Examine the reasons for disputes between rulers and religious leaders in two societies, each chosen from a different region.

The question requires that candidates consider the interrelationship between rulers and religious leaders in two societies that must be chosen from different regions. There should be focus on disputes that arose between rulers and religious leaders and an examination of the reasons for these. Examples of disputes may include the following: the quarrel between Henry II of England and Archbishop Thomas Becket; the impact of Zen Confucianism and Buddhism on the emergence of the Shogunate that overshadowed the authority of the emperor in medieval Japan; the dispute over the succession to the Caliphate in Islam; or the impact the Avignon Papacy, also known as the Great Western Schism, had upon the allegiance of temporal rulers to Rome. The two societies chosen need not be contemporaneous and the focus should remain on the reasons for disputes. Candidates’ opinions and conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates consider the interrelationship between rulers and religious leaders in two societies, chosen from different regions. There were very few responses seen.