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Available in 60 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-60" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">60 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF" title="استبداد – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="استبداد" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismu" title="Despotismu – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Despotismu" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizm" title="Despotizm – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Despotizm" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-azb mw-list-item"><a href="https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AF%D8%B3%D9%BE%D9%88%D8%AA%DB%8C%D8%B2%D9%85" title="دسپوتیزم – South Azerbaijani" lang="azb" hreflang="azb" data-title="دسپوتیزم" data-language-autonym="تۆرکجه" data-language-local-name="South Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>تۆرکجه</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D1%8D%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8B%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Дэспатызм – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Дэспатызм" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D1%8A%D0%BC" title="Деспотизъм – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Деспотизъм" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bxr mw-list-item"><a href="https://bxr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Деспотизм – Russia Buriat" lang="bxr" hreflang="bxr" data-title="Деспотизм" data-language-autonym="Буряад" data-language-local-name="Russia Buriat" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Буряад</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisme" title="Despotisme – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Despotisme" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despocie" title="Despocie – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Despocie" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despoti" title="Despoti – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Despoti" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotie" title="Despotie – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Despotie" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despootia" title="Despootia – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Despootia" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%94%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CF%8C%CF%82" title="Δεσποτισμός – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Δεσποτισμός" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismo" title="Despotismo – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Despotismo" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismo" title="Despotismo – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Despotismo" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismo" title="Despotismo – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Despotismo" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%AF%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%DA%AF%DB%8C" title="خودکامگی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="خودکامگی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisme" title="Despotisme – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Despotisme" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismo" title="Despotismo – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Despotismo" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%A0%84%EC%A0%9C%EC%A3%BC%EC%9D%98" title="전제주의 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="전제주의" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D4%B2%D5%BC%D5%B6%D5%A1%D5%BA%D5%A5%D5%BF%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%A9%D5%B5%D5%B8%D6%82%D5%B6" title="Բռնապետություն – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Բռնապետություն" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizam" title="Despotizam – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Despotizam" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-io mw-list-item"><a href="https://io.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismo" title="Despotismo – Ido" lang="io" hreflang="io" data-title="Despotismo" data-language-autonym="Ido" data-language-local-name="Ido" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ido</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisme" title="Despotisme – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Despotisme" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Har%C3%B0stj%C3%B3rn" title="Harðstjórn – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Harðstjórn" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A5" title="עריץ – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="עריץ" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ka mw-list-item"><a href="https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%93%E1%83%94%E1%83%A1%E1%83%9E%E1%83%9D%E1%83%A2%E1%83%98%E1%83%96%E1%83%9B%E1%83%98" title="დესპოტიზმი – Georgian" lang="ka" hreflang="ka" data-title="დესპოტიზმი" data-language-autonym="ქართული" data-language-local-name="Georgian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ქართული</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Деспотизм – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Деспотизм" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ku mw-list-item"><a href="https://ku.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despot%C3%AEzm" title="Despotîzm – Kurdish" lang="ku" hreflang="ku" data-title="Despotîzm" data-language-autonym="Kurdî" data-language-local-name="Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kurdî</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ky mw-list-item"><a href="https://ky.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Деспотизм – Kyrgyz" lang="ky" hreflang="ky" data-title="Деспотизм" data-language-autonym="Кыргызча" data-language-local-name="Kyrgyz" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Кыргызча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisms" title="Despotisms – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Despotisms" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lmo mw-list-item"><a href="https://lmo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dispotism" title="Dispotism – Lombard" lang="lmo" hreflang="lmo" data-title="Dispotism" data-language-autonym="Lombard" data-language-local-name="Lombard" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lombard</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizmus" title="Despotizmus – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Despotizmus" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BC" title="Деспотизам – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Деспотизам" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-xmf mw-list-item"><a href="https://xmf.