Topic 2 According to the Merriam –Webster dictionary, a king is “a paramount chief or male monarch of a major territorial unit; especially: one whose position is hereditary and who rules for life.” The concept of kings has been around for thousands of years, and has played a major role in both ancient and modern societies. In this paper, I will discuss the role of the kings in the societies of seventeenth century France, fifteenth century Inka, and the Classic Maya. In each of these societies, kings use ancestry and certain symbols in order to assert and validate their power. The first true kingship in France dates back to 486, during the first Clovis period (McGill). The Carolingian, Capetian, Valois, Bourbon, and Bonaparte dynasties constantly …show more content…
While different dynasties ruled France, the right to rule was always passed down through the male-line of descent. King Louis XIV was part of the Capetian Dynasty, or more specifically the Bourbon House, which ruled over France during the seventeenth century. He was a strong believer in the divine right of kings, which is “the doctrine that kings and queens have a God-given right to rule and that rebellion against them is a sin” (Dictionary.com). In other words, Louie XIV’s right to rule was passed down from not only his father, but also God. Ancestry was very important to the French in the seventeenth century, because it was “revered as the divine line of power” (Harrison 108). In fifteenth century Inka society, ancestors were not only the source of the kings’ power, but they were also considered the core of the …show more content…
This was often asserted through symbols in the form of livery. In this sense, these cultures have a lot in common, but the kings from these societies achieved and expressed their power and divinity in different ways. A major component of Louis XIV’s kingship that differentiates him from the Inka and Maya is the way in which the French society viewed his reign. The king and his ancestors were considered to be a “divine line of power, [but] were not openly worshipped, as [they were] in other societies (108). The Inka and the Maya are very similar, in the sense that they worshiped their ancestors as gods. The major difference between the two societies is the way in which the kings were buried. The Inka mummified their dead kings and buried them within their family’s kancha (111). The Classic Maya did not bury their royalty in the confines of a residential courtyard. Instead, they buried them in church like a temple, similar to the burial of Louis XIV in Saint-Denis Basilica. This cross-cultural comparison shows the similarities and differences of the kings during seventeenth century France, fifteenth century Inka, and the Classic Maya. It proves, that whether a culture is ancient or modern, the role of king can play a large part in society. At first glance, it is difficult to see how these three cultures could share any similarities. After breaking
nation. In order to become a true absolute ruler Louis xiv needed to make sure
A Comparison of the Characteristics of the Absolutist Rule of Charles I of England and Louis XIV of France
... burial places. Not only did it provide these individuals with an eternal essence, it was a demonstration of their wealth and taste. These burial practices are cultural dedications that engage with society. Though are not all the same, they provide the same type message. This message is in regard to the heavy presence of power at a certain time. The society of elites engages in the world, competes with each other and in this generates a sense of control. Creating tombs and spaces for themselves ensures them that their mark on the world lasts forever even when their body doesn’t. It is religious in that it provides space for someone who has died and ascended yet it is symbolic of the spirit where the individual can back to the high ether and be where the gods live.
The Rise in Political Power of 17th Century England and France In the seventeenth century, the political power of the Parliament in England, and the Monarchy in France increased greatly. These conditions were inspired by three major changes: the aftermath of the reformation, the need for an increased governmental financing, and the reorganizing of central governments. These three points were each resolved in a different way in both England and in France. The first major point which eventually increased political power was
Throughout the seventeenth century, political strife dominated each European country’s respective leadership. From the monarch’s perspective, he or she was entitled due to divine right, the worthiness to rule directly from the will of God. Instances of this could be seen through James I’s rejection of the Petition of Right, a major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing, in 1628 before the English Civil War, or when King Louis XIV of France dominated his political domain through the weakening of nobles after replacing them with intendants, high-ranking officials who did not have the power to challenge the monarch. Concurrently, King James I stripped the
When Louis the XIV began his rule in 1643, his actions immediately began to suggest and absolute dictatorship. Because of the misery he had previously suffered, one of the first things he did was to decrease the power of the nobility. He withdrew himself from the rich upper class, doing everything secretly. The wealth had no connection to Louis, and therefore all power they previously had was gone. He had complete control over the nobles, spying, going through mail, and a secret police force made sure that Louis had absolute power. Louis appointed all of his officials, middle class men who served him without wanting any power. Louis wanted it clear that none of his power would be shared. He wanted "people to know by the rank of the men who served him that he had no intention of sharing power with them." If Louis XIV appointed advisors from the upper classes, they would expect to gain power, and Louis was not willing to give it to them. The way Louis XIV ruled, the sole powerful leader, made him an absolute ruler. He had divine rule, and did not want to give any power to anyone other than himself. These beliefs made him an absolute ruler.
