asked 168k views
1 vote
"Dear Drastonians, I am your king. I have always been your king. Did you know that 1000 years ago your people chose my people to be your overlords? It is true—see, it is all recorded in this history that I just made up. Now, go bake me a cake!" Drastonian identity is an example of:

asked
User Orom
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1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The student's question encompasses the concept of imagined communities and how rulers like kings use fabricated histories to legitimize their rule and establish a collective national identity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The notion of Drastonian identity as referenced in the question is a facet of how national identities and ruling classes, like a king, can fabricate historical narratives to legitimize their rule. In this hypothetical scenario, the king is addressing the people, claiming an ancestral right to rule based on a constructed history. This reflects the concept of imagined communities wherein citizens share a sense of belonging through constructed narratives and rituals, as theorized by political scientist Benedict Anderson. Similar tactics have been observed throughout history, for instance, by Theodoric the Great, who utilized the existing Roman administrative system to assert his authority, and by monarchs such as Alexander the Great and Darius the Great, who used artistic representations to fortify their charismatic appeal and claims to power.

answered
User Ali Adravi
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7.6k points
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