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%93%E1%83%94%E1%83%A1%E1%83%9E%E1%83%9D%E1%83%A2%E1%83%98%E1%83%96%E1%83%9B%E1%83%98" title="დესპოტიზმი – Mingrelian" lang="xmf" hreflang="xmf" data-title="დესპოტიზმი" data-language-autonym="მარგალური" data-language-local-name="Mingrelian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>მარგალური</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisme" title="Despotisme – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Despotisme" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mn mw-list-item"><a href="https://mn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Деспотизм – Mongolian" lang="mn" hreflang="mn" data-title="Деспотизм" data-language-autonym="Монгол" data-language-local-name="Mongolian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Монгол</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisme" title="Despotisme – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Despotisme" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8B%AC%E8%A3%81%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9" title="独裁主義 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="独裁主義" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despoti" title="Despoti – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Despoti" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-oc mw-list-item"><a href="https://oc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotisme" title="Despotisme – Occitan" lang="oc" hreflang="oc" data-title="Despotisme" data-language-autonym="Occitan" data-language-local-name="Occitan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Occitan</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustabidlik" title="Mustabidlik – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Mustabidlik" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pa mw-list-item"><a href="https://pa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A8%A7%E0%A9%B1%E0%A8%95%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%BC%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%B9%E0%A9%80" title="ਧੱਕੇਸ਼ਾਹੀ – Punjabi" lang="pa" hreflang="pa" data-title="ਧੱਕੇਸ਼ਾਹੀ" data-language-autonym="ਪੰਜਾਬੀ" data-language-local-name="Punjabi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ਪੰਜਾਬੀ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchia_despotyczna" title="Monarchia despotyczna – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Monarchia despotyczna" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismo" title="Despotismo – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Despotismo" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotism" title="Despotism – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Despotism" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Деспотизм – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Деспотизм" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizmi" title="Despotizmi – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Despotizmi" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotism" title="Despotism – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Despotism" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizmus" title="Despotizmus – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Despotizmus" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizem" title="Despotizem – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Despotizem" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BC" title="Деспотизам – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Деспотизам" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizam" title="Despotizam – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Despotizam" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotismi" title="Despotismi – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Despotismi" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotism" title="Despotism – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Despotism" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%9A%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%8A%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%B3%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%88%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%94%E0%B9%87%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%94" title="ระบบใช้อำนาจเด็ดขาด – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ระบบใช้อำนาจเด็ดขาด" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despotizm" title="Despotizm – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Despotizm" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BC" title="Деспотизм – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Деспотизм" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%E1%BA%BF_%C4%91%E1%BB%99_chuy%C3%AAn_quy%E1%BB%81n_(despotism)" title="Chế độ chuyên quyền (despotism) – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Chế độ chuyên quyền (despotism)" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" 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nowraplinks"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-pretitle">Part of the <a href="/wiki/Category:Politics" title="Category:Politics">Politics series</a></td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-title-with-pretitle" style="border-top:1px #fafafa solid; border-bottom:1px #fafafa solid; background:#efefef; background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000); padding:0.2em;">Basic forms of <a href="/wiki/Government" title="Government">government</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above" style="display:block; margin-bottom:0.5em; background:transparent;"> <a href="/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government" title="List of forms of government">List of forms</a> · <a href="/wiki/List_of_countries_by_system_of_government" title="List of countries by system of government">List of countries</a></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content-with-subgroup hlist" style="text-align:left;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Source of power</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar-subgroup"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Democracy" title="Democracy">Democracy</a> <span class="nobold">(<a href="/wiki/Polyarchy" title="Polyarchy">rule by many</a>)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Demarchy" class="mw-redirect" title="Demarchy">Demarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Direct_democracy" title="Direct democracy">Direct</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Economic_democracy" title="Economic democracy">Economic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Liberal_democracy" title="Liberal democracy">Liberal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Representative_democracy" title="Representative democracy">Representative</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Social_democracy" title="Social democracy">Social</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Socialist_democracy" title="Socialist democracy">Socialist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Types_of_democracy" title="Types of democracy">Others</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Oligarchy" title="Oligarchy">Oligarchy</a> <span class="nobold">(rule by few)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anocracy" title="Anocracy">Anocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aristocracy" title="Aristocracy">Aristocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gerontocracy" title="Gerontocracy">Gerontocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kleptocracy" title="Kleptocracy">Kleptocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kritarchy" title="Kritarchy">Kritarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Meritocracy" title="Meritocracy">Meritocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Noocracy" title="Noocracy">Noocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Particracy" title="Particracy">Particracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plutocracy" title="Plutocracy">Plutocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stratocracy" title="Stratocracy">Stratocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Technocracy" title="Technocracy">Technocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theocracy" title="Theocracy">Theocracy</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Autocracy" title="Autocracy">Autocracy</a> <span