Review: The Ruling Families of Rus by Christian Raffensperger & Donald Ostrowski

Synopsis: A new history of the Kyivan Rus, a medieval dynastic state in eastern Europe.

Kyivan Rus’ was a state in northeastern Europe from the late ninth to the mid-sixteenth century that encompassed a variety of peoples, including Lithuanians, Polish, and Ottomans. The Ruling Families of Rus explores the region’s history through local families, revealing how the concept of family rule developed over the centuries into what we understand as dynasties today. Examining a broad range of archival sources, the authors examine the development of Rus, Lithuania, Muscovy, and Tver and their relationships with the Mongols, Byzantines, and others. The Ruling Families of Rus will appeal to scholars interested in the medieval history of eastern Europe.

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The object of this book is to explore family rule and how it "morphed through the centuries" into the concept of dynasty - with the main focus on the ruling families of Kievan Rus.

The author begins each chapter with a summary of intent before expounding upon a more detailed study. We begin with some background to the Kingdom of Rus, its establishment and their key characters. I would suggest a rudimentary knowledge of this particular segment of history though the author does provide a genealogy of those being discussed.

Chapter Two identifies the key principle being used in the book and why these are orientated around family ties, issues of succession and inheritance. Also under discussion are the "descent myths" and legitimacy of the family line. Here too, Raffensperger challenges historical records.

Then the focus is narrowed down to primary characters such as Volodimer the Christianiser, Fedor/Mstiskav, Vladimir Suzdal, Vsevolod and his Ukrainian rival Roman Mstilavich. Chapter Seven looks at 13th century Novogorod, which leads into the 14th century and the reign of Alexander Nevsky, and Kyiv and its rulers.

Chapter Ten focuses on the women. Raffensperger says: ". relationships among ruling families were defined by the wives, mothers and daughters of the rulers, both through alliance formed by marriage and, more directly, through the influence of particularly well-placed, politically astute women .." This becomes an equally important chapter when discussing families and dynasties.

The final two chapters cover off the rule of Dimitri Donskoi in Moscow, and the aftermath of inter-clan conflict between Vasilii II and Iurii in the 15th century; whilst the Epilogue discusses the end of clan rule in Moscow in the late 16th century.

All in all, I found this to be a fascinating read - the subject matter was right up my alley as I have a number of books on this period myself. I myself did not struggle with the content however, as mentioned beforehand, a rudimentary knowledge would be advantageous for a new reader.

Review: Blood Royal by Robert Bartlett

Synopsis: Throughout medieval Europe, for hundreds of years, monarchy was the way that politics worked in most countries. This meant power was in the hands of a family - a dynasty; that politics was family politics; and political life was shaped by the births, marriages and deaths of the ruling family.

How did the dynastic system cope with female rule, or pretenders to the throne? How did dynasties use names, the numbering of rulers and the visual display of heraldry to express their identity? And why did some royal families survive and thrive, while others did not?

Drawing on a rich and memorable body of sources, this engaging and original history of dynastic power in Latin Christendom and Byzantium explores the role played by family dynamics and family consciousness in the politics of the royal and imperial dynasties of Europe.

From royal marriages and the birth of sons, to female sovereigns, mistresses and wicked uncles, Robert Bartlett makes enthralling sense of the complex web of internal rivalries and loyalties of the ruling dynasties and casts fresh light on an essential feature of the medieval world.

This is really an analysis of family politics of royal and imperial dynasties throughout Latin Christendom and Byzantium 500 - 1500.

We begin with the life cycle: however, before an heir can be born, the choice of bride must considered.  Bartlett discusses the intricacies associated with the marriage contract, pregnancy and childbirth, the potential for a childless marriage or bachelor king, or the repudiation of a bride and annulment of the marriage.

All things proceeding as planned, the bride gives birth to the much awaited offspring, what then?  For "what happens in bed had political consequences". Acknowledgement of a designated heir and or coronation secures the succession to a point but then we can run into problems such as a minority and interregnum or worse, adult sons - kings-in-waiting - circling and waiting for their chance. But what if the marriage produces only females - we then have now the succession of a queen and the associated issues of finding a potential husband, or the possible exclusion from rule altogether for the female heir.

Whilst considering the legitimate succession of son or daughter, we must also look to those illegitimate heirs and their rights to the succession for in many instances the "father's blood was enough to transmit eligibility to the throne" and sometimes preference was given to an illegitimate male over a legitimate female.

" ... ruling dynasties were not biological units but political ones.  Collateral branches might be excluded or pruned ... governed by biological uncertainty ..."

Still looking at the life cycle of a dynasty, Bartlett takes us through changes both within and without that can affect the success of a dynasty - hereditary or elective, too few heirs / too many heirs or rivals, provision of a patrimony for younger brothers especially as it may involve subdivision of dynastic lands. And if the heir is young and there is a minority, what of the "wicked" uncle or stepmother. It is not only the traditional forms of succession that are discussed but also how the dynasty worked within the Church, a Republic or City State to secure longevity.  Bartlett finishes his look at the life cycle with death, whether through illness, accident, warfare, assassination, disfigurement, or the figurative death of the dynasty through extinction.

The second part of this work looks at the "sense of dynasty" - a bit more of an academic detour looking at the terminology and naming of dynasties, and of associating periods in time through the dynasty - ie: Tudor, Plantagenet, Capetian.  We also look at names, naming patterns, name changes and of course, the numbering of successive monarchs.  Diverging a little more, Bartlett considers how astrology, prophets, even sorcery and magic can have an impact in the face of dynastic uncertainty. He also takes a look at how monarchs themselves perceive their dynasty - the foundation legends, their public image and the medieval PR that goes into maintaining it.

One of my favourite chapters concerns pretenders and "returners" - the latter being a phrase I had not fully considered. We are treated to all manner of imposters, pretenders, substitution, deposition and imprisonment, and the "resurrection" of monarchs long thought dead.

Bartlett tells us that ".. ancient royalty is simply conquest that has endured ..".

This work will make a must have resource / reference for those with a penchant for medieval history. It is extremely well researched - so all the hard work is done for you - and is extensively noted with a comprehensive bibliography. There are many unique examples peppered throughout to support the information - so not just the standard, more familiar dynasties - which is easy to both read and understand.

Definitely one for my own personal library.