The Crazy Ruler

The biggest problem in the whole idea of a crazy ruler is that, well, if you look at the modern rulers, I don't think there are any crazy people. In general, crazy people cannot lord over even their own lives. Much less so, they can rule the state, even with the modern waves of automation and all that. Back then to be a ruler, that rules for decades is not easily assassinated or poisoned by his boyars, the aristocrats. You need to be very competent and very much sane to hold your position.