The Darkest Empires That Ruled Through Fear

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Step into the shadows of history — where kings ruled through terror and empires thrived on fear. These 10 dynasties weren’t just powerful; they were merciless, brutal, and unforgettable. From ancient China to medieval Europe, discover the rulers who turned power into pure evil. 👁️ Watch till the end — the #1 dynasty will give you chills!  Perfect for history lovers, dark documentaries, and true-power stories.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at dynasties throughout history

00:07that gained or kept power through conquest, cruelty, or bloody family rivalries.

00:15The House of Tudor. It can often prove difficult keeping track of various royal lineages throughout

00:20history, but Henry VIII is one of those English monarchs whose legacy, for better or worse,

00:25remains secure. His reign was just one belonging to the House of Tudor, which was also led by Henry

00:38VII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. The dynasty was infamous for their brutality and punishment,

00:46incorporating methods such as drawing and quartering to rule by intimidation and fear.

00:51I hurt no man. I do no wrong. The Reigns also became known for their religious intolerance

00:57after Henry VIII established the Church of England, when the Catholic Pope wouldn't grant him a divorce.

01:03Still, two of his six marriages ended in execution.

01:06The House of Medici. We fail to imagine a world where a family dynasty as powerful and influential

01:23as the Medici's of Italy achieved their strength through anything less than unscrupulous means.

01:29By the mid-15th century, the Medici family had fought their way to power in Florence.

01:36This prestigious banking family admittedly did support creativity and the arts throughout their

01:42years of influence, although they also often went to extreme lengths to retain their influence.

01:48Those that rose up in opposition to the Medicis often had their personal lives and reputations ruined

01:53by slander. Many were eliminated entirely with fatal prejudice. Not even the papacy was safe from

02:08being purchased by the Medici money, while Catherine de' Medici's reputation for cruelty is remembered today

02:14for instances such as the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Capetian dynasty. The history books contain

02:30many bloody stories of betrayal, punishment, and death. The Tour de Nellefer very negatively affected

02:36the familial strength of France's Capetian dynasty during its later years.

02:41This is the story behind the liaison that caused the Hundred Years' War.

02:47This story of political marriages, adultery, discovery, and punishment reads like a how-to

02:53manual for a TV show like Game of Thrones, complete with a cruel and bloody ending. The daughters-in-law

02:59of King Philip IV were imprisoned for life and shaven bald for allegedly cheating on their royal spouses,

03:06but this was nothing compared to the fates that awaited their lovers.

03:09These cuckolding knights were said to have been castrated prior to their brutal torture and

03:15execution. The House of Romanov, one of the most brutal revolutionary executions in history,

03:21is also yet another example of a heinous wrong not making a right.

03:25The family and entourage of Nicholas II, the Tsar of Russia, was mercilessly killed and brutalized in the

03:39wake of Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik revolution. This was a reprisal of the House of Romanov's own

03:44history of unjust cruelty, their list of offences assisting in lighting the fuse for said revolution.

03:50Nicholas was a fatalist. He believed that whatever happened was ultimately God's will.

03:57Nicholas II may not have enjoyed a reputation for cruelty as infamous as Peter the Great's

04:02filicide, but the Romanov rule consistently repressed dissent, punished disobedience with death. Some

04:09attribute the misfortunes of their descendants to a curse.

04:12The family found themselves captive back at the Alexander Palace. But even here,

04:18the world was turned upside down.

04:20Ptolemaic dynasty. Ptolemy I ascended to rule Egypt after serving under Alexander the Great,

04:26then proclaimed himself an earthly embodiment of the gods. The Ptolemaic dynasty began under the rule

04:33of Ptolemy, whose goal was to make Egypt great again. The legacy of his lineage was anything but

04:39ordained however, as evidenced by the cruelty placed upon the heads of Egypt's people and members of

04:45Ptolemy's own family. Cleopatra understood the power of chemical warfare, but man was she brutal at

04:51times. There was a constant struggle for power over the course of the Ptolemaic dynasty's nearly

04:56300-year reign. These bloody familial confrontations spilled over into how this family line forced

05:02citizens into slavery and taxed them relentlessly. All to line the coffers of Egypt's ruling elite.

