Scholar-kings were the monarchs of the ancient elven nation of Eita. Though the role was otherwise much akin to that of absolute monarchs in other societies, they drew their legitimacy in large part from their support of, and participation in, intellectual endeavors. Scholar-kings were expected to be active participants in the endless debates that took place in Eitan scholar-halls. Failure to do so, or failure to present convincing arguments or evidence to support one's position, was seen as a sign of a lack of rigor or curiosity, and therefore a lack of the ability to govern. In this way the scholar-halls served political as well as educational purposes.
With the decline of Eita and the elven mass exodus to Hinthial, the title of scholar-king fell to the wayside. There are still some in the elven diaspora who claim to be scholar-princes, however, who in Eitan days were subordinate to the monarch.