Most Infamous Kings and Queens In The World - Is ti the power that has driven these Kings and Queens mad or were they made that way? We gathered the top most infamous Kings and Queens of all time.
Vlad the Impaler
oddmygod.com - Vlad the Impaler was the ruler of Wallachia, and was known for his cruelty. His name “the impaler” was given to him posthumously due to his reputation. It is said that he did such horrendous deeds as to roast children and feed them to their mothers. After torture of this sort, his victims were then impaled. It is estimated that his victims numbered anywhere from forty thousand to a hundred thousand. Vlad used many sorts of torture but impalement was his very favorite. Stories about Vlad were the origin of the legends of “Dracula,” and were later inspiration for the classic of that name.
Ranavalona I
oddmygod.com - Ranavalona I was sovereign of the Kingdom of Madagascar in the early to mid 1800s. She was considered a ruthless tyrant because she would send her military into battles they could not win, and had no regard for the millions of lives that were lost under her rule. Within six years the population of Madagascar was decreased by half its number due to her aggressive and unsuccessful desire to expand her empire. She is also known for using the practice of trial by ordeal of “tangena.” This meant that when someone was accused of a crime, they were fed three pieces of chicken skin and poison from the tangena nut. If the person was able to throw up all three pieces of chicken skin and not die from the poison, they were considered innocent. If they couldn’t throw up all three pieces, or if they died from the poison, they were considered guilty. Since thousands lost their lives this way, it is no wonder she was called the “Mad Queen of Madagascar.”
Attila the Hun
oddmygod.com - Attila the Hun was the ruler of the Hunnic Empire. He was known to be a barbaric, bloodthirsty leader. Based on his attack in Rome he was called the Scourge of God. Rumor has it that after ripping people limb from limb he would drink their blood! He also killed Saint Ursula and thousands of her companions because she was a virgin who refused to sleep with him.
Genghis Khan
oddmygod.com - Genghis Khan was responsible for many of the bloodiest massacres in history. During his pursuit of expansion of the Mongol Empire, tens of millions of civilians lost their lives. His conquests ranged from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, through China and Russia. He had no qualms about sacking any city he happened upon and he killed indiscriminately. He is one of the most infamous pillagers in history.
Herod the Great
oddmygod.com - Herod the Great was king of Judea as far back as 37BC. As is historically documented in biblical accounts, Herod the Great called for the massacre of over 150,000 first born males in an attempt to kill Jesus Christ, who he heard was coming as King. He was also known to call for the execution of anyone he thought was a threat to his leadership.
Emperor Nero
oddmygod.com - Emperor Nero was ruler of the Roman Empire. He is most famously known for his bloody persecution of Christians. He had varied tortures, from being ripped to shreds by lions as a spectator sport, to having Christians dipped in oil and set on fire in his garden to serve as a light source. Still others were crucified. It is debated whether or not Nero was responsible for the deaths of Jesus’s apostles Peter and Paul. For a time, Nero was even considered to be the Antichrist.
Empress Wu Zetian
oddmygod.com - Empress Wu Zetian was the one and only woman emperor in China’s history. She protected that position through cruelty and torture. Anyone who opposed her was guilty of treason and were either executed or exiled. One way she liked to execute people was to force them to commit suicide. Poison was also an execution of choice for her. It is also said that she strangled her infant daughter so that she would not be an obstacle to her political reign. Her favorite torture was called the human pig, in which a person was bound, had their tongue cut out, their arms and legs amputated while still alive, and then letting them struggle like a pig until dead. She is one of the most infamously cruel female leaders in history.