Essay Sample about Louis XIV: An Absolute Monarch

📌Category: Historical Figures, History
📌Words: 987
📌Pages: 4
📌Published: 19 June 2022

France was undoubtedly the biggest superpower of Europe during the 17th century. Along with its immense power, France was undergoing some paramount changes, such as new ideologies, that were altering the way of the people. The one thing that stayed absolute though, was the solidity of King Louis XIV’s rule. Although Louis XIV’s reign could possibly not be classified as an absolute monarchy due to the way the people were harmed under his rule, his innate ability to control the religion and government and crafting his image, indicates that he indeed was an absolute monarch. 

King Louis was absolutely no stranger to control and power. In fact, he exerted those very qualities over his entire government. There were many instances where he showed this. In a report to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, there was a rebellion out in east France, that King Louis XIV’s government squashed the rebellion and restored his rule back again. (Doc 2). Louis had the power to end those rebellions swiftly, and this supports the argument that he had complete and utter control, which is a characteristic of an absolute monarch. The intended audience for the report was the finance minister. The author (Claude Bouchu), is not biased in his writings. He is giving a complete and honest answer to his superior. This is significant because it highlights how Louis had absolute control in reigning back in the loose governments, and how he ruled with an iron fist.  His control over the government reached every corner. France during the time of Louis XIV’s reign was in the midst of a revolt that sparked King Louis’s distrust for the people of Paris. This led him to move his center of rule from Paris 11 miles, along with much of the Parisian nobility, and resulted in the palace of Versailles. Not only did Louis have immense power over the state, he had control over the church. In the Declaration of the Assembly of the Clergy of France, King Louis XIV is decreed the sole person who can appoint bishops, not the Pope. (Doc 4) Louis’ power over the church only adds to the fact of his ever-growing power, and supports the argument that he is an absolute monarch. The point of view for The Declaration of the Assembly of the Clergy of France was of the entirety of the Clergy. The authors of the declaration believed that King Louis was the prime candidate to choose bishops, instead of the Pope. This proves that King Louis had a divine right to rule, as he was appointing the holy work. Speaking about the church, King Louis had extensive jurisdiction over the conversion of Catholicism. In document 5, it explains how there are extreme efforts to convert the French Protestants. This is significant because it demonstrates the way Louis was implementing his way of life onto the people, which exemplifies an absolute monarch.  

The right of a sovereign to rule as set forth by the theory of government that holds that a monarch receives the right to rule directly from God and not from the people. This is the divine right. The absolute monarchs of the seventeenth century fell under this category. King Louis XIV was no exception.  In a portrait of Louis XIV, he is depicted as the Roman God Jupiter. This comes directly after the King defeated the nobles at the Fronde. (Doc 3). This correlates to King Louis’ ability as a divine ruler, as they are comparing him to someone who is divine in the highest regard. The sheer purpose of the painting was to compare Louis to people that were on his level, such as the Roman God, Jupiter. Based on the document, you can see how Louis’ subjects thought of him as a different type of human, more frankly, a divine one. The purpose of the painting illustrates the fact that Louis was categorized in the divine right. Louis’ divinity was so influential that when writing his memoirs, he spoke about his emblem. Document 1 describes how the sun became the Bourbon’s family emblem, and a symbol for power and royalty. This document is significant to why Louis is a prime example of an absolute ruler because the usage of the sun correlates to the heavenly bodies. This continues to implement the fact that King Louis was an absolute monarch. Also, the people of France during King Louis’ reign were starving and were easily manipulated by the government. They, for the most part, blindly followed the word of the King. They were more likely to see the King as somebody who was out of this world.

No King was completely and utterly loved by his people. Unfortunately, Louis was no different. King Louis was undeniably disliked by some of his people, and that can dampen the claim that he was an absolute monarch. In a prayer that traversed during the War of Spanish Succession, it speaks about how the Kingdom is broken, and demanding bread from the King. (Doc 7).  This document is significant to the claim that King Louis was not an absolute monarch because it is showing that he is neglecting his people, and they did not like him.  The common people were not the only ones who were not too fond of King Louis. Document 6 describes a French nobleman writing to the King speaking on his failures. The ultimate purpose for the letter sent to King Louis XIV by Francois Fenelon was to bash him on his flaws as a ruler. Fenelon intended to highlight the King’s missteps as a ruler, and how it reflects back on to the people. This emphasizes the fact that Louis was not an absolute monarch due to his negligence of his people. Not to mention, this time period in France was the groundwork for the French Revolution, which further aids to the claim that Louis was not absolute, because the government fell not too long after his rule.

Absolutism has been prevalent throughout the entirety of history. King Louis was not the only absolute ruler. The Ancient Romans were no stranger to the absolutist ways. Their emperors had complete control over their people, as did Louis. Both leaders controlled their “nobles”, and were sole leaders. Both continually pushed to gain land. Each leader pushed for their own religions, and ruled with iron fists. Absolute Monarchies were not born with Louis, just reincarnated.

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