Thursday, May 15, 2014

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.





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