Absolute Monarchs

Emperor Kangxi

            Kangxi was emperor of China from 1661- 1722. Kangxi brought peace and prosperity mostly during his reign of the Qing Dynasty. While in reign he kept China's boards strong while conquering different lands. The Revolt of the Three Feudatories was a civil war that had taken place in 1673- 1681 in the end Kangxi had won the war and brought power to the Qing Dynasty. By training and disciplining his army they were able to expanded China's boarders to the South and West. According to Britannica Encyclopedia Kangxi believed in traditional Chinese beliefs such as Confucian scholarly ideal and was involved personally in the arts and literature. He tried to build up his government controls with trade. Kangxi watch closely in of trade of particular foods and silk production because his economy relied in trade-off theses certain items. When it came to government Kangxi had kept it the same from the dynasties before the Qing dynasty. Kangxi reduced taxed which had benefited the peasants. One controlling fact about Kangxi was one of his policies stated that men had to shave their heads and grow a ponytail, he also controlled what women the Han Chinese were allowed to marry. Kangxi eventually died in 1722 having his son, Yongzheng, become his successor.

Peter the Great

`           Peter I (aka Peter the Great) ruled Russia from 1689-1725. During his reign Russia was territoriality a huge power. In military Peter I established modern lines making it a regular army. He choose his officers from the nobility he also incorporated peasants and townspeople into other ranks. He also believed that service in the army was for life. There were also many revolts from 1705-08 because urban workers were taking a toll from wartime, Peter’s modernization and development in Russia; because of this the taxes had raised which provoked many revolts. During the Northern War peter had focused in obtain great allies that comprised of Russia, Saxony, Denmark, and Norway. This war lasted 21 years. Peter’s army fought oftener. Peter was into education of his people. He had opened various schools opened to anyone.  According to Britannica Encyclopedia Peter enforced superficial Europeanization rather than brutality and that children grow up in fear of God but in awe of the king. In the beginning of Peter’s reign Russia was backward compared to other western countries in Europe. Medieval and obsolescent government gave a place of effective autocracy in Russia. When Peter came to power his officers were working inefficiently to help with future officer he put in place new collages. Peter was to be in control of these collages making sure there were up to par by instilling strict regulation. Peter had help his economy in towns and districts by establishing small business to artisans, creating and expanding industrial factories. With these new advances trade had become more efficient and beneficial.

Frederick William I

            Frederick William I ruled Prussia from 1713-1740. According to Britannica Encyclopedia Frederick transformed Prussia from second-rate power to an efficient prosperous state. Frederick spent his reign into building up the Prussian army into Europe’s best fighting instrument. Frederick realized that Prussia’s military was in financial weakness. Even though Frederick had concern for his subjects he had taxation's to help remedy the financial problems the military it had also replaced aristocracy’s feudal war service. Frederick soon realized that he could not afford illiterate subjects. Because of this realization he begins to create more schools for his subjects. Frederick I passed his role as ruler to his son knowing that with the work he has done should be capable for him run.

Charles I  

            Charles I reined over England from 1625-1649. According to the Image of the King by Richard Ollard during his reign the ideas of new rights of the people came into a conflict with the old theory of the divine right of the king. Charles had many problems with authority rules and had many disagreements with Parliament which provoked a civil war in England; because of the civil war it led him to his execution. In England Charles was an absolute monarch which led him to believe that his power not only limited to Parliament. According to Britannica Encyclopedia there were also disagreements with religion because the Puritans want to simplify of England, but Charles wanted to instead retain as many old religious rituals as possible. He had also dissolved to Parliaments because he was not given the money he demanded unless his ministers were responsible for Parliament. Charles constantly went on for foreign wars; these wars were expensive and were not all successful. To be able to pay for these wars he had taken loans without the Parliament’s consent. During one of Charles Parliaments it was caught to every ones attention of all the illegal request Charles had made this was the reason of the Petition of Right which would limit his authority.

