Discuss the nature of rule in one state in ascendancy and one state in decline.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the nature of rule in one state in ascendancy and one state in decline. The two states may or may not be from the same region and they may or may not have been contemporaneous with each other. A comparative approach may or may not be used. Candidates may refer to the administration and interpretation of laws; the methods of governance including how political, social and economic policies were determined; the nature and effectiveness of leadership and whether the state was an oligarchy, theocracy or monarchy. Factors such as the role of the military, both army and navy, and the expansion or contraction of imperial possessions may also be of relevance.