Reign

A reign is the period of time that a monarch (a king, queen, emperor, etc.) rules over a country.^[1] It can also be the period of time that a spiritual leader rules in a particular office. For example, the reign of a pope, dalai lama, patriarch etc. A reign can also be used for an office or championship.^[1] In many cases a reign lasts until the monarch (or leader) resigns, dies, or is removed. A monarch's reign was sometimes used to mark time officially. In Anglo-Saxon England for example, many royal documents were dated by the regnal year of the king.^[2] This lasted until about the 10th century.^[2]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} "reign". Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Michael Jones, A Handbook of Dates: For Students of British History (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004), p. 21