class="nobold">(<a href="/wiki/Monocracy" title="Monocracy">rule by one</a>)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Despotism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dictatorship" title="Dictatorship">Dictatorship</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Military_dictatorship" title="Military dictatorship">Military dictatorship</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tyranny" class="mw-redirect" title="Tyranny">Tyranny</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Anarchy" title="Anarchy">Anarchy</a> <span class="nobold">(rule by none)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anarchism" title="Anarchism">Anarchism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Free_association_(Marxism_and_anarchism)" class="mw-redirect" title="Free association (Marxism and anarchism)">Free association</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stateless_society" title="Stateless society">Stateless</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content-with-subgroup hlist" style="text-align:left;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Power ideology</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar-subgroup"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Monarchism" title="Monarchism">Monarchy</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Republicanism" title="Republicanism">Republic</a></li></ul></div> <span class="nobold">(socio-political ideologies)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Absolute_monarchy" title="Absolute monarchy">Absolute</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Communist_state" title="Communist state">Communist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy" title="Constitutional monarchy">Constitutional</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Directorial_system" title="Directorial system">Directorial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Legalism_(Chinese_philosophy)" title="Legalism (Chinese philosophy)">Legalist</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parliamentary_republic" title="Parliamentary republic">Parliamentary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Presidential_system" title="Presidential system">Presidential</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Semi-presidential_republic" title="Semi-presidential republic">Semi-presidential</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Authoritarianism" title="Authoritarianism">Authoritarian</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Libertarianism" title="Libertarianism">Libertarian</a></li></ul></div> <span class="nobold">(socio-economic ideologies)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Anarchism" title="Anarchism">Anarchism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Colonialism" title="Colonialism">Colonialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Communism" title="Communism">Communism</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Despotism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Distributism" title="Distributism">Distributism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fascism" title="Fascism">Fascism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Feudalism" title="Feudalism">Feudalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Socialism" title="Socialism">Socialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Totalitarianism" title="Totalitarianism">Totalitarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tribalism" title="Tribalism">Tribalism</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <div class="hlist"><ul><li>Religious</li><li>Secular</li></ul></div></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/State_religion" title="State religion">State religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Secular_state" title="Secular state">Secular state</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state" title="Separation of church and state">Separation of church and state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/State_atheism" title="State atheism">State atheism</a></li></ul></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Global_governance" title="Global governance">Global</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Local_government" title="Local government">Local</a></li></ul></div> <span class="nobold">(geo-cultural ideologies)</span></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/City-state" title="City-state">City-state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Intergovernmental_organisation" class="mw-redirect" title="Intergovernmental organisation">Intergovernmental organisation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nation_state" title="Nation state">National government</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/World_government" title="World government">World government</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nationalism" title="Nationalism">Nationalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internationalism_(politics)" title="Internationalism (politics)">Internationalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Globalism" title="Globalism">Globalism</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content-with-subgroup hlist" style="text-align:left;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Power structure</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar-subgroup"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Political_unitarism" title="Political unitarism">Unitarism</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Unitary_state" title="Unitary state">Unitary state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Empire" title="Empire">Empire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Principality" title="Principality">Principality</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Client_state" title="Client state">Client state</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Associated_state" title="Associated state">Associated state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dependent_territory" title="Dependent territory">Dependent territory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dominion" title="Dominion">Dominion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protectorate" title="Protectorate">Protectorate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Puppet_state" title="Puppet state">Puppet state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Puppet_monarch" class="mw-redirect" title="Puppet monarch">Puppet monarch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Satellite_state" title="Satellite state">Satellite state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self-governing_colony" title="Self-governing colony">Self-governing colony</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tributary_state" title="Tributary state">Tributary state</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Buffer_state" title="Buffer state">Buffer state</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vassal_state" title="Vassal state">Vassal