Atriumvirate (Latin:triumvirātus) or atriarchy is a political institution ruled or dominated by three individuals, known astriumvirs (Latin:triumviri). The arrangement can be formal or informal. Though the three leaders in a triumvirate are notionally equal, the actual distribution of power may vary.
Informally, the term "triumvirate" may be used for any association of three.[1]
Under the influence of theSoviet Union, the termtroika (Russian: for "group of three") may be used for "triumvirate".[2][3]
The Three Excellencies existed inWestern Han (202 BCE – 9 CE) as the Grand Chancellor, Grand Secretariat, and Grand Commandant, but the Grand Chancellor was viewed as senior to the Grand Secretariat while the post of Grand Commandant was vacant for most of the dynasty. AfterEmperor Guangwu established theEastern Han (25–220 CE), the Grand Commandant was made a permanent official while theMinister over the Masses replaced the Grand Chancellor and theMinister of Works replaced the Grand Secretariat. Unlike the three high officials in Western Han when the Grand Chancellor was senior to all, these new three senior officials had equal censorial and advisory powers. When a young or weak-mindedemperor ascended to the throne, these Three Excellencies could dominate state affairs. There were also other types of triumvirates during the Eastern Han; for example, at the onset of the reign ofEmperor Ling of Han (r. 168–189), theGeneral-in-chiefDou Wu (d. 168), theGrand TutorChen Fan (d. 168), and another prominent statesman Hu Guang (91–172) formed a triumvirate nominally in charge of thePrivy Secretariat, when in fact it was a regent triumvirate that was overseeing the affairs of state and Emperor Ling.[14]
InHinduism, thegodsBrahma,Vishnu, andShiva form the theological triumvirate of theTrimurti, representing the balanced forces of creation, preservation, and destruction, respectively.[15] Their female counterparts and consorts, the goddessesSaraswati,Lakshmi andParvati, make up the parallelTridevi.
Triumvirates during thePagaruyung era in theMinangkabau Highlands were known asRajo Tigo Selo, or "the three reigning kings." TheRajo Tigo Selo was descended from the same line in the same dynasty and ruled at the same reigning time. It consisted of three kings, theRajo Alam who ruled the government and diplomatic affairs, theRajo Adaik who ruled the customs and theRajo Ibadaik who acted as aGrand Mufti.[16]
During theRoman Republic,triumviri (ortresviri) were special commissions of three men appointed for specific administrative tasks apart from the regular duties ofRoman magistrates.
The termtriumvirate is most commonly used by historians of ancient Rome to refer to two political alliances during thecrisis of the Roman Republic:
TheSecond Triumvirate (theTresviri reipublicae constituendae) ofOctavian (later Caesar Augustus),Mark Antony, andLepidus, formed in 43 BCE as an official, legally established institution, formally recognized by theRoman Senate in theLex Titia and lasted de facto until the fall of Lepidus in 36 BCE, de jure until 32 BCE.[18]
Seljukdirham struck on behalf of three sultans, citing their names
In 1246,Rum Seljuk sultanKaykaus II was invited toGüyük Khan's coronation. Instead, he sentKilij Arslan IV, who went toKarakorum with a delegation. Two years later, he was accompanied by a Mongolian military unit of 2000 soldiers and returned toAnatolia with ajarlig given by Guyuk declaring him sultan. He was recognized as sultan inSivas,Erzincan,Diyarbakır,Malatya,Harput. Later, a meeting was held, resulting in an accord where the three brothers (Kaykaus, Kilij, and Kayqubad) would share the throne. Akhutbah was read on their behalf, and coins were struck in their names. However, influenced by some emirs, Kilij Arslan did not accept this and went into conflict with Kaykaus but suffered an unexpected defeat. On 14 June 1249, he was caught and brought to his brother. However, he was well received and returned together toKonya. Both were enthroned alongsideKayqubad II. Thus a period of joint rule began from 1249 until 1254.[20] Kaykaus controlled the capital, Konya, and everything further west, and the coast atAntalya, up toAnkara. Kilij Arslan was allocated everything to the east of Konya up toErzurum. Kayqubad was granted minor estates on a scale sufficient for his personal expenses.[21][page needed]
(L-R) Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Milan Rastislav Štefánik, and Edvard Beneš
TheCzechoslovak National Council, an organization founded in Paris in 1916 byCzech andSlovak émigrés duringWorld War I to liberate their homeland fromAustria-Hungary, consisted of the triumvirate[24] ofTomáš Garrigue Masaryk as a chairman,Edvard Beneš, who joined Masaryk in exile in 1915, as the organization's general secretary, andMilan Rastislav Štefánik, a Slovak who was an aviator in the French Army, designating to represent Slovak interests in the national council. During the closing weeks of the war, the Czechoslovak National Council was formally upgraded to a provisional government and its members were designated to hold top offices in theFirst Czechoslovak Republic.
2012: The leadership ofShas, the ultra-orthodox Sepharadi political party of Israel, was given by its spiritual leader, RabbiOvadia Yosef and the Council of Torah Sages, to a triumvirate formed by the convictedAryeh Deri, who decided to return to politics after a thirteen-year hiatus, the former party leaderEli Yishai andAriel Atias.
13 April 1970 until 26 October 1972: After the contentious1970 presidential elections, the country ofBenin (then known as theRepublic of Dahomey) adopted a Presidential Council which included the three main political figures in the country:Hubert Maga,Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, andSourou-Migan Apithy. In addition, the formal office of President would rotate between the three of them beginning with Hubert Maga. After one successful change of leadership, military leaderMathieu Kérékou staged a coup and overthrew the Presidential Council becoming the leader of the country until 1991.[28]
In the context of theSoviet Union, the termtroika (Russian: for "group of three") is used for "triumvirate".[3]
May 1922 – April 1925: WhenVladimir Lenin suffered his firststroke in May 1922, a Troika was established to govern the country in his place, although Lenin briefly returned to the leadership from 2 October 1922 until a severe stroke on 9 March 1923 ended his political career. The Troika consisted ofJoseph Stalin,Lev Kamenev, andGrigory Zinoviev. The Troika broke up in April 1925, when Kamenev and Zinoviev found themselves in a minority over their belief that socialism could only be achieved internationally. Zinoviev and Kamenev joined forces withLeon Trotsky'sLeft Opposition in early 1926.[29] Later, Kamenev, Zinoviev and Trotsky would all be murdered on Stalin's orders.
Eric Schmidt, former CEO ofGoogle has referred to himself, along with foundersLarry Page andSergey Brin as part of a triumvirate, stating, "This triumvirate has made an informal deal to stick together for at least 20 years".[38]
Weimar Triangle, regional alliance of France, Germany, and Poland created in 1991
Beck, Mansvelt. (1986). "The Fall of Han," inThe Cambridge History of China: Volume I: the Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 B.C. – A.D. 220. Edited by Denis Twitchett and Michael Loewe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-24327-0.
Loewe, Michael. (1986). "The Former Han Dynasty," inThe Cambridge History of China: Volume I: the Ch'in and Han Empires, 221 B.C. – A.D. 220, 103–222. Edited by Denis Twitchett and Michael Loewe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-24327-0.
