A monarchy is a government where power rests largely or entirely with one individual.
On Kishar
Monarchies in their many forms are one of the most common governments used by societies on Kishar. Nations and peoples as organized and large as Amshan and as diffuse as Abanir are ruled by monarchs, though there are significant differences across cultures and regions.
While monarchies may be widespread on Kishar, they are not necessarily hereditary in nature, and those that could be described as such are considered oddities by many. It may be perfectly acceptable to be ruled by a king or queen, but to suggest that such rule should necessarily be passed down to their children is often seen as strange, as familial relation is no guarantee they will possess the skills necessary for governance. In some places, like the jarldoms of Rothurland or the scholar-princedoms of Yurukan, the position of monarch passes to those who prove themselves worthy of the role in whatever means their society values. Still, some of the largest nations on Kishar are hereditary monarchies, but even then they tend to have strong limits on the individual's powers. Viridian kings and queens must contend with the influence of the senate, for example, while those of Khapesh are required to navigate both the considerable economic authority of the temples of their nation and with their underlings the nomarchs. As a general rule, monarchies on Kishar are either non-hereditary and absolute, or else hereditary and either bureaucratic or meritocratic.