ABSTRACT
Much of the literature describes traditional aristocratic empires, in contrast to modern societies, as virtually unchanging and extremely stable. Others have objected to this characterization and point to the numerous changes in the history of such empires and to a high degree of instability. Thus stability at one level of the aristocracy is bought at the price of instability at another. The high degree of instability of personnel that characterizes the politics of aristocratic empires also results in instability of policy, but this is relatively limited as compared to the possible policy changes in modern society. However, changes of personnel take place only within the aristocracy, and hence changes of policy take place only within the possible range of aristocratic policy. Even where aristocratic conquests produce substantial cultural and especially linguistic and religious changes among the conquered, the place of the aristocrat and of the peasant in the order of things remains unchanged.