Louis XVI

            Louis XIV reigned over France from 1643-1715. According to Britannica Encyclopedia During the classical age he is considered to be the symbol of absolute monarchy in the classical age. Through 11 civil wars from 1667-1697 he extended to the eastern boarders of France. At the beginning of his reign he informed his minister that he would assume all power and responsibility while ruling as king. This decision was traditional it resembled dictatorship by divine right was his own. According to Louis XIV by John Wolf; Louis viewed himself as God’s representative on earth, and considered all disobedience and rebellion to be sinful. Louis discovered that his court did not have etiquette which he believed that it was the means of governing. Louis was taught that his duty was for God and man. He believed that the roles of a king were solider first of all, statesman and politician, and judge.  His mother had taught him a narrow and simplistic religion because of this Louis knew nothing of the Reformation. He had many religious policies since he believed in only the Holy Roman Church. Louis was also a patron of the arts he imposed his own visions of beauty and nature on artists. He was the protector of the writers in France. Many monuments had arose in France during his reign. His views in art had changed the way of life many towns were reconstructed to his liking. He wanted France to a power well organized country and tried to accomplish this without the concern of the well-being of his people. Many monuments had arose in France during his reign. According to Britannic Encyclopedia To his subjects Louis was loved but to other foreign countries he was viewed as s bloodthirsty tiger.  

Assessment

            According to Oxford English Dictionary absolute monarchy is the political doctrine and practice of unlimited, centralized authority and absolute sovereignty, as vested especially in a monarch or dictator. Through Peter the Great, Charles I, Frederick I, Louis XIV,  and Emperor Kangxi absolute monarchy is shown through their strict ruling through religion, military, and government. Rather from Europe or Asia all these monarchs had similar characteristic in ruling there countries from religion, government, or art. They ruled their countries to their liking whether it had the subjects in mind or not, or it benefited the country or no. In the minds of the rulers they did what they thought was best no matter the outcome.

 Work Cited

"Charles I." Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

<http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/22559>.

"Frederick William I." Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

<http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/35261>.

"Louis XIV." Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

<http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/49067

Ollard, Richard L. The Image of the King: Charles I and Charles Ii. New York: Atheneum, 1979. Print.

"Peter I." Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

<http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/108537>.

Wolf, John B. Louis Xiv. New York: Norton, 1968. Print.

Skyler Eastin Absolutism Blog Post

Skyler Eastin

Mr. Ward

World History 1

5-15-14

     An Absolute Monarch is a man who rules over his domain with complete authority. Nothing in the domain happens without his permission to do so. This doesn’t mean that they micromanage every action of every person, but an absolute monarch always limits the amount of freedom the individual or potential rivals of power in one way or another.

Tokogawa Ieyasu- Japan

            Tokogawa Ieyasu was the first in a 200 year reign of the Tokogawa family over Japan. He rose to power through military conquests over competing daimyo, powerful family houses. He personally led his army to destroy or align with nearly all the daimyo in Japan. When his power was great enough after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 he stopped the conquests settled in the city that would eventually become Tokyo. The Tokogawa family created a form of government known as “Bakuhan.” In this system, the reigning shogun of the Tokogawa family acted as an absolute monarch with smaller daimyo handling smaller local affairs in their assigned provinces. The shoguns main job was to uphold and enforce a code by the Tokogawa family to prevent the now unified Japan from returning to the chaos of daimyo competing for power through warfare. The code forbade commoners from possessing certain types of weapons, the number of troops a daimyo could posses, forbade Christianity, and outlawed the construction of ocean-able ships.

Louis xiv-France

            Louis XIV became the king of France in 1661. When he was very young he and his family were wronged by the French nobility, losing them political power. When he took the throne, he wanted to control and limit the power or the nobility so they could not do the same to him. The first thing he did as king was prohibit the nobles from passing legislation without his approval. He then built the Palace of Versailles, one of the largest palaces ever made. It was large enough to accommodate nobles, who he often invited to stay with him so they couldn’t work at their homes. Louis was a strong Catholic and frowned on Protestantism. He forced them to convert by allowing French soldier to be quartered in homes of those he suspected of being protestant, and encouraged the soldiers to be on their worst behavior. He increased taxes to support a war to gain control of what are now Belgium and the Netherlands.  This decreased his popularity significantly, especially because he lost the war, which crippled the economy and his political stability. However he died before he was able to lose his grasp on the country.

Peter the great- Russia

            Peter the Great was the first of Russia was bent on getting Russia to to be able to compete with the advancing European technologies. When he became the only ruling tsar in 1692 he began his quest to modernize the formerly viewed as barbaric Russia. His first step was to invite many of Europe’s best engineers and artists and craftsmen. Secondly, he sent his people to Europe to get a better education.  Thirdly, he went to war with Sweden in order to gain control of Baltic ports to enable trade. After he won the war he changed the governing system to make Russia official an empire, with himself as the emperor. He also increased taxes to support the country’s trade and production of trade goods, found a navy, and establish an army. He changed the capital to St. Petersburg, the city founded and named by him. These reforms were not loved by everyone, but those who revolted were executed. When peter son was thought to have been conspiring against him, peter interrogated him personally and had him imprisoned.

