Discussion Main / ForeignRulingClass

Pulled these subbullets from "British history" in the Real Life folder:

• Following the passing of Elizabeth I without an heir, her closest relative, James VI of Scotland, became King James I of England. The rest of the House of Stuart would rule England, aside from the "Interregnum" of 1649-1660, to 1714. Though it is subverted in that Scotland became merged with England by way of the Act of Union of 1707 and thus the House of Stuart ceased to be foreign as a result.
• And then history somewhat repeated when Anne died and the closest living Protest relative who could succeed her was George, Elector of Hanover from what is now modern-day Germany. Every British monarch since the reign of the House of Hanover (of which included Queen Victoria) has descended from him (Hence the Blackadder joke that provides the quote for this trope above).

Reason: I contend that instances of a "foreign" king, or a royal dynasty of foreign descent stretch the trope too much. A monarch is not a ruling class. The succession of either James or George did not mean that England was suddenly being ruled by Scottish or German nobles.

Let's just say and leave it at that.

Pulled this example:

• Across Poland-Lithuania, most of the szlacha were either Poles or Polonized Lithuanians and Ruthenians and was mostly Latin Catholic. Their peasants were Ruthenians and their religion was either Orthodox or Eastern Catholic (basically Orthodox liturgy and rituals while being faithful to The Pope).

A Polish and Lithuanian nobility is exactly what you would expect in a state called Poland-Lithuania if there is NO Foreign Ruling Class. Actually I get the impression that this example is really talking about religion (Latin Catholic ruling class vs. Orthodox and Eastern Catholic subject class). But I think a purely religious divide is stretching the trope too much, because it is not clear at all why Latin Catholicism should be regarded as "foreign" and Orthodoxy/Eastern Catholicism as "native".

Let's just say and leave it at that. Hide / Show Replies