Principalities

Quick Facts: Who was Principalities?

Subject:

Principalities

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A monarchical state or feudal territory governed by a prince.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchical state or feudal territory ruled by a prince. Examples of principalities include the Principality of Monaco, the Grand Principality of Moscow, the Principality of Sheikhan, the Principality of Catalonia, and the Principality of Wales.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The Principality of Antioch is another example of a principality, yet one created during the First Crusade which included parts of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and Syria. The principality was much smaller than the County of Edessa or the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The word principality first appears around 1300, meaning "position of a prince," and derives from Old French principalite, which itself carried the senses of "principal matter" as well as "power" and "sovereignty", and directly from the Late Latin principalitatem, which in turn comes from the adjective principalis, meaning "first in importance" or "original, primitive." By the mid-14th century, the term had acquired the additional sense of "government by a prince," and toward the end of that same century it came to denote a "region or state ruled by a prince or monarch." In the 20th century the term was sometimes used to define a state that was sovereign but not of equal rank to the other countries of the world. Independent but not eligible for membership in the United Nations.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1300: 1300 Milestone — The word principality first appears around 1300, meaning "position of a prince," and derives from Old French principalite, which itself carried the senses of "principal matter" as well as "power" and "sovereignty", and directly from the Late Latin principalitatem, which in turn comes from the adjective principalis, meaning "first in importance" or "original, primitive.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Principalities

True or False: “The term 'principality' originally derived from the Latin word meaning 'first in importance'.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The term traces back to Late Latin *principalitatem*, which comes from *principalis*, meaning 'first in importance' or 'original, primitive'.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Franco of Cologne — Historical peer (Born in 1300) (1300): Pioneering music theorist who established note duration via written notation.
• Gebre Meskel Lalibela — Historical peer (Died in 1300) (1300): Founder of the monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, a powerful Zagwe king.
• Principality of Catalonia — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Medieval and early modern state in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula, part of the Crown of Aragon.
• Principality of Serbia — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Autonomous Balkan state that evolved into the Kingdom of Serbia.
• Principality of Serbia (early medieval) — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Early medieval Serbian state, ruled by the Vlastimirović dynasty in Southeastern Europe.
• Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711) — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A semi-independent Hungarian state, pivotal in Central European religious and political history.

Frequently Asked Questions about Principalities