Status Quo- Hobbes

I can't help but feel that the "Rise of Absolutism" during the period of time was nothing more than a continuation of trends throughout history. Having a single ruler with absolute power was far from new.

In Europe there were two major powers that had non-absolutist governments. The Greeks had a democracy and the Romans had a republic. Eventually around year 27BC the Romans became an Empire and proceeded to set the bar for corrupt egoistic wasteful tyrants. This lasted until the Attila the Hun (another absolute autocrat) came and crashed the party. The Roman Empire was thus divided into small kingdoms. Europe would then continue being ruled by autocrats until democracy got popular.
In China Emperors ruled the land with with the Mandate of Heaven from the Han Dynasty forward (~200BC). When the Manchu clans ousted the Ming dynasty and created the Qing dynasty they were replacing one Absolutist system with another. Having a single all-powerful ruler was the status Quo for China.
Persia was an ancient empire of even biblical fame, sporting a series of Xerxes themed Absolute Emperors. The ancient Persians were conquered by Alexander the Great, who was a King. His Kingdom dissolved on his death to form the Parthian Empire, who was conquered by the Sassanid Empire, who were absorbed by the Arab Caliphate (who were mostly Absolutiste rulers, but elected by their people). Once Persia liberated itself the Safavid Dynasty was set up and thus arrived Shah Abbas the Great.
Other examples throughout history of Absolute rulers
-The Egyptian Pharaohs
-The Golden Horde
-The Japanese Emperors and Shogun (during the Classical and Feudal periods respectively)
-Russian Czars
-Later Aztec rulers

In conclusion, the appearance of absolute rulers during this period of time was no more strange than their appearance at any time in history. Democracy was impossible to manage with large states and slow communication. Republics were weak and slow to act, allowing them to get conquered by strong autocrats. Theocracy was popular but the will of God tended to be interpreted by one all-powered ruler rather than by comittee. Thus absolutism became the status quo for human history, and the rulers we read about were both very powerful and a dying breed.