James I –England

            James I was the ruler of England and Scotland from 1603-1625. He united the countries of his homeland, Scotland, and his slightly more powerful neighbor, England. However, the people of England were not all happy about him sitting on the throne. For one, he was a foreigner, and two, the parliament had just recently been introduced in England. Parliament was designed to limit the power of the monarch and increase the power of the people. James, being a foreigner, wasn’t used to this system when he took control of England because Scotland didn’t have anything similar to it. As a result, he didn’t conflicts arose between him and parliament. He wanted to raise taxes and impose Anglicanism, while parliament wanted to lower taxes and introduce a church reform. Both of them claimed that the other couldn’t do what they wanted without the other’s permission. however the protest form parliament were not enough to keep James from installing Anglicanism as the country’s main religion, however he was tolerant with other denominations  and allowed them to worship freely.

Philip II- Spain

            Philip II was the ruler of Spain in 1555. He increased his empire in 1580 by claiming Portugal and all its colonies as his when the Portuguese king died and no heir was found. Through the work of the colonies of both Portugal and Spain, the economy boomed, and the king took up to a fourth of all the money from every ship returning with money to Spain. This allowed him to have an army of nearly 50,000 men. He used is army to defend his religion, Catholicism. When the pope asked for Catholics to take up arms against the growing Ottoman Empire, Philip was eager to send his huge fleet to defeat that of the Ottomans. He then sent his armada to the now protestant England, but was defeated. He also used his vast wealth to encourage the arts. Under Philip II, the only thing that destroyed the empire was too much money. As more gold and silver came to Spain, the value went down. This collapsed the economy. In one last attempt to save his country, he raised taxes on the Spanish Netherlands. However, this was not well received and Phillip had to finance another war to keep them from becoming independent which he lost only hurting his economy further. Even during the country becoming bankrupt, Philip still held absolute power. He refused his advisors any input and handled all of the country’s problems personally.

All of these men were absolute monarchs because they all limited the freedom of individuals and the power of potential rivals in some way. Tokogawa Ieyasu used warfare and a strict code to govern all competing daimyo and their subjects. Louis XIV restricted the power of the local nobility and had little religious tolerance for Protestants. Peter the great made himself the emperor over all of Russia and executed those who question his power. James I limited the powers of the parliament and imposed Anglicanism over England. Philip II worked completely alone with no input form others and enforced Catholicism everywhere in his reach.  

Works Cited

"The Emergence of Russia (Overview)." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 15 May 2014.

Stanley, Thomas , and R.T.A Irving. "Tokugawa Political Controls." Tokugawa Political Controls. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://www.willamette.edu/~rloftus/H381TokuPolControls.htm>.

Spielvogel, Jackson J.. Western civilization. 2nd ed. Minneapolis/St. Paul: West, 1994. Print.

Damerow, Dr. Harold . "Louis XIV." Louis XIV. N.p., 10 Oct. 2009. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://faculty.ucc.edu/egh-damerow/louis_xiv.htm>.

Damerow, Dr. Harold. "Glorious Revolution." Glorious Revolution. N.p., 10 Oct. 2009. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://faculty.ucc.edu/egh-damerow/glorious_revolution.htm>.

Absolitism

Louis XII of France:

         His monarchy led to the expansion of absolutism. Louis was influenced by rulers who favored absolutism. When he became king at age 9, his mother made all the authorial decisions because he was a minor, she was aided by Galigai and Concini. Later on Galigai was accused and found guilty of being a witch, and was executed. Then Concini was suddenly murdered. King Louis now had more control; the only thing stopping him from receiving more power was his mother. Louis then sent his mom to a castle in southern France where she lived in exile. Now that he had total control over the throne, he could do whatever he desired.  Although he soon realized that if he wanted to achieve absolutism he would need some help. He then asked the Duke of Luynes and Cardinal Richelieu, who both wanted to achieve absolutism. They did achieve absolutism together; however they power was lessened by the French Wars of Religion. 

