Medieval monarchs are often imagined as absolute rulers, but their real power was far more limited. Kings depended heavily on ...

The word despot comes from the Greek despotēs, meaning “master” or “lord.” In Byzantine Greece, despotēs was originally a ...

Sign up for the daily CJR newsletter. As a person in strong control of your government—sole control, perhaps—which title would you prefer? Autocrat? Despot ...

Countries with absolute monarchy: In today’s world, most countries follow democratic systems where people elect their leaders. But a few nations still follow an old form of government known as an ...