Commonly understood as a form of government that came to overcome the barriers of the feudal world, the rise of states Absolutist Nationals involves a set of factors much broader than simply changing a system socioeconomic. It is true that, since the eleventh century, with the revival of commercial activities across Europe, some customs and practices of the Middle Ages lost space to the beginning of a new historical period. However, there are other cultural, geographical and philosophical factors that are important for understanding this process.
In this way, it was not only for the interest of the commercial bourgeoisie that the National States managed to establish themselves on European soil. The so-called absolutism theorists, which emerged mainly in the 16th century, also served as the basis for this new form of political regime to be established. Even defending new ideas, we can also understand that absolutist theories did not promote a complete break with some points of feudal society.
In the Absolutist State, the maximum authority was represented by the figure of the king, who in the vast majority of cases had a noble origin. From this, we can evidence that the land-owning nobility, powerful during the feudal world, also participated in the highest political cadres of the Modern Age. It is important to remember that the nobles, within the Absolutist State, enjoyed great privileges, such as exemption from taxes.
However, we cannot fail to emphasize the role of the bourgeoisie, which saw in unification and in political-administrative standardizations an effective way to expand its commercial gains. Political decentralization, the payment of feudal taxes, and the lack of a monetary unit greatly limited commercial gains. With the creation of a unified territory, where only the State collected taxes and the same currency existed, it was possible to increase the profits of the bourgeoisie.
For the creation of states, in addition to the interest of the bourgeoisie and the nobility, they should also be developed a new set of cultural values and geopolitical actions that would legitimize the new order established. In this way, the National States sought to define their territories, promoted the creation of national symbols, created a single currency, established an official language and even recounted the origins of the people belonging to that currency. nation. Another important factor in the construction of the National State was the adhesion of the Church to the new power, proclaiming the divine character of the king.
Thus, we must understand that the formation of National States as a slow and gradual process. National monarchies emerged in Europe at the cost of several battles and treaties that will give the necessary stability to this type of government. Among other battles, we can highlight the War of the Reconquest, which expelled the Arabs from the Iberian Peninsula; and the Hundred Years War, which marked territorial disputes between England and France as examples of the disputes that marked the formation of National Monarchies.
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By Rainer Sousa
Master in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUSA, Rainer Gonçalves. "Absolutism"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/historiag/absolutismo-mercantilismo.htm. Accessed on July 27, 2021.