state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Viceroyalty" title="Viceroyalty">Viceroyalty</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Federalism" title="Federalism">Federalism</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Confederation" title="Confederation">Confederation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Devolution" title="Devolution">Devolution</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Federation" title="Federation">Federation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superstate" title="Superstate">Superstate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Supranational_union" title="Supranational union">Supranational union</a></li></ul> <hr /></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Power_(international_relations)" title="Power (international relations)">International relations</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Small_power" title="Small power">Small power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Middle_power" title="Middle power">Middle power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Regional_power" title="Regional power">Regional power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emerging_power" title="Emerging power">Emerging power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_power" title="Great power">Great power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Superpower" title="Superpower">Superpower</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table> <hr /></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content-with-subgroup hlist" style="text-align:left;text-align:center;"> <div class="sidebar-list mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><div class="sidebar-list-title" style="background:#efefef; border-top:1px solid;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);;color: var(--color-base)">Related</div><div class="sidebar-list-content mw-collapsible-content"><table class="sidebar-subgroup"><tbody><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Administrative_division" title="Administrative division">Administrative division</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Democracy_indices" title="Democracy indices">Democracy indices</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Democratic_transition" title="Democratic transition">Democratic transition</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Democratic_backsliding" title="Democratic backsliding">Autocratization</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Democratisation" class="mw-redirect" title="Democratisation">Democratisation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hybrid_regimes" class="mw-redirect" title="Hybrid regimes">Hybrid regimes</a></li></ul></td> </tr></tbody></table></div></div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below" style="background:#efefef;background: var(--background-color-interactive, #efefef); color: var(--color-base, #000);"> <span class="nowrap"><span class="mw-image-border noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:A_coloured_voting_box.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/16px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/24px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/01/A_coloured_voting_box.svg/32px-A_coloured_voting_box.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="160" data-file-height="160" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Politics" title="Portal:Politics">Politics portal</a></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Basic_forms_of_government" title="Template:Basic forms of government"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Basic_forms_of_government" title="Template talk:Basic forms of government"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Basic_forms_of_government" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Basic forms of government"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Political_science" title="Political science">political science</a>, <b>despotism</b> (<a href="/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a>: <span lang="el">Δεσποτισμός</span>, <small><a href="/wiki/Romanization_of_Greek" title="Romanization of Greek">romanized</a>: </small><span title="Greek-language romanization"><i lang="el-Latn">despotismós</i></span>) is a <a href="/wiki/Government" title="Government">form of government</a> in which a single entity rules with absolute <a href="/wiki/Power_(social_and_political)" title="Power (social and political)">power</a>. Normally, that entity is an individual, the <b>despot</b> (as in an <a href="/wiki/Autocracy" title="Autocracy">autocracy</a>), but societies which limit respect and power to specific groups have also been called despotic.<sup id="cite_ref-Despotis1946_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Despotis1946-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Colloquially, the word <i>despot</i> applies <a href="/wiki/Pejorative" title="Pejorative">pejoratively</a> to those who use their power and authority to oppress their populace or subordinates. More specifically, the term often applies to a <a href="/wiki/Head_of_state" title="Head of state">head of state</a> or <a href="/wiki/Head_of_government" title="Head of government">government</a>. In this sense, it is similar to the pejorative connotations that are associated with the terms <i><a href="/wiki/Tyrant" title="Tyrant">tyrant</a></i> and <i><a href="/wiki/Dictator" title="Dictator">dictator</a></i>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Despot_(court_title)" title="Despot (court title)"><i>Despot</i></a> has also been a <a href="/wiki/Imperial,_royal_and_noble_ranks" title="Imperial, royal and noble ranks">royal title</a> assumed by various leaders historically. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The root <i>despot</i> comes from the <a href="/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a> word <i><a href="/wiki/Despotes" class="mw-redirect" title="Despotes">despotes</a></i>, which means "one with power." In ancient Greek usage, a <i>despótès</i> was technically a master who ruled in a household over those who were slaves or servants by nature.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The term has been used to describe many rulers and governments throughout history. It connoted the absolute authority and power exercised by the <a href="/wiki/Pharaoh" title="Pharaoh">pharaohs</a> of Ancient Egypt, signified nobility in <a href="/wiki/Byzantine" class="mw-redirect" title="Byzantine">Byzantine</a> courts, designated the rulers of Byzantine vassal states, and acted as a title for <a href="/wiki/List_of_Byzantine_Emperors" class="mw-redirect" title="List of Byzantine Emperors">Byzantine emperors</a>. In this and other Greek or Greek influenced contexts, the term was used as an <a href="/wiki/Despot_(court_title)" title="Despot (court title)">honorific</a> rather than as a pejorative. </p><p>Due to its reflexive connotation throughout history, the word <i>despot</i> cannot be objectively defined. While <i>despot</i> is closely related to other Greek words like <i><a href="/wiki/Basileus" title="Basileus">basileus</a></i> and <i><a href="/wiki/Autokrator" title="Autokrator">autokrator</a></i>, these connotations have also been used to describe a variety of rulers and governments throughout history, such as local chieftains, kings, and emperors. