Favorite Historical Dynasty

So what is everyone's personal favorite political dynasty? This includes European houses, Chinese dynasties, and the various families that vied for power in Ancient Rome.

For me I would have to say the Hapsburgs. This is because they initially gained most of their power from marriage and inheritance, rather than from conquest. Also they are a large part of the reason as to why the nations of Austria and Switzerland exist as independent nations in the first place.

My favourite dynasty would be the Tudor dynasty in England and Wales.

I would have to say either the Solomaic Dynasty, as it survived up to the mid-1900s or the Yamato Dynasty, as it is the longest dynasty in the world.

My favourite dynasty would then have to be the Romanov/Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp family.
Such people as Peter I the great, who made a great power out of a backwards principality or Alexander II who defeated the Turks numerous times and freed Bulgaria and many other nations from ottoman rule and reformed Russia even further.

I would have to say the Capetian dynasty, as it ruled over nations outside of France. Its long and vast history always made me wonder how they have lived for such a long time.

And there is also the Bourbon Dynasty, the one family in Europe that could compete with the Hapsburgs.

321gman wrote:And there is also the Bourbon Dynasty, the one family in Europe that could compete with the Hapsburgs.

I mean the Hapsburgs did ALOT of inbreeding so Bourbon

The Aisin Gioro dynasty of China. Basically went from a small clan of Manchurian steppe raiders to become the largest and most powerful Chinese dynasty all the way up to its end in 1912.

OBVIOUSLY, the answer can be none other than the Hohenzollerns of Prussia. Sure, Willy II was a bit of a disappointment, but other than that the Hohenzollerns managed to produce a pretty solid bunch of monarchs!

House Vasa of Sweden.

brandedelemental wrote:So what is everyone's personal favorite political dynasty? This includes European houses, Chinese dynasties, and the various families that vied for power in Ancient Rome.

For me I would have to say the Hapsburgs. This is because they initially gained most of their power from marriage and inheritance, rather than from conquest. Also they are a large part of the reason as to why the nations of Austria and Switzerland exist as independent nations in the first place.

Jagiellons

I know they didn't rule that long, but the Hungarian Hunyadi family fascinate me for some reason.

Königreich Preußen wrote:I know they didn't rule that long, but the Hungarian Hunyadi family fascinate me for some reason.

If who ruled that long?

Clarify?

Königreich Preußen wrote:Clarify?

"I didn't know they ruled that long"
Who ruled that long?

Oh, Matthias Corvinus ruled between 1458-1490, although his father, Janos Hunyadi, ruled as regent before him. His father was very popular because of victories against the Ottomans in the Crusade of Varna (Which they lost anyway.) His popularity was one of the reasons Matthias was elected as king, Matthias, oversimplified, made war against the Bohemians and Austrians, and was the founder of the "Black Army."

The Udonen family of Brandenburg (you might know them from CKII) or the von Hohenzollerns in Prussia

I've gotta go with the Habsburgs. They're the family that others, like the Bourbons, are compared to. It's like they wrote the book for a Shakesperian-like rise and fall of a dynasty. Charles V ruled the Spanish and Austrian lands, projecting influence across much of Europe. However, they fell from grace after the Protestant Reformation and once Prussia started ascending. Now, their most prominent family member is a race car driver in Austria so that's cool.

Habsburgs *grabs popcorn*

Samsid wrote:Habsburgs *grabs popcorn*

No Karl XII, not today

Gotta go with either the Solomonic dynasty for the fact that it managed to rule for so long, or the Radziwiłł/Radvila family. They never ruled the country, but they had A LOT of lands and power in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. You know the often reappearing cliches of a guy controlling the king in a shady way? That's pretty much what they did most of the time. They were also so powerful that at one point the head of the family decided "Fuck the king!" during a war and made a pact with the king of Sweden, though I don't remember its exact terms (in general it would make either the Grand Duchy of Lithuania or the entire Commonwealth a junior partner in a union with Sweden), and managed to get support of almost all nobles in the duchy. They were despicable, but to me they were also fascinating. And, fun fact: they still deal in politics. A member of the family held an important function in the League of Nations, another is the current Minister of Health in Poland, another married the sister of Constantine I of Greece, another was brother-in-law to Jacqueline Kennedy, another nearly married Willy I of Germany... the list goes on.

The Kotromanić dynasty becouse I'm from Bosnia.

I'd have to say the Brooke Dynasty, or White Rajah Dynasty of the Kingdom of Sarawak. Mostly because it was founded by a European explorer/military man that made a Kingdom in Indonesia completely independent of a European power. They also left a significant, positive impact in the area, so I guess that's another reason that they're interesting. However, I found out about them just yesterday, so I guess I would say the Hohenzollern or Ottoman dynasties would also be contenders for my favorite historical dynasty.

I'd say the Capetian dynasty in France. Ruled over basically half of the countries of Europe at one moment or another.