Knowing the etymological origin of the term dynasty is the first thing we are going to do before fully entering into its meaning. In this case, we can state that it is a word that derives from the Greek, exactly from “dynasteia”, which is the result of the sum of two different parts:
-The noun “dynastes”, which means “ruler”.
-The suffix “-ia”, which is used to indicate “quality”.
This concept is used to name the succession of sovereigns, monarchs or rulers who belong to the same family.
Monarchies, being hereditary governments, usually present dynasties, since the father gives power to his son. In Spain, for example, we find the Bourbon dynasty. Felipe VI, the current king, obtained the crown from his progenitor, Juan Carlos I. The origins of the House of Bourbon date back to 1700, when Felipe V became the first Spanish king of this dynasty.
The dynasty can also be found in regimes that are not monarchies. In North Korea, Kim Il-sung was the president until 1994, when he died and the Supreme People’s Assembly named his son Kim Jong-il. With his death in 2011, power fell to Kim Jong-un, his son (and Kim Il-sung ‘s grandson).
It is even possible to find dynasties that arise between brothers or between spouses. In Cuba, Fidel Castro was the prime minister from 1959 to 1976 and the president from 1976 to 2008; that year his brother Raúl took over. That is why we speak of the Castro dynasty. In Argentina, the popular vote made Néstor Kirchner president between 2003 and 2007, and then his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner between 2007 and 2015. The Kirchner dynasty therefore ruled from 2003 to 2015.
In the same way, throughout history dynasties such as the Asian Umayyad or the Chinese Ming dynasty, which was the penultimate to rule their country, have taken on special relevance.
Beyond governments, dynasties are known as those families that manage to exert great influence in some area (culture, economy, etc.), such as the dynasty of the Gasol brothers in basketball or Spanish basketball.
“Dynasty” (“Dynasty” in its original language), finally, was a famous American TV series that had nine seasons and more than two hundred episodes.
In the 1980s, this television production came to light, which has become one of the most successful in the history of the small screen worldwide. It starred the likes of Joan Collins, Linda Evans and John Forsythe.
Richard and Esther Shapiro were the creators of this series, which takes place in Denver and revolves around the oil tycoon Blake Carrington and his family, who owns a large company that goes by the name of Denver Carrington.
Desires for power and revenge, passions and infidelities and family secrets were the keys to this production that in 2017 has had a new version. In this case, the actors who have led the cast are Elizabeth Gillies, James Mackay, Grant Show and Nathalie Kelley, among others.
