History glossary
Divine kingship
the idea that a ruler's power is connected to gods, religion, or sacred authority.
- Category
- Political and religious idea
What it means
Divine kingship appears in many societies. It can mean a king is a god, chosen by a god, or responsible for maintaining sacred order. Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, Mesopotamian kings, and early modern European monarchs all used religious ideas to strengthen political authority.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The English Civil War
Civil war between king and Parliament led to regicide, a republic, and lasting constitutional change.
Ancient Egypt
Follow Ancient Egypt from its unification around 3100 BCE to Cleopatra's defeat in 30 BCE. This story explains how the Nile River, pharaohs, pyramids, gods, temples, hieroglyphics and burial beliefs helped one of history's longest-lasting civilizations endure for more than 3,000 years.
Mesopotamia
Ancient Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was one of the birthplaces of urban civilisation. In this Tigris and Euphrates civilization, communities built some of the first cities, developed cuneiform writing, organised law codes, and created early empires. From Sumer and Akkad to Babylon and Assyria, this history of Mesopotamia shows how farming, irrigation, temples, kingship, trade, and record-keeping helped create the structures of complex society. It also works as a Mesopotamia timeline and Mesopotamia civilization overview, with clear Mesopotamia facts tracing how Mesopotamian civilization grew from villages into states and empires.
