Historical Governance and Social Structures

Front

A government where one ruler, usually a king or queen, has total control over all aspects of life, with no checks or limits on their power.

Back

Absolute monarchy

Front

A system where power is concentrated in one central authority, often in the hands of the king or national government, rather than being spread out.

Back

Centralized government

Front

A system of government where decisions are made by appointed officials and organized departments, not by elected leaders.

Back

Bureaucracy

Front

A Muslim ruler, especially in the Ottoman Empire, who held both political and religious power.

Back

Sultan

Front

Powerful landholding lords in feudal Japan who controlled large areas and had their own armies of samurai.

Back

Daimyo

Front

The military leader of Japan who held real power, even though the emperor was officially the ruler.

Back

Shogun

Front

The highest ruler in an empire, often seen as having divine or absolute authority, like in China or Japan.

Back

Emperor

Front

A system where government jobs are given based on exams and merit, especially used in China under Confucian ideals.

Back

Civil service

Front

A rigid social structure in India where people are born into a class (caste) and cannot move out of it during their lifetime.

Back

Caste system

Front

Social classes in pre-revolutionary France, divided into the clergy (First Estate), nobility (Second Estate), and common people (Third Estate).

Back

Estates