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Philosophy">Philosophy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Philosophy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="French_18th_century_thought">French 18th century thought</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: French 18th century thought"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The concept of despotism, and especially oriental despotism, entered European political thought with Montesquieu's <i><a href="/wiki/The_Spirit_of_the_Laws" class="mw-redirect" title="The Spirit of the Laws">The Spirit of the Laws</a></i> in the 18th century. The idea was not new or unique to <a href="/wiki/Montesquieu" title="Montesquieu">Montesquieu</a>'s work, but Montesquieu's work is widely regarded as having been the most influential on modern political thought.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Later political thinkers such as <a href="/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Quesnay" title="François Quesnay">François Quesnay</a> and <a href="/wiki/Simon-Nicholas_Henri_Linguet" title="Simon-Nicholas Henri Linguet">Simon-Nicholas Henri Linguet</a> embraced the idea of oriental despotism in attempt to convince that a despot who is not dependent on the aristocracy has an interest to work more for the people than a monarch in the European political system. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Despotism" title="Special:EditPage/Despotism">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a> in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">May 2023</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Court_of_Loango.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Court_of_Loango.png/220px-Court_of_Loango.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Court_of_Loango.png/330px-Court_of_Loango.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Court_of_Loango.png/440px-Court_of_Loango.png 2x" data-file-width="1276" data-file-height="862" /></a><figcaption>The court of <a href="/wiki/N%27Gangue_M%27voumbe_Niambi" title="N'Gangue M'voumbe Niambi">N'Gangue M'voumbe Niambi</a> from the book <i>Description of Africa</i> (1668)</figcaption></figure> <p>In its classical form, despotism is a state in which a single individual (the <i>despot</i>) holds all the power and authority embodying the state, and everyone else is a subsidiary <a href="/wiki/Person" title="Person">person</a>. This form of despotism was common in the first forms of <a href="/wiki/State_(polity)" title="State (polity)">statehood</a> and <a href="/wiki/Civilization" title="Civilization">civilization</a>; the <a href="/wiki/Pharaoh" title="Pharaoh">Pharaoh</a> of <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Egypt" title="Ancient Egypt">Egypt</a> is an exemplary figure of the classical despot. </p> <p><a href="/wiki/Edward_Gibbon" title="Edward Gibbon">Edward Gibbon</a> suggested that the increasing use of Oriental-style despotism by the Roman emperors was a major factor in the fall of the <a href="/wiki/Roman_Empire" title="Roman Empire">Roman Empire</a>, particularly from the reign of <a href="/wiki/Elagabalus" title="Elagabalus">Elagabalus</a>: </p><blockquote><p>As the attention of the new emperor was diverted by the most trifling amusements, he wasted many months in his luxurious progress from Syria to Italy, passed at Nicomedia his first winter after his victory, and deferred till the ensuing summer his triumphal entry into the capital. A faithful picture, however, which preceded his arrival, and was placed by his immediate order over the altar of Victory in the senate-house, conveyed to the Romans the just but unworthy resemblance of his person and manners. He was drawn in his sacerdotal robes of silk and gold, after the loose flowing fashion of the Medes and Phoenicians; his head was covered with a lofty tiara, his numerous collars and bracelets were adorned with gems of an inestimable value. His eyebrows were tinged with black, and his cheeks painted with an artificial red and white. The grave senators confessed with a sigh, that, after having long experienced the stern tyranny of their own countrymen, Rome was at length humbled beneath the effeminate luxury of Oriental despotism. (<i><a href="/wiki/The_Decline_and_Fall_of_the_Roman_Empire" class="mw-redirect" title="The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire">The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire</a></i>, Book One, Chapter Six)</p></blockquote> <p>Yet although the word has a pejorative meaning nowadays, it was once a <a href="/wiki/Despot_(court_title)" title="Despot (court title)">legitimate title of office</a> in the <a href="/wiki/Byzantine_Empire" title="Byzantine Empire">Byzantine Empire</a>, first used under <a href="/wiki/Manuel_I_Komnenos" title="Manuel I Komnenos">Manuel I Komnenos</a> (1143–1180) who created it for his appointed heir <a href="/wiki/B%C3%A9la_III_of_Hungary" title="Béla III of Hungary">Alexius-Béla</a>, according to <a href="/wiki/Gyula_Moravcsik" title="Gyula Moravcsik">Gyula Moravcsik</a> as a translation of Béla's Hungarian title <i>úr</i>. It was typically bestowed on sons-in-law and later sons of the Emperor and, beginning in the 13th century, it was bestowed to foreign princes. The Despot wore elaborate costumes similar to the Emperor's and had many privileges. Despots ruled over parts of the empire called Despotates. In the <a href="/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church" title="Eastern Orthodox Church">Orthodox</a> <a href="/wiki/Liturgy" title="Liturgy">Liturgy</a>, if celebrated in <a href="/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Bishop" title="Bishop">bishop</a> is addressed by the <a href="/wiki/Deacon" title="Deacon">deacon</a> as <i>Despota</i> even today. </p><p>The modern term seems to have been coined by the opponents of <a href="/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France" class="mw-redirect" title="Louis XIV of France">Louis XIV of France</a> in the 1690s, who applied the term <i>despotisme</i> to describe their monarch's somewhat free exercise of power, but the Enlightenment philosopher <a href="/wiki/Montesquieu" title="Montesquieu">Montesquieu</a> believed that while <a href="/wiki/Republic" title="Republic">republics</a> were suitable for small states and monarchies were ideal for moderate-sized states, despotism was an appropriate government for large states.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In <a href="/wiki/Enlightened_absolutism" title="Enlightened absolutism">enlightened absolutism</a> (also known as benevolent despotism), which came to prominence in 18th century Europe, absolute <a href="/wiki/Monarchy" title="Monarchy">monarchs</a> used their authority to institute a number of reforms in the <a href="/wiki/Political_system" title="Political system">political systems</a> and <a href="/wiki/Society" title="Society">societies</a> of their countries. </p><p>At the same time, the term was used to imply <a href="/wiki/Tyrant" title="Tyrant">tyrannical</a> rule. The <a href="/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence" title="United States Declaration of Independence">United States Declaration of Independence</a> accused <a href="/wiki/George_III_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George III of the United Kingdom">King George III</a> of "a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinc[ing] a design to reduce [the people] under absolute Despotism".<sup id="cite_ref-United_States_Declaration_of_Independence_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-United_States_Declaration_of_Independence-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Nowadays, "despotism" can refer to any absolutist or dictatorial regime or leader that uses their power in a cruel manner.