Editing Prime minister (section)

===Origins===
{{Further|Chief Minister of England|Chief minister of France|Grand vizier}}

The position of a head of government separate from the head of state, or as the most important government administrator or minister after the monarch in rank developed in multiple countries separate from each other. The names given could be "prime minister", although other terms were also used such as "chief minister", "grand chancellor", "chancellor", "grand vizier", "counselor", and others. 

The literal title itself can be traced back to the [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid caliphate]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]] . They both had an official title of [[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]] simply the [[Head of government|Head of the Government]] which is called [[Prime Minister]] nowadays. The Grand Vizier was the most powerful person after [[List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire|sultan]] but sometimes the [[Grand vizier|Grand Vizier]] of Ottoman Empire was more powerful than sultan himself.<ref>{{Cite web |title= The Ottoman Empire's No 2 man|date=17 February 2014 |url=https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-ottoman-empires-no-2-man-62481}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= (The Root of the Great Vizier in the Ottoman Empire Until the Era of Sultan Muhammad Al-Fateh 1429-1481)|url=https://www.rimakjournal.com/the-root-of-the-great-vizier-in-the-ottoman-empire-until-the-era-of-sultan-muhammad-al-fateh-1429-1481_963#:~:text=Among%20the%20positions%20that%20the,shrines%20within%20the%20Ottoman%20Empire}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= What role did the vizier play in 'Abbasid administration? &#124; TutorChase|url=https://www.tutorchase.com/answers/ib/history/what-role-did-the-vizier-play-in--abbasid-administration}}</ref> The position of'[[Chancellor]] is the same or comparable in some countries as a prime minister, even if the label is different. The term goes back to ancient Roman times as head of the chancellery. This title as head of government or the administration existed in ancient China as [[Grand chancellor (China)|Grand Chancellor]] (Chinese: 宰相; pinyin: ''Zǎixiàng''), sometimes translated as "prime minister", existed since 685 BCE and ancient Japan [[Chancellor of the Realm]] (太政大臣 ''Daijō-daijin'') since the 7th century CE. In the [[Holy Roman Empire]] the position of [[Archchancellor]] was the highest dignitary and traces to 860 CE, out of which later derived the positions of head of government such as the modern [[Chancellor of Germany]], who is head of the federal government and an executive prime minister. 

The power of these ministers depended entirely on the personal favour of the monarch. Although managing the parliament was among the necessary skills of holding high office, they did not depend on a parliamentary majority for their power. Although there was a [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]], it was appointed entirely by the monarch, and the monarch usually presided over its meetings.

The monarch could dismiss the minister at any time, or worse: Cromwell was executed and Clarendon driven into exile when they lost favour. Kings sometimes divided power equally between two or more ministers to prevent one minister from becoming too powerful. Late in Anne's reign, for example, the [[Tories (British political party)|Tory]] ministers [[Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer|Harley]] and [[Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke|Viscount Bolingbroke]] shared power.