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ABSOLUTE MONARCHS VOCABULARY
BIG IDEA!
 In the 1500’s and 1600’s rulers in Europe and Asia wanted to have ALL of the power. This is called Absolutism.
 Absolute monarchs (Kings) acted to increase their power.
 Absolute monarchs in Spain, France and Russia has similar characteristics. The actions of these kings had positive and
negative effects on the people they ruled over.
 Monarchs used divine right to justify their power. This means they believed that God gave them their power.
 Some people resisted the power of the absolute monarchs and wanted to establish governments where people had
more rights.
TERMS TO KNOW
A king or queen that has all of the power. They have
taken actions to centralize power under their control.
Absolute monarchs often treat the people they control
poorly.
King of Queen
Absolutism
The kind of political system or government where
the king or queen has ALL the power. The people
do not have any rights.
Monarchy
A nation or country ruled by a monarch (King or
Queen)
Divine
Right
The idea that monarchs (kings) get their power from
God. The monarchs only answer to God. There is
nobody on earth more powerful than the king.
Mandate of
Heaven
Justify
To prove something is right, legal or reasonable. To
show that it is OK.
Freedoms and laws provided by the government in
order to protect the people of a country.
The part of a government that makes laws. Members of
Parliament are usually elected by the people who vote.
Resist
Idea similar to Divine Right. In Chinese history,
royal leaders thought that their power came from
the gods. The Mandate of Heaven was in China.
Divine Right was in Europe.
To fight against.
Absolute
Monarch
Monarch
Rights
Parliament
Constitution
Revolution
A written document that provides the laws of a
country.
A big change.
1688. The non-violent overthrow of the King of
Glorious
Revolution England. After the Glorious Revolution, England
Nobles
Nobility
Social class of people who were born rich and
powerful.
English Bill
of Rights
Limited
Monarchy
Opposite of an absolute monarchy. In a limited
monarchy, the king does NOT have all of the
power.
Westernization
When a country in the East (Russia) goes through
the process of becoming more like Western
Countries (England, America).
Boyar
became a limited monarchy. The English Bill of Rights
took effect during the Glorious Revolution.
Document passed by Parliament as a result of the
Glorious Revolution. The English Bill of Rights limited
the power of the monarch and gave more rights to
individuals.
Group of nobles that owned land in Russia.
Despot
An absolute monarch that is cruel and unfair.
Czar
Name for a ruler in Russia
Enlightened
Despot
An adoption of the social, economic or political
institutions of the West.
A monarch in the 1800’s who wanted to treat
their people in a fair way.
PEOPLE TO KNOW
Charles V
Absolute monarch in Spain from 1519-1556.
Philip II
Absolute monarch in Spain from 1556-1598. Philip II
believed in divine right.
Absolute monarch in Russia from 1530-1584. Known for Peter the Great
a harsh ruling style and violence. He killed people
suspected of disloyalty.
Ivan the
Terrible
Louis XIV
Absolute monarch in France from 1643- 1715.
Known for treating the French people badly and
spending money on himself while France went
broke.
Absolute monarch in Russia from 1682-1725. He
reduced the power of the nobles and the Church
in order to give himself more power.
Known for the westernization of Russia. He
made Russia more modern by copying things
done in Europe.