Maya societies were clearly divided into two classes, the elite and the commoners. This distinction was usually made by who had more power and wealth, a person was usually born into both. The Elite had control over the politics and religion in each city (Sharer, “Social Stratification”). The vast majority of people were considered commoners, but how do you tell which ones are commoners, and which are Elites? Architecture gives us the biggest clue to who had this power and wealth, and who did not. “Monument building and elaborate, vaulted tomb chambers indicate the presence of social ranking and ruling elites. It is likely that ancestor worship was acquiring more weight as the rulers became ever more responsible for acting as intermediaries with the gods and ancestors for the benefit of their people” (Fash). One of the biggest archaeological insights into Maya lifestyles is art...
In the early modern period, the political system put in Europe was “absolute power” (Lecturer Morris). According to the OED, “absolute power is a monarch invested in absolute”. In this period, it was believed that it was necessary that only one person designated by God could hold absolute power. Usually this prophecy would be passed down in the royal family, from father to son (Carrol 246). Occasionally, if viewed as worthy of the opportunity, a person, usually a warrior who has served well in war, could rise to the occasion, and can be named king (Lecturer Morris). “The sons do not succeed the fathers, before the people first have as it were anew established them by their new approbation: neither were they acknowledged in quality, as inheriting
brotherhood of kings who all cherish and value the same luxuries. In comparison to other ancient
In order to gain the power he desired as an absolute monarch, Louis used a few key techniques that were very successful. His first and most necessary step to get all control was to take all of the nobles’ power, and make it so they were completely under his control. He first did this by taking the nobles’ positions of power, and either getting rid of them by doing it himself, or giving the jobs to loyal middleclass or some nobles who were completely loyal and under his control. Louis had very simple reasoning for doing this, which was that if the nobles had any power or control, they would have a better chance of overthrowing him, and that since there can only be so much total power, the more they had, the less ...
Prior to the revolution, King Louis XVI was at the top of the ancien régime, the social, economic, and political structure in France, which means he had absolute power. When he received the throne in 1774, it came along with insoluble problems. The people were split into three estates which divided social class. The first estate consisted of 100,000 tax exempt nobles who owned 20% of the land. The second estate consisted of the 300,000 tax exempt clergy who owned 10% of the land.
Ibid., Book 12, 256. The feudal implications of "prince" and "minister" can be transformed into contemporary ideas of government and citizens. The "prince" responsible for organizing the society is the government, and the "minister" working for the country's development is the citizens.
Patterson, Thomas C. "Tribes, Chiefdoms, and Kingdoms in the Inca Empire.” Power Relations and State Formation (1987): 1-15,117-127.
King Louis XIV's 72 year reign was incredibly influential in shaping French history. King Louis XIV’s childhood was traumatic because of “La Fronde” which was a noble rebellion against the monarchy. This experience taught King Louis XIV to distrust the nobles. It was for this reason that he eventually excluded nobility from the council and surrounded himself with loyal ministers whom he could control. He also separated the aristocracy from the people of France by moving the court to the Palace of Versailles. One of the most notable of King Louis XIV’s decisions was that he refused to appoint another Prime Minister after the death of Prime Minister Mazarin. Every decision, from the declaration of war to the approval of a passport, went through him personally. During his reign as king, France participated in several wars including the War of Devolution, in Anglo-Dutch War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. Another major action he took was the proclamation of the Edict of Fontainebleau, which revoked the Edict of Nantes, imposing religious uniformity through Catholi...
This paper explores information gather from several articles that report on the Mayan Civilization throughout the years of their rise, their conquering, and their fall, as well as their interactions with other civilizations, specifically the Spanish. The Mayan civilization dates back before the 16th century, before they were conquered by the Spanish Conquistadors and the civilization diminished. During their reign, the Maya civilization thrived in what is now parts of Southern Mexico and Central America. However, their supremacy was struck down when the Spanish and their beliefs