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An Imperial cult is a form of state religion
State religion

A state religion is a religion body or creed officially endorsed by the state. Practically, a state without a state religion is called a secular state....
 in which an emperor
Emperor

An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right ....
, or a dynasty
Dynasty

A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "Royal House", e.g. the House of Saud or House of Habsburg....
 of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
ed as messiah
Messiah

Messiah literally means "anointed ".In Jewish messiah tradition and Jewish eschatology, messiah refers to a future monarch of United Monarchy from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of Israelite#The Twelve Tribes, and herald the Messianic Age of global peace....
s, demigod
Demigod

The term "demigod", meaning "half-god", is used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human. Demi-gods include the Celtic hero C?chulainn, Gilgamesh, and Heracles....
s or deities
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
. "Cult
Cult (religious practice)

In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or mythologys, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety....
" here is used to mean "worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
," not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may be one of personality
Cult of personality

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise....
 in the case of a newly arisen Euhemerus
Euhemerus

Euhemerus was a Greek Mythography at the court of Cassander, the king of Macedon. Euhemerus' birthplace is disputed, with Messina in Sicily or Messene in the Peloponnese as the most probable locations, while others champion Chios, or Tegea....
 figure or one of national identity (e.g. Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire

The Ethiopian Empire, also known as Abyssinia, was in what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea. At its height the empire also included Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia and existed from approximately 1137 until 1974 when the monarchy was overthrown in a coup d'etat....
 or Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until its defeat in World War II in 1945....
) or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state (e.g. Imperial Era China
History of China

China civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River valley in the Neolithic era. The written history of China begins with the Shang Dynasty ....
, Roman Empire
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
). A divine king is a monarch who is held in a special religious significance by his subjects, and serves as both head of state and a deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
 or head religious figure.

Ancient China In ancient China, an emperor was considered the Son of Heaven.






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An Imperial cult is a form of state religion
State religion

A state religion is a religion body or creed officially endorsed by the state. Practically, a state without a state religion is called a secular state....
 in which an emperor
Emperor

An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right ....
, or a dynasty
Dynasty

A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "Royal House", e.g. the House of Saud or House of Habsburg....
 of emperors (or rulers of another title), are worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
ed as messiah
Messiah

Messiah literally means "anointed ".In Jewish messiah tradition and Jewish eschatology, messiah refers to a future monarch of United Monarchy from the Davidic line, who will rule the people of Israelite#The Twelve Tribes, and herald the Messianic Age of global peace....
s, demigod
Demigod

The term "demigod", meaning "half-god", is used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human. Demi-gods include the Celtic hero C?chulainn, Gilgamesh, and Heracles....
s or deities
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
. "Cult
Cult (religious practice)

In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings , its theology or mythologys, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety....
" here is used to mean "worship
Worship

Worship usually refers to acts of religion devotion typically directed to one or more deity. It is the informal term in English for what sociology of religion call cult —traditional beliefs and practices, the individual study of which is one of the chief concerns of theology....
," not in the modern pejorative sense. The cult may be one of personality
Cult of personality

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise....
 in the case of a newly arisen Euhemerus
Euhemerus

Euhemerus was a Greek Mythography at the court of Cassander, the king of Macedon. Euhemerus' birthplace is disputed, with Messina in Sicily or Messene in the Peloponnese as the most probable locations, while others champion Chios, or Tegea....
 figure or one of national identity (e.g. Ethiopian Empire
Ethiopian Empire

The Ethiopian Empire, also known as Abyssinia, was in what is now Ethiopia and Eritrea. At its height the empire also included Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia and existed from approximately 1137 until 1974 when the monarchy was overthrown in a coup d'etat....
 or Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until its defeat in World War II in 1945....
) or supranational identity in the case of a multi-ethnic state (e.g. Imperial Era China
History of China

China civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River valley in the Neolithic era. The written history of China begins with the Shang Dynasty ....
, Roman Empire
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
). A divine king is a monarch who is held in a special religious significance by his subjects, and serves as both head of state and a deity
Deity

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divinity, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by human beings....
 or head religious figure.

Historical


Ancient China

In ancient China, an emperor was considered the Son of Heaven. The scion
Scion

Scion may refer to:* A kinship, a son or daughter*In grafting, the scion is a detached shoot or twig containing buds from a woody plant which is grafted onto the stock....
 and representative of heaven on earth, he was the ruler of all under heaven
All under heaven

All under heaven, or literally, "heaven under" , is a phrase in the Chinese language and a Culture of China concept in China.The Chinese character ? means "sky" or "heaven"....
, the bearer of the Mandate of Heaven
Mandate of Heaven

The Mandate of Heaven is a traditional Chinese philosophy concept concerning the legitimacy of rulers. Heaven would bless the authority of a just ruler, but would be displeased with a despotic ruler and would withdraw their mandate....
, his commands considered sacred edicts. A number of legendary figures preceding the proper imperial age of China also hold the honorific title of emperor, such as the Yellow Emperor
Yellow Emperor

Huang-di, or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and culture hero who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese....
 and the Jade Emperor
Jade Emperor

The Jade Emperor , is the Taoist ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell according to a version of Chinese mythology....
.

Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt....
ian male Pharaohs were believed to be incarnations of the god Horus
Horus

Horus is a god of the Ancient Egyptian religion, most commonly known by the Greek language version Horus, of the Egyptian language Heru/Har....
, derived by being the son of the sun deity, Hathor
Hathor

In Egyptian mythology, Hathor was originally a personification of the Milky Way, which was seen as the milk that flowed from the udders of a heavenly cow....
 (or later, Isis), or the sky deity, Nut
Nut (goddess)

In the Ennead mythology, Nut , was the goddess of the sky. Her name means Night. Some of the titles of Nut were Coverer of the Sky, She Who Protects, Mistress of All, and She Who Holds a Thousand Souls....
. Pharaohs, both female and male, traced their lineage directly through the matrilineality
Matrilineality

Matrilineality is a system in which lineage is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors.A matriline is a line of descent from a female ancestor to a Kinship in which the individuals in all intervening generations are female....
 of the royal women. Some women who were Pharaoh, such as Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut , meaning, Foremost of Noble Ladies, was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt of Ancient Egypt. She is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an Indigenous peoples Egyptian dynasty....
, went to great lengths to trace their lineage to the most ancient of goddesses, such as Mut
Mut

Mut, which meant mother in the ancient Egyptian language, was an ancient Egyptian mother goddess with multiple aspects that changed over the thousands of years of the culture....
. Egyptian Pharaohs were considered deified only upon their death.

Ancient Rome


In the Roman Empire
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
 the Imperial cult was the worship of the Roman emperor
Roman Emperor

The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin language titles such as imperator , Augustus , Caesar and princeps were all associated with it....
 as a god. This practice began at the start of the Empire under Augustus, and became a prominent element of Roman religion
Roman religion

The term Roman religion may refer to:*Religion in ancient Rome*religions of the Roman Empire period **Imperial cult *** Sol Invictus**Mithraism...
.

The cult spread over the whole Empire within a few decades, more strongly in the east than in the west. Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus , born Diocles and commonly known as Diocletian , was Roman Emperor from November 20, 284 to May 1, 305....
 further reinforced it when he demanded the proskynesis
Proskynesis

Proskynesis, formed from the Ancient Greek words pros and kuneo literally means "kissing towards", and refers to the traditional Persian Empire act of prostrating oneself before a person of higher social rank....
 and adopted the adjective sacrum for all things pertaining to the imperial person.

The deification of emperors was gradually abandoned after the emperor Constantine I started supporting Christianity
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
. However, the concept of the imperial person as "sacred" carried over, in a Christianized form, into the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire and Eastern Roman Empire are conventional names used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on its capital of Constantinople....
: in the context of Caesaropapism
Caesaropapism

Caesaropapism is the idea of combining the power of secularity government with, or making it superior to, the spiritual authority of the Christian Church; especially concerning the connection of the Christian Church with government....
, the Byzantine emperor was considered "God-crowned", was called Isapostolos, "Equal-to-the-Apostles", and regarded as God's vicegerent
Vicegerent

Vicegerent is the official administrative deputy of a ruler or head of state: vice + gerens ....
 on Earth.

Japan

Before the end of World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the Japanese Emperor
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
 made similar claims to descent from the gods; see:
  • Shinto
    Shinto

    is the former state religion of Japan and remains the most common name for the nation's non-Buddhist ethnic religion practices. It was formed from disparate local mythologies, beginning with the Kojiki of 712, into an imperial cult called State Shinto that solidified in the Meiji period....
     - general article about Japan's religion.
  • Arahitogami
    Arahitogami

    is a Japanese language word meaning a kami who is a human being.It first appears in Kojiki, but is assumed to have been used before this book....
     - the concept of a god who is a human being applied to Emperor Hirohito
    Hirohito

    , also known as , was the 124th Emperor of Japan of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989....
    , up till the end of World War II
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
    .
  • Ningen-sengen
    Ningen-sengen

    On January 1, 1946, the Hirohito issued the and the , commonly known collectively as the ....
    , the declaration with which Emperor Hirohito, on New Year's Day 1946, (formally) declined claims of divinity, keeping with traditional family values as expressed in the Shinto religion.


