Chapter 6 : The Rise of Absolutist States

The Rise of Absolutist States

In the late-fifteenth century, Europe was divided into over 500 decentralized feudal states. The crisis of the feudal economy altered power relations, leading the state to monopolize the use of force and repress the economic power of feudal lords. This period witnessed the rise of strong centralized monarchies, specifically in western Europe (France, England, and Spain).

• This form of government came to be called absolutism (in its early stages, also described as New Monarchy or Renaissance Monarchy).
• It emerged from medieval feudal kingship, curbing the powers of institutions like the Estates-General (France), Diet (German states), Parliament (England), and Cortes (Spain).
• Rulers raised standing armies, created royal bureaucracies, collected taxes independently, and reduced Papal/Holy Roman Emperor interference.
• The theory of the Divine Right of the king provided moral justification, supported by political theorists like Jean Bodin, Bossuet, and Hobbes.

Origins of Absolutism

Absolutism was a response to the crisis of feudalism, absorbing smaller units into strong centralized states. Conditions favouring this were almost the same in England, France, and Spain.

• Gianfranco Poggi's reasons for the weakening of feudalism:

1. Increased commercialization.
2. Influx of bullion leading to devalued money.
3. Growing expenditure of the feudal ruling classes.

• Factors aiding the rise of Absolutism:
• Rich bourgeois families purchased official posts previously monopolized by feudal nobility.
• New, costly methods of warfare deprived feudal lords of military significance.
• Inter-state politics required standing armies and fleets, financed only by rulers of bigger states.
• Economic squeeze by seigneurs led to peasant rebellions, causing social/political disorders and feudal warfare (e.g., Hundred Years War 1339-1453, Uprising of 1381, War of the Roses).
• Weakened nobility looked to kings to protect their privileged positions from threats below.
• Limitations of Absolutism:
• Standing armies relied heavily on foreign soldiers.
• Key bureaucratic posts were sold to private individuals at exorbitant rates to raise revenue.
• Required complex cultural integration (linguistic, ritual, social practices) to impose elite culture on popular culture.

The Nature of Absolutist States

The form and nature of absolute states is heavily debated among historians, sociologists, economists, and political scientists.

Non-Marxist Explanations