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Contrast_with_absolute_monarchy">Contrast with absolute monarchy</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Contrast with absolute monarchy"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>According to <a href="/wiki/Montesquieu" title="Montesquieu">Montesquieu</a>, the difference between <a href="/wiki/Absolute_monarchy" title="Absolute monarchy">absolute monarchy</a> and despotism is that in the case of the monarchy, a single person governs with absolute power by fixed and established laws, whereas a despot governs by their own will and caprice.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Autocracy" title="Autocracy">Autocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Authoritarianism" title="Authoritarianism">Authoritarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Absolute_monarchy" title="Absolute monarchy">Absolute monarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dictatorship" title="Dictatorship">Dictatorship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Despot_(court_title)" title="Despot (court title)">Despot (court title)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Patrimonialism" title="Patrimonialism">Patrimonialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Totalitarianism" title="Totalitarianism">Totalitarianism</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-Despotis1946-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Despotis1946_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation audio-visual cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/Despotis1946"><i>Despotism</i></a>. <i>archive.org</i> (film documentary). <a href="/wiki/Prelinger_Archives" title="Prelinger Archives">Prelinger Archives</a>. Chicago, IL: <a href="/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica,_Inc." title="Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.">Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</a> 1946. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/6325325">6325325</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-01-27</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Despotism&rft.place=Chicago%2C+IL&rft.series=Prelinger+Archives&rft.pub=Encyclop%C3%A6dia+Britannica%2C+Inc.&rft.date=1946&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F6325325&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2FDespotis1946&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ADespotism" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPop2007" class="citation news cs1">Pop, Vox (2007-09-29). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/sep/29/aredictatorsevergood">"Are dictators ever good?"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">the Guardian</a></i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=the+Guardian&rft.atitle=Are+dictators+ever+good%3F&rft.date=2007-09-29&rft.aulast=Pop&rft.aufirst=Vox&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fcommentisfree%2F2007%2Fsep%2F29%2Faredictatorsevergood&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ADespotism" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFBoesche1990" class="citation journal cs1"><a href="/wiki/Roger_Boesche" title="Roger Boesche">Boesche, Roger</a> (1990). "Fearing Monarchs and Merchants: Montesquieu's Two Theories of Despotism". <i><a href="/wiki/The_Western_Political_Quarterly" class="mw-redirect" title="The Western Political Quarterly">The Western Political Quarterly</a></i>. <b>43</b> (4): <span class="nowrap">741–</span>61. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F106591299004300405">10.1177/106591299004300405</a>. <a href="/wiki/JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/448734">448734</a>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:154059320">154059320</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Western+Political+Quarterly&rft.atitle=Fearing+Monarchs+and+Merchants%3A+Montesquieu%27s+Two+Theories+of+Despotism&rft.volume=43&rft.issue=4&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E741-%3C%2Fspan%3E61&rft.date=1990&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A154059320%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jstor.org%2Fstable%2F448734%23id-name%3DJSTOR&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1177%2F106591299004300405&rft.aulast=Boesche&rft.aufirst=Roger&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ADespotism" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGraftonBlair1998" class="citation book cs1">Grafton, Anthony; Blair, Ann (1998). <i>The Transmission of Culture in Early Modern Europe</i>. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 174.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Transmission+of+Culture+in+Early+Modern+Europe&rft.pages=174&rft.pub=University+of+Pennsylvania+Press&rft.date=1998&rft.aulast=Grafton&rft.aufirst=Anthony&rft.au=Blair%2C+Ann&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ADespotism" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><i>World History</i>, Spielvogel J. Jackson. Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Columbus, OH. p. 520</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-United_States_Declaration_of_Independence-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-United_States_Declaration_of_Independence_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation audio-visual cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript"><i>Declaration of Independence: A Transcription</i></a>. <i>archives.org</i>. 1776<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2021-01-26</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Declaration+of+Independence%3A+A+Transcription&rft.date=1776&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.archives.gov%2Ffounding-docs%2Fdeclaration-transcript&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ADespotism" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation cs2"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=despotism"><i>WordNet Search - 3.0</i></a></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=WordNet+Search+-+3.0&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwordnet.princeton.edu%2Fperl%2Fwebwn%3Fs%3Ddespotism&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ADespotism" class="Z3988"></span><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged June 2016">dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Montesquieu, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/montesquieu-spirit.html">"The Spirit of Laws"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140814205007/http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/montesquieu-spirit.html">Archived</a> 2014-08-14 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, Book II, 1.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Despotism&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><span><video id="mwe_player_0" poster="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Despotis1946_edit.webm/220px-seek%3D5-Despotis1946_edit.webm.jpg" controls="" preload="none" data-mw-tmh="" class="mw-file-element" width="220" height="165" data-durationhint="597" data-mwtitle="Despotis1946_edit.webm" data-mwprovider="wikimediacommons" resource="/wiki/File:Despotis1946_edit.webm"><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0a/Despotis1946_edit.webm/Despotis1946_edit.webm.240p.vp9.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp9, opus"" data-transcodekey="240p.vp9.webm" data-width="320" data-height="240" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Despotis1946_edit.