Many countries are ruled by kings. There have also been great empires in history where monarchs have governed over vast territory. As the world has become more globalised and inter-connected, or as conflict threatens many regions, is there a chance we could see old empires reborn? In the modern age, would it be possible to go further? Could we ever see a king rule over the whole world?
There could not be a king of the world. It would not be possible for any monarch to gain control of the entire planet and declare themselves ruler. Any monarch that declared themselves king of the world without gaining global control would go unrecognised by every other country.
Ok, but that’s just an overview. Let’s go into a bit more detail…
What Does King of The World Mean?
Before we explore deeper the idea of a global monarch, we need to define what is meant by ‘king of the world’. In fact, the phrase has two very different meanings:
- A king ruling over every country on earth
- A personal feeling of success and euphoria
Let’s look at each of these…
King Ruling Over Every Country on Earth
A first meaning of king of the world is an actual monarch that governs over every country on earth. A king is defined as a ‘male ruler who inherits the right to govern a country by birth’. A king of the world would be a man who either inherited or took control of the entire planet.
It could also be possible for someone to declare themselves king of the world without actually conquering it, but this would be meaningless as other countries would not recognise it.
Personal Feeling of Success and Euphoria
A second meaning of king of the world is a phrase people sometimes say when they are elated. People can say that they are the king of the world after a triumph or success, especially after defeating a player or group against high odds.
The phrase is used to convey a feeling of euphoria and that the feeling of coming out on top against everyone else. It is not meant literally but is used to convey a feeling of greatness and significance. The phrase king of the world can also be used sarcastically.
Who Is King of The World?
Ok, so we’ve established what we mean when we say king of the world. We’ve also had an overview of whether there could actually be a universal monarch – someone who actually rules over the entire planet. But let’s ask, is there anyone today who is a global monarch? Or does anyone claim to be the king of world?
There is no king of the world. No one monarch rules over every country or is seen as a monarch for all nations. The phrase ‘king of the world’ is sometimes used to refer celebrities or sports personalities who have achieved global success, but they are not actual rulers or monarchs of the whole earth.
In the modern world, it would not be possible for someone to claim they were actually a global monarch. The world is made up of 195 sovereign states, each with their own political systems and governments. No one could make the claim to be king of the world because there would be no way they could actually govern over all the sovereign states in the world.
Some celebrities and sports stars have been known to say they are the king of the world. However, this refers to a feeling of euphoria or having beaten opponents against great odds. They are not claiming to actually rule over the planet as a monarch.
Was There Ever A King of The World?
So, we’ve established what is meant when we say king of the world and made it clear that today there is no one who controls the world as a monarch or claims to rule all of earth. But what about in history, has there ever been a king of the world?
There has never been a monarch that has ruled the entire world. There have been kings, including in ancient Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Babylon, that have claimed to rule over the entire world. However, these claims were unrecognised by others and these monarchs did not control the whole world.
The best-known example of a king claiming to rule the world is in ancient Mesopotamia. The first Mesopotamian ruler to use the title king of the world, or king of the universe, was Akkadian Sargon of Akkad. He ruled from 2334 – 2284 BC. After successfully conquering enormous territory and establishing an empire, Akkadian Sargon of Akkad was declared king of the world to represent that he had total domination.
Around a thousand years later, a number of Assyrian rulers took the title of king of the world or king of the universe. They claimed to inherit the title from the Mesopotamian rulers and also used it to show their believed control over everything on earth.
The Babylonian rulers Nabopolassar (658 – 605 BC) and Nebuchadnezzar II (642 – 562 BC) are recorded as having used the title king of the world. However, neither king assumed the title officially, but are known to have signed documents using the title king of the world or king of the universe.
Importantly, none of these rulers actually controlled the whole world – not even the whole world known to them at that time. They all used the title king of the world to show their domination and strength and demonstrate their great power.
Why Is There No King of The World?
Right, we’ve established that no one today claims to be the monarch of the whole planet. We also know in the past there have people who have claimed this, but without directly ruling over the whole world. So, if there isn’t a king of the world, and never has been, that begs the question – why has there never been a global monarch?
There are three main reasons why there has never been a king of the world. These are:
- No monarch controls every country
- No global political system for a king to take over
- No worldwide support for a global ruler
Let’s go over each of these briefly…
No Monarch Controls Every Country
The first reason why there is no king of the world is because no one monarch controls every country on earth. Each country is a sovereign state with its own political system. There is no one ruler that governs the whole world. Some countries have kings or queens, but they only rule that one country, and not a whole region or the entire planet.
No Global Political System for A King to Take Over
A second reason why there is no global monarch is because there is no worldwide political system that a king or queen could be the head of. Although there are global institutions, such as the United Nations, these organisations do not rule over countries. They are also not headed by a monarch, but by elected directors chosen by member states.
No Worldwide Support for A Global Ruler
A third reason why there is a not a king or queen of the whole world is because there is no public support for one. No one in the world wishes for there to be global monarch and there is not political support for creating such a ruler. There is no movement to install a global king.
How To Become King of The World?
Finally, perhaps the most important questions… how could someone become a king of the world? Although there has never been a global monarch and it would be very unlikely one could be installed, how could someone become a ruler of the whole world, even if the chances are really… really small?
To become king of the world there is a need to conquer every country on earth. A person would then need to declare themselves a monarch.
In actually fact, it would basically be impossible to become king of the world. There is no army strong enough to defeat all others on earth, and therefore conquering every country in the world to become ruler is not possible.
Although someone could declare themselves as a global monarch, without actually controlling the entire world they would go unrecognized, and essentially would only be saying they were the king of the world, as opposed to actually being a universal ruler.