HIS 31
CHAPTER 13 POWER POINT
Europe’s Social and Political Order and
Absolute Monarchies (1600-1715)
KEY TERMS
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Great Chain of Being – 17th Century Western European belief that God, angels, humans, animals,
and plants existed in an ordered, permanent arrangement
Royal Absolutism – 17th Century kings commanded more loyalty, control, and resources than their
predecessors due to their belief in divine right
Fronde (1648-1653) – French subjects revolt against the monarchy because they objected to high
taxes and increasing royal power
Classical Style – French literature that described the elegance, sense of order, and formalism of
royalty
Estates – representatives of the three social classes under the Old Regime of France
Sumptuary Laws – European governments issued these laws to regulate what kinds of clothing were
appropriate for members of each social class
Puritans – Protestants in England who wanted to “purify” the Church of England; they wanted to
remove all traces of Catholicism
Roundheads – Parliamentary forces during the English Civil War (1642-1649) led by Oliver Cromwell;
got their name due to their short haircuts
Levellers – radical Protestants who wanted social justice in England due to the crime that resulted
from bad harvests
Constitutionalism – In 1689, Parliament passed the Bill of Rights which stated that kings were subject
to the laws of the land; this created a constitutional monarchy
Glorious Revolution (1688) – William and Mary become monarchs in England without any bloodshed
and they agree to adhere to the English Bill of Rights
ANALYZING QUESTION 1
Analyze the ways monarchs tried to increase their power.
Henry IV (France) – Edict of Nantes (religious toleration), appealed to the traditional
nobility by creating an image of a cultured warrior-king, sold government offices to rich
lawyers, merchants, and landowners, increased law-enforcement, improved
transportation, lowered tariffs, protected industry
 Louis XIV (France) – used symbol of the “Sun King” to enhance his nobility (image
perpetuated by his advisor, Bishop Bossuet), “Lʼétat, cʼest moi” (I am the state), appointed
members of modest noble backgrounds to important offices of government, initiated
public works, building the palace at Versailles, created a complex system of etiquette and
favoritism that he forced the nobility to be a part of daily, outlawed Protestantism, fought
wars of aggression to acquire territory, glory, and wealth
 Ivan the Terrible (Russia) – destroyed Mongols in southern Russia, conquered Siberia,
created a secret police force to bypass powerful nobles, used torture and terror to silence
opponents, created the Law Code of 1649 which made serfs into property for landowning
nobles
 Peter the Great (Russia) – adopted Western technology, politics, and customs to boost
his political and military power, expanded Russian territory by fighting Sweden to gain a
piece of the Baltic Coast (warm-water port of St. Petersburg)
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ANALYZING QUESTION 2
What groups opposed the increase in monarchial power and what political
theories were developed to support their positions?
 Constitutionalism – in England, instead of the government residing in
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an absolute monarch, it eventually rested in written law
Quakers (English Protestants) forbade its members to take off their
hats to men in authority
The prestige of “old wealth” enjoyed by the nobility declined as a result
of the “new money” earned by merchants and entrepreneurs
The medieval military that protect the nobles declined along with
feudalism; mercenaries now rose to power
Thomas Hobbes – believed in the social contract; humans recognized
their inability to live peacefully, so they willingly gave up their
sovereignty to a ruler who would rule them absolutely, yet keep society
orderly
John Locke – believed power originally rested with the people; he
argued that if a government or king failed to protect citizens’ rights, it
was the people’s responsibility to overthrow them and create a new
government
ANALYZING QUESTION 3
In what ways might the term “absolutism” also apply to Mughal emperors?
 Mughal Empire – Islamic Turkish empire that conquered
the Indian subcontinent
 Babur, Akbar, Jahangir – absolute rulers who wielded
power arbitrarily
 Jahangir – ordered a bloody campaign against the
rebellious Afghans to bring his empire under firmer control
 Aurangzeb – emperor who demanded that all Muslims
strictly follow all principles of Islam, led military campaigns,
persecuted Hindus and Sikhs
ANALYZING QUESTION 4
How do you explain why in some areas monarchs won the battle for
sovereignty, whereas in others they lost?
 Charles I – lost the battle for sovereignty; Cromwell’s forces crushed
the king’s royal supporters (Cavaliers), Parliament purposefully tried
Charles I as a king, he was accused of abusing his authority under
divine right by exercising tyrannical power, he was found guilty and
executed in January 1649
 William and Mary – won the battle for sovereignty; Parliament and
monarchs agreed to joint rule, monarchs preserved freedom of speech,
election, and the rule of law by adhering to the Bill of Rights, Parliament
demonstrated that the power to rule rested with the people rather than
absolutely with a king or queen
ANALYZING QUESTION 5
Describe the struggles peasants throughout Europe faced during the seventeenth
century. How did their conditions differ in western and eastern Europe?
 Western European peasants suffered from a lack of food and
adequate clothing, they had to pay a huge amount of taxes, they were
forced to give what little food and money they had over to nobles
 Eastern European peasants were serfs who were bound t the land and
owed services to their lords
 Problems under Peter the Great - modernization reforms made the
peasantry worse; 97 percent of the Russian population were serfs and
they became tied down in a system of serfdom which was essentially
slavery, their tax contributions increased by 500 percent, their feudal
obligations and military service increased
THINKING ABOUT DOCUMENTS (PAGE 409)
What, according to Bossuet, are the nature and properties of royal authority? How
does he justify the various qualities of royal authority? How absolute is the power
of kings?
 Question 1 – royal authority is sacred, paternal, absolute,
and ruled by reason’ kings must provide for the safety and
welfare of their people; they are the father of their people
 Question 2 – princes (kings/monarchs) are God’s ministers
and lieutenants on Earth and he grants them the power to
rule; the title of Christ is given to kings
 Question 3 – kings are subject to the laws because they
must be just and they must protect justice BUT they are not
subject to the penalties of law