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An emperor is a monarch and sovereign ruler of an empire or any other imperial realm. Emperors are generally recognised to be above kings in honour. They may obtain their position hereditarily, or by force, such as a coup d'état. 1 Derivation of Emperor
The English term for emperor is derived from the Latin imperator (literally, "one who prepares against"; loosely, "commander"). In German the title Kaiser was used in both the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire and in some Slavic languages tsar was used, both of which are derived from Caesar.
2 Historical development
Imperator was originally a title used by the highest-ranking Roman commanders, roughly comparable to field marshal or commander-in-chief. Caesar was the family name of Gaius Julius CaesarAlternative meanings: Julius Caesar (disambiguation). Gaius Julius Caesar ( Latin: C·IVLIVS·C·F·C·N·CAESAR) ( July 13, 100 BC March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader whose conquest of Gallia Comata extended the Roman world all the way t ( 100 BCCenturies: 2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century Decades: 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC Years: 105 BC 104 BC 103 BC 102 BC 101 BC 100 BC 99 BC 98 BC 97 BC 96 BC 95 BC Events Tigranes II of Armenia is placed on Arme- 44 BCCenturies: 2nd century BC 1st century BC 1st century Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s Years: 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC 45 BC 44 BC 43 BC 42 BC 41 BC 40 BC 39 BC Events End of Roman Republic period and establis), who never was an emperor himself but rather the last dictatorDictator was a political office of the Roman Republic. A legal innovation of the Roman Republic, the dictator ( Latin for "one who dictates (orders)") — also known as the magister populi ("master of the peoples") — was an extraordinary magistrate magistra of the Roman RepublicSee also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). The Roman Republic traditionally lasted as a representative government of Rome and its territories from 510 BC until the establishment of the Roman Empire, typically placed at 44 BC. The name of Caesar lived on by adoption in the first Roman EmperorRoman Emperor is the title historians use to refer to the ruler of the Roman Empire. It was not actually used, and there was never actually any single office corresponding to it. Rather, the title "Roman Emperor" is a convenient shorthand for a complicate, Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (better known as Caesar Augustus). This was not a constitutional office but rather a complicated collection of offices, titles, and honours, however the Emperors did not rule by the virute of any republican or senatorial office, rather they derived their power from the title PrincepsPrinceps First Citizen was the original official title of a Roman Emperor, derived from his position as Princeps Senatus (leader of the Senate). It was first given to the Emperor Augustus in 23 BC, who wisely saw that use of the titles rex (meaning king) ("First Citizen").
In Persia from the time of the Cyrus the Great, Persian emperors used the title "Shahanshah" which is translated as emperor and is literally "King of Kings". In Ethiopia, Emperors claiming decent from the ancient King Solomon of the Israelites, and the Queen of Sheba, used the title of "Niguse Negest" which also translates to Emperor and is literally "King of Kings" as well.
In China the designation "Emperor" was first introduced when Qin Shi Huang named himself the First Emperor. In Japan a ruler in Yamato court was called "Tenno" (usually translated as emperor), although Japan is usually not considered an "empire" in the traditional sense of the word except during the brief period of the Meiji, Taisho and early Showa emperors. In the Japanese language, tenno is strictly distinguished from teiou who rules an empire— both are translated as emperor.
Sometimes a retired emperor has actual power instead of the ruling emperor.
Today there is only one remaining emperor— the Emperor of Japan 1 .