Ivan IV “Ivan the Terrible”:

                   His childhood was very dark; he had lost both of his parents when he was less than ten years of age. He was crowned prince when he was three and his father wanted him to rule the empire. However Ivan was quite young, so he had help from the boyars. As Ivan grew older the boyars would not let him rule. They would neglect him and molest him and his brother. They would not feed them and they were left starved and poor. He was soon fed up with all of this and denounced all of the boyars for neglecting him and the nation.  To scare the boyars he threw the lead boyar into a heard of hungry hunting dogs. The boyars then let Ivan take his rightful place on the throne.  Ivan was a great leader for the beginning of his reign; he was kind and very successful. However when his wife died he turned very angry and violent. He set up an Oprichniki who would disturb churches during mass and captured and sometimes murdered the priest by the altar. Ivan held sacrilegious masses that were followed by rape and torture. Ivan also massacred Novgorod with the Oprichniki. The citizens of Novgorod were hunted down and killed. The men, women, and children were tied to sleds and were run down to the freezing river where there were thousands of other copses.  He even came to the point where he killed his own son, he was also greatly known for manipulating people. 

Fredrick III of Prussia:

               Fredrick III created a very well organized military. His great military was the reason he was an absolutist. His life was 100% dedicated to his military. Every soldier had an organized schedule and vigorous training. By the end of Fredrick III reign he spent 70% if his budget on only his military. When he stepped down from the throne he had an issue with finding a successor that would fill his large shoes. Eventually he decided that his son would be the right fit. 

Kang Xi:

                        He was the longest ruling emperor in China on what his people should do. He set a standard behavior throughout his empire. The rules are listed below:

1. Esteem most highly filial piety and brotherly submission, in order to give due importance to the social relations.
2. Behave with generosity toward your kindred, in order to illustrate harmony and benignity.
3. Cultivate peace and concord in your neighborhoods, in order to prevent quarrels and litigations
4. Recognize the importance of husbandry and the culture of the mulberry tree, in order to ensure a sufficiency of clothing and food.
5. Show that you prize moderation and economy, in order to prevent the lavish waste of your means.
6. Give weight to colleges and schools, in order to make correct the practice of the scholar.
7. Extirpate strange principles, in order to exalt the correct doctrine.
8. Lecture on the laws, in order to warn the ignorant and obstinate.
9. Elucidate propriety and yielding courtesy, in order to make manners and customs good.
10. Labor diligently at your proper callings, in order to stabilize the will of the people.
11. Instruct sons and younger brothers, in order to prevent them from doing what is wrong.
12. Put a stop to false accusations, in order to preserve the honest and good.
13. Warn against sheltering deserters, in order to avoid being involved in their punishment.
14. Fully remit your taxes, in order to avoid being pressed for payment.
15. Unite in hundreds and tithing, in order to put an end to thefts and robbery.
16. Remove enmity and anger, in order to show the importance due to the person and life.

"Chinese Cultural Studies: Kangxi K'ang Hsi: The Sacred Edict (1670 CE)."Chinese Cultural Studies: Kangxi K'ang Hsi: The Sacred Edict (1670 CE). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

Ferdinand II of Aragon:

         He was pure politician that only got married so he could get the throne. He did not care about anything except domain and political power.  This made him an absolutist because he didn’t care about the people he only cared about controlling people and having power. 

My Argument : 

            I believe that absolutist have only one main focus and whatever that focus is usually effects the empire negatively. For instance, when Ferdinand II focused on politics and power he neglected the people. When Kangxi and Fredrick III focused on the people and military, the government was neglected. When Ivan IV focused on his wife's death he ended up killing thousands of people. Also when Louis XII focused on getting the throne, he neglected his family. 

Citations 

"ABSOLUTE RULERS IN HISTORY." ABSOLUTE RULERS IN HISTORY. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

"Chinese Cultural Studies: Kangxi K'ang Hsi: The Sacred Edict (1670 CE)."Chinese Cultural Studies: Kangxi K'ang Hsi: The Sacred Edict (1670 CE). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

"Louis XIII of France." Louis XIII of France. N.p., 2013. Web. 12 May 2014.

Andreyev, Nikolay. "Ivan IV (tsar of Russia)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 11 May 2014.

"World History." World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014.

Haarman, Susan. "Absolute Terror "Ivan the Terrible"" N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

"ABSOLUTISM OR PARLIAMENTARISM? PART II: THE PRUSSIAN AND ENGLISH OUTCOMES (1570-1746)." ABSOLUTISM OR PARLIAMENTARISM? PART II: THE PRUSSIAN AND ENGLISH OUTCOMES (1570-1746). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.

Qianlong

Hello, my name is Qianlong; I was born October 8, 1735. I was a Chinese emperor of the Qing dynasty who subdued the Turkish and Mongolian threats to northern China, and expanded the empire. I was the fourth son of the Tongzheng Emperor. I took throne after my father and became Prince Bao. I was favored by my grandfather and I was also chosen as chief regent when my father was away from the capital. I helped spread Buddhism in Mongolia. When missions came from countries beyond my boundaries of the Qing empire, I was expected to fit in with the Confucian ceremonial system by which relations between the Qing emperor and other powers were formalized and Qing dynastic power manifested.

