The Greatest Ruler in History Is?

[Fred314X]

I would put George Washington on this list, because he had a more difficult task than any of his successors. He had to set all the precedents. And all things considered, he did a fantastic job. No matter what has happened since he left office in 1797, the republic has survived.

[SactoBankerGirl]

Fred, I would tend to agree with you, especially considering he voluntarily stepped down from power. We take something like that for granted now.

Aside from that, I must admit a Euro-centric bias in my thinking. Is it me or the way I was raised? But, I do need to educate myself more on leaders outside the European view.

[jtur88]

In the Lee Kwan Yew category, I'd also put King Hussein of Jordan. He ascended to the throne as a teenager, when his grandfather was assassinated in his presence. That was just a couple of years after his country was thrown into turmoil in the Israel/Palestine mess. He absorbed Palestinian refugees that doubled the population of his small country, stood back from ongoing belligerence between Israel and other Arab countries, and developed a respectable national economy in spite of the fact Jordan was the only country in the region with no oil resources. Hussein gained the respect of the entire world for his island of benign monarchy in a sea of despots, for leading his people on a path to moderation, and for his success in creating a peaceful and workable blend of traditional culture and modern global economy. All without selling out to any superpower.

Barack Obama should be proud to have been named Hussein. (He was certainly not named after Saddam Hussein,, who rose to prominence after Obama was born)

[ParkTwain]

Ashoka the Great of India (304-232 BCE). He ruled for 40 years, spread Buddhism through his empire. When India gained independence from the British Empire, it adopted Ashoka's emblem for its own.
Ashoka the Great - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are surprisingly few political leaders (Augustus Caesar, Geo. Washington, Hitler, Constantine, Genghis Khan, Simon Bolivar, Napoleon, Oliver Cromwell) listed ahead of him in Michael H. Hart's "Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History." And all of those lived later in history than Ashoka.
Religion of History's 100 Most Influential People

Augustus has to be one of the top five political leaders in history.
Geo. Washington had been a resourceful military leader, but as President he was not as significant but led a system of government that was itself a remarkable political innovation.
Genghis Khan was a tremendous military organizer but was basically a destroyer of civilizations.
Can't speak to the great kings and political leaders of China, who are probably deserving but not as well known in the West.
One or two of the Egyptian pharaohs should also be considered among the top 5 or 10 in history.

[OC Investor2]

Geo. Washington had been a resourceful military leader, but as President he was not as significant but led a system of government that was itself a remarkable political innovation

I have to disagree with you on this. GW's Presidential leadership set the tone for the future of the American Presidency at a time when the world was used to rule by monarchy. He was the first elected executive & head of state in modern times. The system was a remarkable innovation, but the precedents he set cemented the systems success and made American government what it is today.

His service as a military leader was greater in an Eisenhower-like General/Politicain sense then in a Patton/Tactican/warrior sense.