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TSAR, or CZAR

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Originally appearing in Volume V27, Page 348 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TSAR, or CZAR , the See also:title commonly given both abroad and in See also:Russia itself to the See also:sovereign of Russia, whose See also:official See also:style is, however, " See also:Emperor and Autocrat " (Imperator i Samovlastityel). In its origin the word tsar seems to have connoted the same as imperator, being identical with the See also:German Kaiser in its derivation from the Latin See also:Caesar. In the old See also:Slavonic Scriptures the See also:Greek 3wnXeis is always translated tsar, and this title was also given to the See also:Roman Emperor. The old See also:Russian title for a sovereign was knyaz, See also:prince, or veliky knyaz, See also:grand prince. The title tsar was first adopted by the Slavonic peoples settled in the See also:Balkan See also:peninsula, who were in See also:close See also:touch with the Eastern emperor; thus it was used by the See also:medieval Bulgarian See also:kings. It penetrated into Russia as a result of the growing intercourse between old Muscovy and See also:Constantinople, notably of the See also:marriage alliances contracted by Russian princes with the See also:dynasty of See also:Basil the Macedonian; and it was assumed by the See also:Muscovite princes who revolted from the yoke of the See also:Mongols. The other tsars were gradually ousted by those of See also:Moscow, and the See also:modern Russian emperors inherit their title of tsar from See also:Ivan III. (1462-1505), or perhaps rather from his See also:grandson Ivan IV. (1533—1584) who was solemnly crowned tsar in 1547. Throughout, however, the title tsar was used, as it still is in popular parlance, indifferently of both emperors and kings, being regarded as the See also:equivalent of the Slavonic krol or kral (Russ. korol, Magyar, kiraly), a See also:king, which had been adopted from the name of See also:Charlemagne (Germ. Karl, See also:Lat. Carolus See also:Magnus).

This use being equivocal, See also:

Peter the See also:Great, at the See also:peace of Nystad (See also:November 2, 1721), assumed the style of imperator, an See also:exotic word intended to symbolize his imperial dignity as the equal of the western emperor. This new style was not, however, recognized by the See also:powers until the See also:time of See also:Catherine II., and then only on the See also:express understanding that this recognition did not imply any precedency or superiority of the Russian emperor over other sovereigns. Henceforth, what-ever popular usage might be, the title tsar was treated officially as the equivalent of that of king. Thus the Russian emperor is tsar (king) of See also:Poland and of several other parts of his dominions. Thus, too, the prince of See also:Bulgaria, on assuming the royal style, took the title of tsar of Bulgaria. The title " See also:White Tsar, " applied to the Russian emperor and commonly quoted as though it had a poetic or mystic meaning, is a See also:translation of a Mongol word meaning " See also:independent " (cf. the feudal " blanch See also:tenure, " i.e. a tenure See also:free from all See also:obligation of See also:personal service). The wife of the tsar is tsaritsa. In former times the title tsarevich (king's son) was See also:borne by every son of a tsar; but the word has now fallen out of use. The See also:heir to the See also:throne is known as the tsesarevich or See also:cesarevich (q.v.), i.e. son of Caesar, the other Imperial princes bearing the old Russian title of veliky knyaz (grand See also:duke; q.v.).

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