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp9, opus"" data-width="320" data-height="240" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0a/Despotis1946_edit.webm/Despotis1946_edit.webm.360p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-transcodekey="360p.webm" data-width="320" data-height="240" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0a/Despotis1946_edit.webm/Despotis1946_edit.webm.144p.mjpeg.mov" type="video/quicktime" data-transcodekey="144p.mjpeg.mov" data-width="192" data-height="144" /></video></span><figcaption>Despotism: Encyclopædia Britannica Films</figcaption></figure> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hBPHFKlzRI"><span class="plainlinks">Despotism: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films</span></a> on <a href="/wiki/YouTube_video_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="YouTube video (identifier)">YouTube</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236075235">.mw-parser-output .navbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #a2a9b1;width:100%;clear:both;font-size:88%;text-align:center;padding:1px;margin:1em auto 0}.mw-parser-output .navbox .navbox{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox,.mw-parser-output .navbox+.navbox-styles+.navbox{margin-top:-1px}.mw-parser-output .navbox-inner,.mw-parser-output .navbox-subgroup{width:100%}.mw-parser-output .navbox-group,.mw-parser-output .navbox-title,.mw-parser-output .navbox-abovebelow{padding:0.25em 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rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Aspects_of_corporations" title="Template:Aspects of corporations"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Aspects_of_corporations" title="Template talk:Aspects of corporations"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Aspects_of_corporations" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Aspects of corporations"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Aspects_of_corporations422" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Aspects of <a href="/wiki/Corporation" title="Corporation">corporations</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_abuse" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate abuse">Abuse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_appointeeship" title="Corporate appointeeship">Appointeeship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_citizenship" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate citizenship">Citizenship</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_communication" title="Corporate communication">Communication</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_crime" title="Corporate crime">Crime</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Despotism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_entertainment" title="Corporate entertainment">Entertainment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Business_ethics" title="Business ethics">Ethics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_identity" title="Corporate identity">Identity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Interlocking_directorate" title="Interlocking directorate">Interlocks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_liability" title="Corporate liability">Liability</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Machiavellianism_in_the_workplace" title="Machiavellianism in the workplace">Machiavellianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_narcissism" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate narcissism">Narcissism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_nationalism" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate nationalism">Nationalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_opportunity" title="Corporate opportunity">Opportunity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_pathos" title="Corporate pathos">Pathos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_power" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate power">Power</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_promoter" title="Corporate promoter">Promoter</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_propaganda" title="Corporate propaganda">Propaganda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Psychopathy_in_the_workplace" title="Psychopathy in the workplace">Psychopathy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_raid" title="Corporate raid">Raid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_recovery" title="Corporate recovery">Recovery</a></li> <li><a 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sustainability">Sustainability</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_synergy" title="Corporate synergy">Synergy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_tax" title="Corporate tax">Tax</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_taxonomy" title="Corporate taxonomy">Taxonomy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_title" title="Corporate title">Title</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_trainer" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate trainer">Trainer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_transparency" title="Corporate transparency">Transparency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_travel_management" title="Corporate travel management">Travel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_trust" title="Corporate trust">Trust</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Piercing_the_corporate_veil" title="Piercing the corporate veil">Veil</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_video" class="mw-redirect" title="Corporate video">Video</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <dl><dt><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span title="Template"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Symbol_template_class_pink.svg/16px-Symbol_template_class_pink.svg.png" decoding="async" width="16" height="16" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Symbol_template_class_pink.svg/23px-Symbol_template_class_pink.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Symbol_template_class_pink.svg/31px-Symbol_template_class_pink.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="180" data-file-height="185" /></span></span> See also templates</dt> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Aspects_of_jobs" title="Template:Aspects of jobs">Aspects of jobs</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Aspects_of_occupations" title="Template:Aspects of occupations">Aspects of occupations</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Aspects_of_organizations" title="Template:Aspects of organizations">Aspects of organizations</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Aspects_of_workplaces" title="Template:Aspects of workplaces">Aspects of workplaces</a></dd> <dd><a href="/wiki/Template:Corporate_titles" title="Template:Corporate titles">Corporate titles</a></dd></dl> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Authoritarian_and_totalitarian_forms_of_government138" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible autocollapse navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239400231"><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Authoritarian_types_of_rule" title="Template:Authoritarian types of rule"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Authoritarian_types_of_rule" title="Template talk:Authoritarian types of rule"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Authoritarian_types_of_rule" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Authoritarian types of