Severan Dynasty (193-235)

Russian Dynasties

House of Rurikovich (862-1598, 1606-1610)
House of Romanov (1613-1762) - A very famous Russian dynasty.
House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov, often called Romanov (1762-1917) - The last imperial family of Russia.

Scottish Royal Families

House of Alpin (843-1034)
House of Stuart (1371-1707) - This family also became the ruling family of England.

Swedish Dynasties

House of Vasa (1521-1654)
House of Bernadotte (1818 to the present) - The current royal family of Sweden.

Images for kids

Charles I of England and his son, the future James II of England, from the House of Stuart.
The Qing dynasty was the final imperial dynasty of China. It was established in 1636 and collapsed in 1912.
Karikala, the Tamil King of Early Cholas, who built the ancient Kallanai Dam.
Zhao Kuangyin (Emperor Taizu of Song) was the founder of the Song Dynasty in China.
Zhu Yuanzhang (Hongwu Emperor) was the founder of the Ming Dynasty in China.
Sukaphaa was the first King of the Ahom Dynasty in Assam, India.
Babur, from the Timurid Dynasty, was the first ruler of the Mughal Empire in India.
Suleiman the Magnificent, from the House of Osman, was the longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ruling from 1520 until 1566.
Muhammad Ali Pasha, founder of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, ruled Egypt and Sudan from 1805 to 1848.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, from the Pahlavi Dynasty, was the last Shah of Iran, before the Iranian Revolution.
Peter I, from the House of Romanov, was the first Russian monarch to rule as Emperor.
Constantine XI Palaiologos, from the Palaiologos Dynasty, was the final monarch of the Byzantine Empire.
Pedro II, from the House of Braganza, ruled Brazil from 1831 to 1889.
Kalākaua, founder of the House of Kalākaua, was the penultimate sovereign ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
Asahito (Emperor Higashiyama), from the House of Yamato, was the 113th Japanese Emperor.
Emperor Meiji, from the House of Yamato, was the 122nd Japanese Emperor.
Christian I, from the House of Oldenburg, served as King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
Aisin Gioro Xuanye (Kangxi Emperor), of the Qing Dynasty, was the longest reigning Emperor of China.
Mohammad Shah Qajar, from the Qajar Dynasty, was King of Persia.
Yi Seong-gye (Taejo of Joseon) ruled Korea from 1392 to 1398, as the first King of the Joseon Dynasty.
Nikola I, from the Petrović-Njegoš Dynasty, ruled Montenegro from 1860 to 1918.
Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Lân (Emperor Thành Thái), from the Nguyễn Dynasty, was Emperor of Vietnam from 1889 to 1907.
Ahmad al-Mansur, from the Saadi Dynasty, was the Sultan of Morocco from 1578 to 1603.
Louis XIV, from the House of Bourbon, reigned as King of France from 1643 to 1715.
Napoleon I, from the House of Bonaparte, ruled over France and Italy.
Thibaw Min was the last monarch of the Konbaung Dynasty in Myanmar.
Henry VIII, from the House of Tudor, reigned as King of England and Ireland from 1509 to 1547.
Edward VI, from the House of Tudor, reigned as King of England and Ireland from 1547 to 1553.
Elizabeth I, from the House of Tudor, reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 1558 to 1603.
Ranavalona I, from the Hova Dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Madagascar from 1828 to 1861.
Shō Tai, from the Second Shō Dynasty, was the final sovereign ruler of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Zaman Shah Durrani, from the Durrani Dynasty, ruled Afghanistan from 1793 to 1800.
Wanyan Aguda (Emperor Taizu of Jin) was the progenitor of the Jin Dynasty in China.
Trần Thuyên (Emperor Trần Anh Tông), from the Trần Dynasty, ruled Vietnam from 1293 to 1314.
Otto I, from the House of Wittelsbach, was King of Greece from 1832 to 1862.
Tamar from the Bagrationi Dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia.
Khayishan (Külüg Khan and Emperor Wuzong of Yuan) was the seventh Khagan of the Mongol Empire and the third Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty in China.
Milan I from the Obrenović Dynasty, ruled Serbia from 1868 to 1889.
Agustín I was the first and only Mexican Emperor from the House of Iturbide.
Sigismund III from the House of Vasa, was monarch of Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and Finland.
Leopold I, from the House of Habsburg, was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia.
Wang Jeon (King Gongmin) ruled Korea from 1351 to 1374 as King of Goryeo.
Frederick the Great, from the House of Hohenzollern, was the King of Prussia from 1740 to 1786.
Wilhelm I, from the House of Hohenzollern, was the first German Emperor.
Victor Emmanuel II, from the House of Savoy, was the first King of Italy.
Gediminas, King of Lithuania, started the Gediminids Dynasty in 1315.