Composite monarchy

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A composite monarchy (or composite state) is a historical category that describes early modern states consisting of several countries under one ruler, sometimes designated as a personal union, who governs their territories as if they were separate kingdoms, in accordance with local traditions and legal structures. The composite state became the most common type of state in the late medieval and early modern era in Europe. The term was introduced by H. G. Koenigsberger in 1975 and popularised by Sir John H. Elliott in 1992. Koenigsberger divides composite states into two classes: those, like the Spanish Empire, that consisted of countries separated by either other states or by the sea, and those, like Poland–Lithuania, that were contiguous. A medieval example of a composite monarchy was the Angevin Empire. Theorists of the 16th century believed that "conformity" (similarity in language and customs) was important to success of a composite state. Francesco Guicciardini praised the acquisition...

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