Work cited

"Philip II of Spain." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Ivan IV of Russia." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Henry IV of France." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Frederick II of Prussia." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor." Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Causes of an Absolute Monarch." Causes of an Absolute Monarch. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Absolute Monarchy." Princeton University. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

"Absolute Monarchs Of Europe." Absolute Monarchs Of Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2014.

Louis XIV

Louis XIV of France

Hello, my name is Louis the XIV of France. I was Born on September 5, 1638, to my father King Louis XIII of France and my mother Habsburg queen, I was my parents’ first child after they had been married for 23 years. In respect of this apparent miracle, I was christened Louis Dieudonne, meaning gift of God. My relationship with my mother was uncommon  for the time. My mother would spend all her time with me. We were greatly interested in food and theatre. I became of age on my thirteenth birthday, and I was crowned king of on June 7, 1654. Some people consider me to be an absolute monarch a reason for me to be considered an absolute monarch is that I had the longest reign of power in all of Europe’s history of rulers. I ruled from 1643 until 1715. I had complete control over decision making. I once said “I order you not to sign anything not even a passport without my command.” This explains that nothing is done around the monarchy without my command this also meant that I had knowledge about every single thing that was going on in my country. I was so strict about my absolute monarchy that I even removed limits of legislative powers. The only explanation for this is that I wanted to rule alone with no other ranks or nobles to stand in the way of my rules and commands.

Phillip II

Phillip II of Spain

Hello, my name is Phillip the II of Spain; I was born On May 21, 1527. In July 1545 my wife Maria died in childbirth. In January of 1556 I was crowned King of Spain after Charles V abdicated to retire to a monastery of Spain.  In February of 1556 Henry II of France and I both signed the truce of Vaucelles between France and Spain. I later married Elizabeth of France.  I was a very well known king. I was a hard worker and ruler, being the most powerful nation. I was the most powerful monarch; I helped the Catholic Church persecute Protestants during the Counter-Reformation. But some people call me an Absolute monarch because I made use of the Spanish Inquisition to control my people. I was head of the government of Spain; I believed in the divine right of monarchs and used this to justify a number of illegal acts, like ordering murders. I also believe that I was chosen by my god to be the leader of Spain.

Frederick II

Frederick II of Prussia

Hello, My name is Fredrick the II I am from Prussia. I was born on January 24, 1712, in Berlin, Germany. I inherited the Prussian throne in 1740 and established control of Silesia in 1745. In my childhood I was beaten by my father. I ran away with my best friend Hans Herman von Katte but we were caught and he was beheaded in front of me. In 1732, Frederick was given command of a regiment. A year later, he followed his father’s wishes, and married Princess Elizabeth Christina of Brunswick and in 1740 I took control of Silesia. Upon my father’s death in 1740, I became King of Prussia. During the time of my power, the effects of the Seven Years' War and the gaining of Silesia greatly changed the economy. I rejected the crown that was given to me by the Frankfurt Parliament because I would have had full control over Prussia and the rest of the states. I was an absolute monarch, but I was one unlike any other. First of all, I did  not believe in divine right, I did not believe that I was chosen by a god to lead my people. Instead of creating an empire that was ideal for the me, I
was a servant of the state; by this I tried to do what was best for my people. I
 listened to my advisers, as opposed to what most absolute monarchs
did, and I let nobles have a say in their decisions all because we had the same opinions based on Prussia its self. 

Ivan IV

Ivan IV of Russia

Hello, my name is Ivan the IV of Russia most people call me Ivan “the terrible” I was born August 25, 1530. I was only 3 when my father died, so I grew up without a father figure. On December 29, 1543, I was only 13 years old ordered the arrest of Prince Andrew Shuisky, who was reputed to be a cruel and corrupt person. I established a new code of law; I expanded Russia and gave it a better army. Although there were some bad things I did like breaking the power of the Muscovite boyars, exiling thousands of them to Siberia I also  created a new militia, the oprichniki, who were devoted to me and were encouraged to rape, loot, burn, and kill in my name. They spread terror throughout Russia, culminating in the massacre of Novgorod in 1569. I also beat my own son to death in 1582. I was an absolute Monarch because I had complete power over everything and did not trust many people. I would kill anyone that betrayed me including my own son. I controlled all aspects of my government and tried to have control over everything that occurred in my country.