Modern European States started to appear around the 10th Century, and some European dynasties reach back for a very long time. As states were fundamentally feudal, whereby a sovereign controlled the land he owned and pledged allegiance to a more powerful land owner, it is not uncommon to witness very powerful families with much more humble roots. They grew their lands through a combination of warfare and political alliance (mostly because marriage resulted in the merger of both spouses' lands).
In fact, it is quite telling that the name of the dynasties that ruled European nations for centuries - and in some cases still do, albeit in a more ceremonial way - come from places that are sometimes little more than a fort on a rocky promontory. This map shows the places of origin of some of the most successful dynasties in Europe. No Paris, London or Berlin, but Orange, Coburg and Habsburg!
European Dynasties
