Sudden changes in history

Arterion

Arterion

Arterion

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Awfully random question, but can anyone think of any times in history where someone came into power and all of a sudden made a very dramatic change to the society which they were head of, be they social reforms or more interestingly religious ones. Whether these changes were successful is irrelvant really.

An example off the top of my head would be Akhenaten's drastic changes to ancient Egyptian religion; he in the space of a couple of years went from polytheism to monotheism (or henotheism depending on what side of that fence you sit on).

Anyone?
 
Roman Empire?

Not so much as someone come into power, more the changes they have when they have conquered a new land, the technology and the law they bring.
 
First Triumvirate; Russian Revolution; French Revolution; American Revolution; Cultural Revolution.

:)
 
Not a bad ideas actually, although not necessarily as dramatic and sudden a change as I'm thinking of...3000 years of religious tradition turned on its head inside 5 years- major implications in society; economy, socio-psychology etc. Obviously there aren't many instances where a change can be contrasted to THAT much history, but someone must have tried something crazy revolutionary at some point?
 
I'd have thought the Barons getting King John to sign and recognise the Magna Carta in 1215 would rank right up there, if not at the top of the list considering it's the basis for the majority of the World's legal systems and constitutions.
 
Dolph said:
Cromwell's abolishment of the monarchy in the UK would be pretty high.
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Ooh, I really like that, especially as it came back at a later period; I'm really interested in evidence that people clung on to the ways & traditions they were used to after the change was made, and any sort of persecution which might have arisen because of it.
 
Arterion said:
Awfully random question, but can anyone think of any times in history where someone came into power and all of a sudden made a very dramatic change to the society which they were head of, be they social reforms or more interestingly religious ones. Whether these changes were successful is irrelvant really.

An example off the top of my head would be Akhenaten's drastic changes to ancient Egyptian religion; he in the space of a couple of years went from polytheism to monotheism (or henotheism depending on what side of that fence you sit on).

Anyone?
Click to expand...

The Spanish invading South America and taking Catholicism there. After the invasion, the natives only accepted Catholicism when 10 years later one of their own had a vision where they saw a brown skinned Virgin Mary, can't remember exact details, see;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_the_Aztec_Empire

Rgds
 
Dolph said:
Cromwell's abolishment of the monarchy in the UK would be pretty high.
Click to expand...

It would have if it had been permanent.

oldbag said:
Burning of the monestrys?
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If you're thinking of iconoclasm during the Reformation, I'd say that's a good example. Hell, you can almost throw in the entire Reformation, if it comes to that - though this doesn't quite fit the OP's criteria.

I'd also add Henry VIII's rejection of the Catholic church and subsequent creation of the Anglican Church.
 
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