rule"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Authoritarian_and_totalitarian_forms_of_government138" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Authoritarianism" title="Authoritarianism">Authoritarian</a> and <a href="/wiki/Totalitarianism" title="Totalitarianism">totalitarian</a> forms of <a href="/wiki/Forms_of_government" class="mw-redirect" title="Forms of government">government</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Forms</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Absolute_monarchy" title="Absolute monarchy">Absolute monarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Autocracy" title="Autocracy">Autocracy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tsarist_autocracy" title="Tsarist autocracy">Tsarist</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Communist_state" title="Communist state">Communist state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Counterintelligence_state" title="Counterintelligence state">Counterintelligence state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dictatorship" title="Dictatorship">Dictatorship</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Benevolent_dictatorship" title="Benevolent dictatorship">Benevolent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Civilian_dictatorship" title="Civilian dictatorship">Civilian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Constitutional_dictatorship" title="Constitutional dictatorship">Constitutional</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Dictablanda" title="Dictablanda">Dictablanda</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grassroots_dictatorship" title="Grassroots dictatorship">Grassroots</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Military_dictatorship" title="Military dictatorship">Military</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dictatorship_of_the_proletariat" title="Dictatorship of the proletariat">Proletarian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right-wing_dictatorship" title="Right-wing dictatorship">Right-wing</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dominant-party_system" title="Dominant-party system">Dominant-party system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Illiberal_democracy" title="Illiberal democracy">Illiberal democracy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Totalitarian_democracy" title="Totalitarian democracy">Totalitarian</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mafia_state" title="Mafia state">Mafia state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Managerial_state" title="Managerial state">Managerial state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mob_rule" title="Mob rule">Ochlocracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/One-party_state" title="One-party state">One-party state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oligarchy" title="Oligarchy">Oligarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Police_state" title="Police state">Police state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Socialist_state" title="Socialist state">Socialist state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Theocracy" title="Theocracy">Theocracy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Islamic_state" title="Islamic state">Islamic state</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tyrant" title="Tyrant">Tyranny</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority" title="Tyranny of the majority">Majoritarian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soft_tyranny" title="Soft tyranny">Soft</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Ideologies</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Authoritarian_conservatism" title="Authoritarian conservatism">Authoritarian conservatism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Chiangism" title="Chiangism">Chiangism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Francoism" class="mw-redirect" title="Francoism">Francoism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Khomeinism" title="Khomeinism">Khomeinism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Putinism" title="Putinism">Putinism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ziaism" title="Ziaism">Ziaism</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Authoritarian_capitalism" title="Authoritarian capitalism">Authoritarian capitalism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Pinochetism" title="Pinochetism">Pinochetism</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Authoritarian_socialism" title="Authoritarian socialism">Authoritarian socialism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Marxism%E2%80%93Leninism" title="Marxism–Leninism">Marxism–Leninism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stalinism" title="Stalinism">Stalinism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maoism" title="Maoism">Maoism</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Juche" title="Juche">Juche</a></i></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Caesaropapism" title="Caesaropapism">Caesaropapism</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Despotism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Enlightened_absolutism" title="Enlightened absolutism">Enlightened</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soft_despotism" title="Soft despotism">Soft</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ecoauthoritarianism" title="Ecoauthoritarianism">Ecoauthoritarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fascism" title="Fascism">Fascism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Ecofascism" title="Ecofascism">Eco</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neo-fascism" title="Neo-fascism">Neo</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Imperialism" title="Imperialism">Imperialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nazism" title="Nazism">Nazism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Neo-Nazism" title="Neo-Nazism">Neo</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Statism_in_Sh%C5%8Dwa_Japan" title="Statism in Shōwa Japan">Shōwa Statism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">See also</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Democracy_indices" title="Democracy indices">Democracy indices</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deep_state" title="Deep state">Deep state</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism" title="Inverted totalitarianism">Inverted totalitarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Left-wing_authoritarianism" class="mw-redirect" title="Left-wing authoritarianism">Left-wing authoritarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right-wing_authoritarianism" title="Right-wing authoritarianism">Right-wing authoritarianism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Social_dominance_orientation" title="Social dominance orientation">Social dominance orientation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Statism" title="Statism">Statism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Political_strongman" title="Political strongman">Strongman</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_totalitarian_states" class="mw-redirect" title="List of totalitarian states">List of totalitarian states</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1038841319">.mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1038841319"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-label="Navbox1272" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a>: National <span 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