
Recommended read
Louis XIII, the Just
A. Lloyd Moote
Moote on the king whose reign saw Richelieu forge the absolute monarchy Louis XIV would inherit.

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

Charles I of England
England
1625–1649

Shah Jahan
Mughal Empire
1628–1658

Jahangir I
Mughal Empire
1605–1627

James VI and I
England
1603–1625

Ahmed I
Ottoman Empire
1603–1617

Philip IV of Spain
Spain
1621–1665

Murad IV
Ottoman Empire
1623–1640

Tokugawa Iemitsu
Japan (Shogunate)
1623–1651

Philip IV of Spain
Portugal
1621–1640

Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1619–1637

Pope Urban VIII
Papacy
1623–1644

Charles I of England
Scotland
1625–1649
Chongzhen Emperor
China
1627–1644

Empress Meishō
Japan
1629–1643

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Sweden
1611–1632

Emperor Go-Mizunoo
Japan
1611–1629

Hong Taiji
China
1636–1643

Wanli Emperor
China
1572–1620

Philip III of Spain
Spain
1598–1621

Tianqi Emperor
China
1620–1627

James VI and I
Scotland
1587–1625

Christina, Queen of Sweden
Sweden
1632–1654

Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1637–1657

Osman II
Ottoman Empire
1618–1622

Ibrahim I
Ottoman Empire
1640–1648

Philip III of Spain
Portugal
1598–1621

Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1612–1619

Pope Paul V
Papacy
1605–1621

Tokugawa Hidetada
Japan (Shogunate)
1605–1623

Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1576–1612

John IV of Portugal
Portugal
1640–1656

Pope Gregory XV
Papacy
1621–1623

Charles IX of Sweden
Sweden
1604–1611
One “meanwhile in history” story each week: who ruled where, and what was happening on thrones across the world.
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From the library
Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Recommended read
A. Lloyd Moote
Moote on the king whose reign saw Richelieu forge the absolute monarchy Louis XIV would inherit.

Colin Jones
The best single-volume illustrated history of France, from Gaul to the Fifth Republic.
Find on Amazon
Jonathan Fenby
A lively modern history that helps place later French monarchs and revolutionaries in context.
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