Tibet


Tibetan buddhism knows the so-called "tulku"-system: it are usually young boys, frequently of wealthy and influential families, that are "found" and enthroned as the reincarnation of an 'enlightened', usually male, person that has already deceased. Every "tulku" deserves the title of "Rinpoche" and is regarded as a semi-god. Complying with each and every wish of a child- or adult tulku is not unusual. "Tulkus" usually enjoy a more or less fixed longlife income from donations from the people who believe in the god-status and usually have a rather large staff. While monks are supposed to lead celibatarian lives, it is not unusual for tulkus to have many sex-partners.

Examples of divine kings in history

Some examples of historic leaders who are often considered divine kings are:

  • Africa
    • Pharaoh
      Pharaoh

      Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt, only during the New Kingdom, specifically, during the middle of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt....
      s of Ancient Egypt
      Ancient Egypt

      Ancient Egypt was an Ancient history civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile in what is now the modern nation of Egypt....
    • Ghanas (Kings) of the Empire of Ghana


  • Asia
    • The Dalai Lama
      Dalai Lama

      The Dalai Lama is a lineage of religious leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and was the political leader of Lhasa-based Tibetan government between the 17th century and 1959....
      s of Tibet
      Tibet

      Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
      .
    • Korean Buddhist monk Gung-ye, King of Taebong
      Taebong

      Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea.Gung Ye was known as a son of Heonan of Silla or of Gyeongmun of Silla....
      .
    • Chinese Christian
      Christian

      A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism#Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament....
       leader Hong Xiuquan
      Hong Xiuquan

      H?ng Xi?qu?n , born Hong Renkun , courtesy name Huoxiu , was a Hakka China who led the Taiping Rebellion against the Qing Dynasty, establishing the Taiping tien-quo "Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace," over varying portions of southern China, with himself as the "Tian Wang" and self-proclaimed brother of Jesus Christ....
      , leader of the Taiping Rebellion
      Taiping Rebellion

      The Taiping Rebellion was a large-scale revolt in China from 1850 to 1864, during the Qing Dynasty, by an army led by Heterodoxy Christianity convert Hong Xiuquan....
      , claimed to be Christ's younger brother, and attempted to establish rule as a divine king.
    • Japanese Emperors up to the end of WW2.
    • Javanese Kings during Hindu-Buddhist era (4th century – 15th century AD) such as Sailendra
      Sailendra

      Sailendra is the name of an influential Indonesian dynasty that emerged in 8th century Java.The Sailendras were active promoters of Mahayana Buddhism and covered the plains of Central Java with Buddhist monuments, including the world famous Borobudur....
       dynasty, Kediri
      Kediri

      Kediri was an Indianized kingdom based in East Java from 1042 to around 1222. Despite the seeming lack of archaeological remains, the age of Kediri saw much development in classical literature....
      , Singhasari
      Singhasari

      Singhasari was a monarchy located in east Java between 1222 and 1292....
      , and Majapahit empire.
    • Srivijaya
      Srivijaya

      Srivijaya or Sriwijaya was an ancient Malays kingdom on the island of Sumatra, Southeast Asia which influenced much of the Malay Archipelago. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6 months....
       emperors.
    • Kings of Khmer Empire
      Khmer Empire

      The Khmer Empire was the largest empire of South East Asia based in what is now Cambodia. The empire, which seceded from the kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalised parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand,Vietnam, Myanmar, and Malaysia....
      , Cambodia.


  • Americas
    • Kings of the Mayan city-states of the Classical period
    • Inca
      Inca

      The Inca civilization began as a tribe in the Cuzco area, where the legendary first Sapa Inca, Manco Capac founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200....
       Emperors in Pre-Columbian Peru
      Peru

      Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
       
    • Kings
      List of Monarchs of Hawaii

      The Kingdom of Hawaii was founded by Kamehameha I in 1795 after conquering most of the Hawaiian archipelago. In 1810, Kaumuali'i became a vassal of Kamehameha I, who therefore emerged as the sole sovereign of the island chain of Hawaii....
       or Akua Alii of the Hawaiian Islands before 1839


  • Europe
    • Many Roman emperor
      Roman Emperor

      The Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman Empire during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin language titles such as imperator , Augustus , Caesar and princeps were all associated with it....
      s were declared gods by the Roman Senate
      Roman Senate

      The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic. According to the Greek historian Polybius, our principal source on the Constitution of the Roman Republic, the Roman Senate was the predominant branch of government....
       (generally after their death). (See Imperial cult (ancient Rome)
      Imperial cult (Ancient Rome)

      The imperial cult in ancient Rome was the worship of a few select Roman Emperors as Roman godss once they were deceased; the only emperor to declare himself a god while still living was Domitian which caused outrage....
      )


Further reading


See also

  • Cult of personality
    Cult of personality

    A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise....
  • Apotheosis
    Apotheosis

    Apotheosis refers to the exaltation of a subject to divinity level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre....
  • Euhemerism


External links