|
|
|
|
Interregnum
|
| |
|
| |
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity of a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin inter-, "between" + regnum, "reign" [from rex, regis, "king"]), and the concepts of interregnum and regency therefore overlap. An interregnum can simplistically be thought of as a "gap", although the idea of an interregnum emphasizes the relationship to what comes before and to what comes after in a sequence.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Interregnum' Start a new discussion about 'Interregnum' Answer questions from other users |
Encyclopedia
An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity of a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin inter-, "between" + regnum, "reign" [from rex, regis, "king"]), and the concepts of interregnum and regency therefore overlap. An interregnum can simplistically be thought of as a "gap", although the idea of an interregnum emphasizes the relationship to what comes before and to what comes after in a sequence. This contrasts with a near synonym like gap, which may be random, encompassing neither connotation of interjacency in a sequence nor formal interrelation. The term is also applied to the period of time between the election of a new President of the United States and his or her inauguration, during which the outgoing president remains in power, but as a lame duck.
Examples of interregna are periods between monarchs, between popes, between emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, between kings in an elective monarchy, or between consuls of the Roman Republic. The term can also refer to the period between the pastorates of ministers in some Protestant churches.
In Roman law, interregnum was usually accompanied by the proclamation of justitium (or state of exception, as Giorgio Agamben demonstrated in his 2005 book of this name). This is not surprising, as when a sovereign died - or when the Pope died - tumultus (upheavals) usually accompanied the news of a sovereign's death. Progressively, justitium came to signify the public mourning of the sovereign, and not anymore justitium, auctoritas being (mythically) attached to the physical body of the sovereign.
Historical periods of interregnum
Particular historical periods known as interregna include:
In some monarchies, such as the United Kingdom, an interregnum is usually avoided due to a rule described as "the king is dead, long live the King", i.e. the heir to the throne becomes a new monarch immediately on his predecessor's death or abdication. This famous phrase signifies the continuity of sovereignty, attached to a personal form of power named Auctoritas. This is not so in other monarchies where the new monarch's reign begins only with coronation or some other formal or traditional event. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth for instance, kings were elected, which often led to relatively long interregna. During that time it was the Polish primate who served as an interrex (ruler between kings).
Pope's interregnum (or sede vacante)
An interregnum occurs also upon the death of the Pope, though this is generally known as a sede vacante (vacant seat). The interregnum ends immediately upon election of the new Pope by the College of Cardinals.
Japanese era names
The Japanese era name or nengo system which was introduced in reign of Emperor Kotoku was abandoned at the end of his reign; and the nengo was not updated for a quite some time, except for very brief re-occurrence near the close of Emperor Temmu's reign.
During the nearly half-century after Emperor Kotoku, the reigning sovereigns were
The first year of Emperor Mommu's rule (??????; 686) could be arguably abbreviated as "the first year of Mommu" (????; 686), but this is nowhere understood as a true nengo. The reigns of Japanese emperors and empresses are not nengo, nor were the two considered to be the same until Meiji came on the scene.
References to the emperors of Japan who ruled during this period are properly written as, for example, "the 3rd year of Emperor Mommu" (????3?), and not "the 3rd year of Mommu" (??3?).
Nengo were abolished during the interregnum years between Hakuchi and Shucho, and again between Shucho and Taiho. Near the mid-point of his reign, Emperor Mommu caused the now-conventional nengo chronologic system to be reinstated, and it has continued uninterrupted through today.
- The two interregnum periods in the pre-Tahio years are:
The broader utility of the Japanese nengo system is demonstrated by the use of a congruent device to parse non-nengo periods, including these late 7th century interregnum years between Taika and Taiho.
As an illustration: In the initial paragraph of its web page introduction to the history of Japanese calendars, the Japanese National Diet Library explains that "Japan organized its first calendar in the 12th year of Suiko (604)." See web site of the National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" .
See also
|
| |
|
|