05:08It's the old story. Roman greatness built upon Egyptian riches. You shall have them. You shall

05:17have them all, and in peace. But there is only one way. My way.

05:22Qin dynasty. China's first imperial dynasty may have only lasted between 15 and 16 years,

05:29but it managed to eliminate the importance of individual freedoms in deference to the state.

05:34The text sets down rules that govern every part of every citizen's daily life.

05:40And the penalties for transgression. The Qin dynasty's ruling philosophy was known as

05:46legalism. Construction on the Great Wall may have occurred during this era, but life under the

05:51tyrannical Qin Shi Huang saw an anti-intellectualist front that involved book burning and scholars' executions.

05:58Find out who's responsible and have them killed. Still, the imperial doctrines instilled by Qin Shi Huang

06:07didn't die with the emperor. Some of the harshest policies from the 200s BC carried on into the 20th

06:14century. Qin Shi Huangdi left a legacy, the like of which has never been seen before or since.

06:21Ottoman Empire. Not all empires of cruelty belong to the ancient world or pre-20th century history.

06:28By the end of the 14th century, the Ottomans had conquered or subordinated most of the Anatolian

06:34Baliks, as well as the Balkans. The influence of the Ottoman Empire endured for over 600 years,

06:40not coming to an end until the aftermath of the First World War. This essentially means that there

06:45exists a long and winding road map with which to eye this empire's legacy of brutality and cruelty.

06:52The Greek genocide comes to mind, which took place during the Ottoman Empire's twilight years.

06:58Don't let the memory of what happened to these Greeks of Asia Minor be forgotten.

07:02However, both the Assyrian and Armenian peoples also suffered greatly in genocides perpetrated

07:08under Ottoman rule. To this day, the Turkish and Azerbaijani governments officially deny these crimes.

07:15The Kurds in Turkey have a historical debt to the Armenians and other minorities because,

07:19at the time, they were manipulated by the state and essentially had a role in the genocide.

07:25Neo-Assyrian Empire. It's virtually impossible to boil down and contextualize the legacy of a dynasty

07:32with as much far-reaching influence as the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Considered by historians to be the first

07:38true empire, Assyria's innovations laid the groundwork for every superpower that's followed.

07:44Still, this worldwide empire retains a reputation for cruelty that endures today,

07:49despite the significance of its influence on how future Middle Eastern empires would develop their

07:54ideologies. There was no quarter given to enemies on the battlefield or in politics during this time.

08:04Torture and fear-building served as important tools within the arsenal of the Neo-Assyrian

08:09Empire's rise to power during the 10th century BC. Mongol Empire. It may be known primarily for the

08:16legacy of the ruler Genghis Khan, but the Mongol Empire was more than just one man. Genghis Khan

08:21believed that Tengeri wanted him to conquer the entire world in his name. With the nomads of the

08:27Mongolian Plain united, this seemed within reach. It was a complicated and history-making empire that,

08:34at its peak, stretched to 9 million square miles. This meant that any city that stood in the way of

08:40the Mongol expansion risked utter decimation should any resistance be offered against the empire.

08:46Very often, thousands upon thousands of his enemies would surrender because of fear,

08:55rather than having to endure the attacks by the Mongols. Additionally, there was no course of action

09:01that was considered forbidden by the opposition, as the Mongol hordes would execute entire tribes of

09:06people without any mercy.

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09:30House of Habsburg Political houses such as that of Habsburg

09:36aren't usually whittled down to a single authoritative figure. Yet, Elizabeth Bathory

09:41wasn't just any countess. She had cousins and brothers who were princes and bishops, but also who

09:47were in a way mass murderers, who would torture the peasants, who would kill their opponents in the

09:51most brutal and savage manner. She was the subject of a legend that alleged she bathed in the blood of young

09:58women in order to preserve her youth. Historians today, meanwhile, often debate how much truth lies

10:04within these claims against Bathory's character. This wasn't the only alleged example of Habsburg

10:16cruelty, however, as evidenced by their efforts within Spanish colonialism and the Thirty Years' War.

10:22Threats to their influence or political control were crushed by any means necessary.

10:33What do you think is the most interesting period in history for chaotic political dynasties?

10:38Let us know in the comments!

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