The list below shows families that have influenced the course of human history in one way or another. Among them there are both royal dynasties and families of ordinary people who, due to certain circumstances, were among the mighty of this world.
1. The Rothschild dynasty
The Rothschild family (most often referred to simply as the Rothschilds) is an international dynasty of Jewish bankers and financiers that originated in Germany. They conducted financial transactions throughout Europe, and enjoyed the patronage of both the British and Austrian governments.
The Rothschild family's path to international fame began with Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1812). The strategy for his future success was to concentrate all control over the business in the hands of one family, which in turn would allow him to exercise restraint in relation to the level of wealth of family members, and in relation to their achievements in business. Mayer Rothschild successfully kept the family wealthy through carefully planned marriages between closely related family members.
Nathan Mayer Rothschild started his own business in London, founding the Rothschild & Sons company there in 1818, which continues to operate today. In the same 1818, he gave a loan to the Prussian government in the amount of 5 million pounds. In the future, he provided government loans more than once, and this formed a solid foundation for his banking business. Gradually, he gained such great influence in London that in 1826 he was able to provide the Bank of England with an amount that was enough to prevent a liquidity crisis that was brewing in England.
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2. Plantagenet dynasty
In the competition for inclusion in this list between the Plantagenets and the Tudor dynasty, the Plantagenets won, because they set the bulk of the rules for the development of English culture and political system. And these rules are valid to this day. The Anglican Church was formed during the Tudor Dynasty, and some believe this was a true Golden Age, but the Plantagenets' contributions to culture and politics were much greater.
The House of the Plantagenets was a royal house founded by Henry II of England, who was the son of Geoffroy V of Anjou. First, in the 12th century, the Plantagenets ruled the kingdom of England. From 1154 to 1485, England was ruled by 15 monarchs from this dynasty. The characteristic English culture and art emerged precisely during the Plantagenet era. The art was encouraged by several monarchs who were patrons of the "father of English poetry" Geoffrey Chaucer. The Gothic architectural style also gained popularity at that time, and buildings such as Westminster Abbey and many others arose.
Important events were also taking place in the social sector. For example, John I signed the English Magna Carta, which further influenced the development of general civil and constitutional law. Political institutions such as the Parliament of England and the Model Parliament came from the Plantagenet era, as did many educational institutions, including Oxford and Cambridge.
3. The Nehru-Gandhi family
Nehru Gandhi is an Indian political dynasty that dominated the Indian National Congress for much of India's early independence history. Three members of this family (pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi) were prime ministers of India, and two of them (Indira and Rajiv Gandhi) were subsequently killed.
The fourth member of the Family, Sonia Gandhi, is currently the President of the Congress, while her son, Rahul Gandhi, is the youngest member of the family to enter big politics. He began to fight political rivals and was elected to the lower house of the Indian Parliament in 2004. It should be noted that the Nehru-Gandhi family has nothing to do with the Indian independence fighter Mohandas Gandhi. Nehru Gandhi is the most striking example of tradition and dynastic leadership in Asian democracies.
4. Dynasty of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan pictured above was the founder, khan (ruler) and kagan of the Mongol Empire, the largest empire in history. This man came to power, uniting many tribes of nomads in northeast Asia. After the founding of the Mongol Empire and receiving the name "Genghis Khan", he began to organize invasions and raids on the Kara-Khitan Khanate, the Caucasus, Khorezm, as well as the possessions of the Western Xia and Jin dynasties. During his life, the Mongol Empire occupied a significant part of Central Asia.
Before his death, Genghis Khan appointed Udegey Khan as his successor, and he divided his empire among his numerous sons and grandsons. Genghis Khan died in 1227, after defeating the Tanguts. The exact burial place of Genghis Khan has not yet been established. His descendants continued to expand the empire, and gradually it covered most of Eurasia.
5. Families Juliev and Klavdiev
These two families are united into one point, because they are the two most important families of ancient Rome, and because they ultimately merged into the Julian-Claudian dynasty, from which the most famous emperors later emerged: Caligula, Augustus, Claudius Tiberius and Nero. … These five emperors ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BC. e. until 68 A. D. e., up to the moment when the last of the dynasty, Emperor Nero, committed suicide.
