What Does Dynasty Mean?

Dynasty is a consecutive series of monarchs from the same family lineage. It refers to a familial grouping that preserves power and authority for many generations together. A dynasty always has a string of rulers consecutively. If the string is broken, so is the dynasty.

A dynasty is often referred to as a house. For example, the 'House of Habsburg'. Dynasty is used to depict the time period for which the particular family ruled as well. Incidents, developing trends and artefacts that emerged during this period as also described using the dynasty name. in similar instances, the word 'dynasty' is usually omitted but the given name is often used as an adjective. For example, 'Tudor style house.'
Most of the political past of Europe was subjugated, consecutively and collectively, by dynasties like the Bourbons, the Stuarts, and the Carolingians etc.

It was a granted condition that a ruler was supposed to enlarge his dynasty in order to increase the territorial control, as well as wealth and authority of the family. This practice went on till the 19th century.

Dynasty means that the rulers of a country usually are generations of the same family, or are of the same beliefs and ways that a country is run.  The Ming Dynasty were rulers that practiced "Han" beliefs, which was a set of beliefs for running the government, the religious beliefs, culture, etc.  Before them there was the "Xin" rulers, and after the Ming Dynasty, there was the Qing Dynasty that had a different set of ways to rule China.  In England, the dynasties were years of royal family rule, each generation of the same family took over when one died.  They were called Houses instead of dynasties.  The current one under the Queen is the House of Windsor.  Here is a site you might want to look at to see all the different ages of China's different dynasties:
gochina.about.com
 
I hope that helped you out a bit!
Moe

(plural dy·nas·ties)


1.
Succession of hereditary rulers: A succession of rulers from the same family

2.
Prominent and powerful family: A prominent and powerful family or group of people whose members retain their power and influence through several generations
[14th century. Directly or via French < late Latin dynastia < Greek dunastēs "lord" (see dynast)]


-dy·nas·tic [dī nástik, di nástik], adjective
-dy·nas·ti·cal·ly [dī nástikəlee], adverb
 

3.
Ruler: A ruler, especially a hereditary monarch

4.
Member or founder of dynasty: A member or founder of a dynasty

[Mid-17th century. Via Latin < Greek dunastēs "lord" < dunasthai "be able"]

A Dynasty refers to a familial line of descent. Most often referred to in business, it is a family owned business, that has been passed down to the descendant relatives of the family business.