Absolutism it was a very common form of government in Europe between the 16th and 19th centuries and defended the theory of the absolute power of the king over the entire nation. The power of kings during the Middle Ages was considered limited compared to the absolutist period, as there was a lot of political fragmentation and the king's influence depended on a relationship of vassalage, in which the exchange of favors between kings and nobles guaranteed royal power.
As the modern nations were structured, mainly England, France and Spain, and as commerce resurfaced in Europe, a new social class emerged with great economic power: the bourgeoisie. For the bourgeoisie, the political and economic fragmentation that existed since the Middle Ages was not interesting, as it affected their business, mainly because of because of differences in currency and taxes existing from one province to another (even in provinces of the same kingdom, there were these differences in currency and taxes).
The nobility, in turn, welcomed the concentration of power in the figure of the monarch as a way to ensure control of the lands they owned. Thus, the concentration of power in the hands of the king was a demand of the rising bourgeoisie and also of the nobility.
With power concentrated in the king, it was up to him to creationintaxes, determination and impositionof thelaws, to guaranteeThesafetyofKingdom,suffocaterebellionsandriots and prevent foreign invasions and attacks. For this to happen efficiently, an entire administrative structure was created to assist the kings in their various duties. With the formation of the National States - the nations -, the king determined the impositionincoinandlanguagesingle for the entire nation, eliminating the differences that restricted the performance of the growing mercantile class.
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As the economies of nations grew and strengthened, it was necessary to guarantee the protection of national production. Thus, customs duties were created, that is, taxes for products that were produced in other countries. With power concentrated in his hands and the revenue growing, as numerous taxes were created, the king was able to form a specialized and permanent army to defend the kingdom.
Nicolas Machiavelli was one of the most influential advocates of absolutist power **
As the royal power had great support, which came from both the ascendant bourgeoisie and the noble elites, a series of intellectuals, such as NicholasMachiavelli, ThomasHobbes, jacquesBossue, JeanBodin, among others, to emphasize the legitimacy of the absolute power of the king. The critique of absolutism arose from the popularization of Enlightenment ideals from the 18th century.
*Image credits: Pecold and Shutterstock
** Image credits: Irisphoto1 and Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SILVA, Daniel Neves. "What is absolutism?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/historia/o-que-e-absolutismo.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