The families of these five rulers were closely related. Julius Caesar is sometimes considered the founders of the Julian-Claudian dynasty, but this is a mistake, because he was not an emperor, and did not have any ties with the Claudians at all. So August is much more suitable for the role of founder. The reign of the emperors from the Julian-Claudian dynasty has many similar features. They all came to power as a result of family ties. Each of them tried to expand the territory of the Roman Empire, and initiated large-scale construction projects. Ancient historians describe the Juliev-Claudian dynasty as "full of self-praise, insane, sexually perverse and tyrannical."
6. Zhu's family
"Zhu" is the surname of the Ming dynasty emperors. The first emperor of this dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, decided to use the Ming name as his dynastic name. Min translated means "diamond". The Ming Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644 and is often referred to as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history." It was also the last dynasty to be ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. Although the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Beijing, fell in 1644 due to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng, the regimes that remained loyal to the Ming Dynasty (commonly referred to as the Southern Ming) were able to survive until 1662. During the Ming Dynasty, a huge navy was built.
There was also a regular army of over one million people. There were grandiose construction projects, including the restoration of the Great Canal, the Great Wall, and the founding of the Forbidden City in Beijing in the first half of the 15th century. The Ming Dynasty is often regarded as the finest hour of Chinese civilization, as well as the dynasty in which the early signs of capitalism emerged.
7. Habsburg dynasty
The House of Habsburgs was an important royal house in Europe and is best known for supporting all the formally elected emperors of the Holy Roman Empire from 1452 to 1740. Also the Habsburgs were the rulers of Spain and the Austrian Empire. Born in Switzerland, this dynasty first ruled Austria, which they ruled for over six centuries, but a series of dynastic marriages took them to Burgundy, Spain, Bohemia, Hungary, and other countries they inherited. This dynasty is called the Habsburgs after their place of origin. This is the Habsburg castle in the Swiss canton of Aargau.
The motto of the Habsburg dynasty was: "Let others fight, but you, happy Austria, must marry." And this motto unambiguously indicates the talent of the Habsburgs to arrange everything so that members of their dynasty would marry members of other royal dynasties, make alliances and inherit lands. Empress Maria Theresa was a fairly prominent member of the dynasty, and is sometimes referred to as "the great-grandmother of Europe."
8. The Ptolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty was a Hellenistic Macedonian royal family that ruled their empire in Egypt for nearly three centuries, from 305 BC to e. up to 30 BC e. Ptolemy, one of seven people who served as generals and representatives of Alexander the Great, was appointed satrap of Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. e. And in 305 BC. e. he declared himself king Ptolemy I, who later became known as "Soter" (meaning "Savior").
Soon the Egyptians began to perceive the Ptolemies as the successors of the pharaohs of independent Egypt. This dynasty ruled Egypt until the Roman conquest in 30 BC. e. The most famous of this dynasty was Cleopatra VII, who is best known for her role in the political struggle between Guy Julius Caesar and Pompey, and later between Octavian and Mark Antony. Her suicide after the conquest of Egypt by Rome marked the end of the Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.
9. Medici dynasty
The Medici family was a powerful and influential family in Florence from the 13th to the 17th century. This family had three popes (Leo X, Clement VII and Leo XI), as well as numerous rulers of Florence, among whom Lorenzo the Magnificent stands out, under whose patronage some of the most famous masterpieces of the Renaissance were created. Later, representatives of the dynasty became members of the French and English royal families. Like other prominent families, they dominated the government of their hometown. Therefore, conditions were created in Florence in which art and humanism could flourish. They were at the forefront of the Italian Renaissance, along with other prominent families such as the Visconti and Sforza from Milan, the Este from Ferrara and the Gonzaga from Mantua. The Medici Bank was prosperous and one of the most respected in Europe. Largely thanks to him, they acquired political weight, first in Florence, and later in Italy and Europe.
10. Capetian dynasty
The Capetian is the largest European royal house. It includes any of the direct descendants of Hugh Capet of the French. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this dynasty, who are associated with it through the Bourbon dynasty. During the previous several centuries, the Capetian people spread throughout Europe, they rule a wide variety of structural units of states, from small estates to kingdoms. In addition to being the largest royal dynasty in Europe, they are also the most incestuous dynasty, especially in the Spanish monarchy. Many years have passed since the Capetian ruled most of Europe, but today they still remain in some places.
Currently, for example, two members of this dynasty still rule in Luxembourg and Spain. In addition, there are seven contenders representing dynastic monarchies in Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal, Parma, and both Sicilies. The current legal member of the family is Louis Alfonso, Duke of Anjou. In general, dozens of branches of the Capetian dynasty are still found throughout Europe.