The Various Aspects Of Absolutism And King Louis XIV

Absolutism is a simple manner was the absolute power held by the monarch, and was exempt from being challenged. In other words, a monarch could, in theory, regulate various aspects of life without their authority being called into question. In France, absolutism is associated with the likes of Louis XIII, but rather more so with his descendent, King Louis XIV. However, while in theory absolutism granted the king a vast majority if the power and authority, it does not mean that it worked that way in practice. The king still had to answer to God. Furthermore, there were other variables involved such as the different nobilities, royal commissioners, the catholic church, and the lower class. This essay will look at the various aspects of absolutism:
A large part of Louis’s religious authority was that it relied on a majority of the population having a uniform belief system. To the Catholic Church, Protestantism was considered heresy. Therefore, if there was an increase in the number of Protestants, it would mean that there would be less individuals that supported the King’s authority. In other words, they would have become a problem for the king. Moving forward, the protestants would face harassment. This is evident in D’Aguesseau’s List of Protestants Who Have Left Languedoc in Violation of the Royal Orders. As the title implies, this was a list of Protestants who had been forced into exile. William Beik suggests that very fact that such a list exists displayed how carefully they had been watched. Overall, what can be noted is that the monarchy’s connection to religion had certainly assisted in establishing power and authority; however, it had also brought with it problems, as exemplified through troubles with the pope and
This can be analysed through the royal council meetings that were held. These consisted of individuals being sent out through France, and interacting with the rest of the region. Given the nature of absolutism, it is no surprise that the king had tried to manage a variety of jobs. In a set of instructions from the financial minister, it outlines the different undertakings of said commissioners. The data that is being collected includes the following: maps, ecclesiastical records, military, justice, finances, the king’s revenues, navy, manufacturing, bridges and roads, horse breeding, and more. This list demonstrates that vast amounts of data the king wanted to collect, and the exactly what subjects that king wanted to tackle. The king was looking at a wide range of things from maps to establishing more horse breeding, interestingly