Ruler
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Each country is headed by a ruler. In EU4, rulers are influential in the running of a country, having between 0 and 6 points of administrative, diplomatic and military skill; these skills contribute directly to the nation's monthly generation of monarch power. Rulers may be either a monarch, who as an heir inherits the title from a relative in a monarchy, or an elected leader of a republic or theocracy, chosen by the AI or player at regular intervals.
Contents
Monarchy
Monarchs (rulers of countries with a monarchy government type) rule until death, and have an heir to succeed them and inherit the throne. The system is nearly identical to EU3's system of monarchs, heirs and dynasties.
Dynasty
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Each monarch belongs to a dynastic house. These are generally represented as surnames in the game. Monarchs can share a dynasty with rulers of other countries, and receive a +15 bilateral bonus to relations with that country. Spreading your dynasty involves luck and good timing with throne claims and royal marriages, with throne claims requiring a royal marriage and same dynasty .
Royal marriage
- For the diplomatic effects of royal marriage between countries, see Diplomacy#Royal marriage
Countries ruled by monarchs may arrange royal marriages with others. In certain circumstances, where a ruler dies without an heir, there is a chance [Specification needed] that the randomly appointed succeeding monarch may belong to a dynasty royally married to that country. This can lead to personal union and inheritance. Each royal marriage gives 0.1 legitimacy per year, but entering into a marriage with a nation with lower prestige causes an immediate drop of 1-5 legitimacy.
Heir
A monarch has an heir, who may represent a son, daughter, cousin or other relative. In cases where no heir exists, upon the death of the monarch a new nobleman takes the throne, dependent on certain factors such as legitimacy, royal marriages and dynasty determining the dynasty of the ruler.
Heir chance
The following modifiers increases the likelihood of a new heir appearing, where a monarchy lacks one:
Religions
National Ideas
- Austrian Ambition +50.0%
- Japan: Shinokosho System +25.0%
- Ethiopia: Negusa Negast +25.0%
- Saxony: Albertine & Ernestine Lines +25.0%
- Assam: The Buranjis +25.0%
- Kongo: Election of Manikongos +25.0%
Governments
- Iqta: +100.0%
Regency
In the event that your ruler dies before his heir reaches the age of 15, the country will be ruled by a regency council. While in regency, a country cannot declare war, but can still become involved indirectly in wars.
If a country is reigned by a regency with no suitable heir, a few years in to the regency a new heir will be generated, of the same dynasty as another kingdom in royal marriage with yours. Or if no royal marriages a new dynasty appears.
Republic
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Election
Theocracy
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Notable rulers
The following rulers have at least 5 in each stat. (Some of these rulers are actually the same person appearing several times; for example, the future Henry IV of France appears as a ruler of Bourbonnais and later of Navarre)
Country | Name | Date | ![]() |
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Total | ![]() |
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Total |
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Albania | Gjergj Skanderbeg | 1443.3.4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
Bourbonnais | Henri I | 1562.11.18 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
Burgundy | Philippe III | 1419.9.11 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
England | Elizabeth I | 1558.11.17 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 17 | |||||
England | Oliver | 1646.5.5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 15 |
Ethiopia | Zar'a Quastantînôs III | 1434.6.2 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Fez | Ismâ'îl | 1672.3.28 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | |||||
France | Henri IV | 1589.8.2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
France | Louis XIV | 1643.5.14 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||||
Georgia | Irakli II | 1762.1.19 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 13 |
Hojo | Ujiyasu | 1541.4.15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||||
Japan | Nobunaga | 1573.7.3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||||
Japan | Hideyoshi | 1582.6.22 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Japan | Ieyasu | 1603.3.24 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Khmer | Ang Chan I | 1516.1.1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | |||||
Korea | Do | 1418.1.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Carnatic | Chennappa | 1535.1.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||||
Carnatic | Gangama | 1590.1.1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | |||||
LanXang | Sourigna Vongsa | 1637.1.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||||
Manchu | Hiowan Yei | 1661.2.5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Milan | Francesco I | 1450.3.27 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||||
Malwa | Mahmud I | 1436.5.3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||||
Ming | Di | 1402.7.13 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
Morocco | Ismâ'îl | 1672.3.28 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
Mori | Takachika | 1837.2.4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | |||||
Mughal | Bâbur | 1494.6.6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
Mughal | Akbar I | 1556.2.14 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
Navarra | Enrique III | 1572.6.9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 |
Netherlands | Maurice I van Nassau | 1585.11.14 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
Funj | Bâdî II | 1644.1.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
Oda | Nobunaga | 1551.4.8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||||
Oudh | Muhammad Sa'adat Khan | 1724.10.9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Persia | Ismâ'îl I | 1483.1.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
Persia | Abbas I | 1587.12.11 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
Perm | Mikhail I | 1451.1.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Prussia | Friedrich II der Große | 1740.5.30 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 19 |
Russia | Pyotr I Veliky | 1682.4.28 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | |||||
Russia | Yekaterina II Velikaya | 1762.6.30 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 17 | |||||
Shiba | Yoshiaki | 1570.1.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Shawnee | Tecumseh | 1800.1.1 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 13 |
Sweden | Gustav II Adolf | 1611.10.30 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 18 |
Taungu | Alaungpaya | 1752.2.28 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||||
Timurid Empire | Bâbur | 1500.4.1 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
Takeda | Harunobu | 1541.6.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | |||||
Tokugawa | Ieyasu | 1575.7.9 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Ottoman Empire | Mehmet II Fatih | 1451.2.3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
Ottoman Empire | Süleyman I Kanuni | 1520.9.23 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 14 |
Tuscany | Cosimo di Medici | 1429.2.20 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 16 | |||||
Uesugi | Noriaki | 1336.1.1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 18 | |||||
United States | George Washington | 1789.4.30 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 16 | |||||
Vientiane | Sourigna Vongsa | 1637.1.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 |
See also
- List of rulers (Warning: large)
- Dev diary 5 focused on the changes to Rulers in EU4.
Monarch power | Ruler • Advisor • Idea groups • National ideas • Technology • Stability • Policies |
Other | Decisions • Missions • Events • Modifiers • Disasters • Government • Factions • Prestige • Institutions • Overextension • War exhaustion • Power projection |