Important factors shaping social relationships under the French Free Essays

Social relationships were important components of the French absolute monarchy. Historians agree that to achieve supreme control and national unity, Kings relied heavily on military strength. There is little question that absolutist France came to posses the largest standing army Europe had ever seen. We will write a custom essay sample on Important factors shaping social relationships under the French or any similar topic only for you Order Now Armies made France a powerful state, and the King a powerful ruler. However kings also controlled through non military means, establishing bureaucratic and legal systems and developing an absolutist culture with the King at the centre. These manifestations of absolutism, at raying degrees of significance, helped shape social relationships, and in turn, enforced the absolutist regime. Contrastingly, other historians maintain that the absolute system worked within pre-existing social codes, which were more influential in shaping social relationships. Historians herald the significance of these different factors because they take a variety of historiographer’s approaches. Absolutism redefined the socio-political structures and language of court society. Court cabals and courtesies became important factors that influenced social relationships. Emmanuel Eel Roy Ladies uses the court memoirs of Duct De Saint Simons, to explain the system of court cabals. Ladies explains how the King placed himself at the top of the court hierarchy, and held a number of favorites. L Lower courtiers would group around these powerful Individuals, such as King Louis Xiv wife Madame De Imitation, to gain power, wealth, status and other privileges through association. 2 Saint Simony’s court memoirs are a more traditional historiographer’s source, detailing friendships, marriages and patronage relationships that formed and separated court cabals. However Lauder himself admits the limitations of the source, stating that It has a tendency to be subjective with some bias, and Inaccurate facts. 4 But as Ladler states, his purpose was not statistical detail, but to present a ‘model’ for the network of social relationships in court society, and to reveal that they placed the king in an enormous position of influence to determin e courtier’s social standing. 5 Rest Raman consults similar sources and concludes that courtesies were a new political language that redefined the way courtiers socialized and communicated, while also being a political tool for negotiating the cabal system. Raman analyses Theodore Goddesses Grand Ceremonial De France from 1619, one of the many courtesy manuals written for courtiers. 6 Absolutist monarchies did not invent courtesies, but Raman argues that these manuals justified and systematized these social codes. 7 Courtesy rules dictated the nature of social affiliations and interactions, becoming a vital political language in court society, as a means of showing or denying respect or favor to individuals and cabals. For example â€Å"hat doffing†¦ And lowered eyes† became the language of respect that carried on along the hierarchy, with the King at the top. Ere â€Å"insults to God himself, † enforcing enormous regal authority. 9 Moreover, under Louis XIV, all topics except frivolous small talk, were branded ‘discourteous,’ in an attempt to repress uprisings. 10 Both historians analyses similar sources and share the conclusion that absolutism created a new social order, designed to enforce the Kings po wer. Sarah Hanley however, argues bureaucratic models, established by the absolutist state, were important factors shaping family and gender relationships. Hanley investigates the ‘Family State Compact,’ revealing that it enforced distinct gender oleos and enshrined the patriarchal family model in legislation. This model was in turn used to explain and Justify absolutism. 11 Hanley approaches her study with an â€Å"ethnographic† perspective. 12 She states that conventional historiography has always been a uniform process of selecting documents to confirm a point, but more recent scholarship on social history now seeks to gain greater scope and depth by viewing a range of non-traditional sources. 3 From these historians may distill messages about social life. 14 Hanley use of primary government legislation and court case documents, are examples of expanding historical sources. The Marriage Regulations, Reproduction Rules and Marital Separation Arrangements ensured family finances remained under paternal authority, helped guarantee the legitimacy of children and made it harder to break up marriages and families. 1 5 B ut as Hanley indicates, the underlying purpose of these laws was to constitutionalism patriarchal control over all family affairs. 6 It was a key bureaucratic factor that helped enforce male social and economic dominance, within the family. Furthermore, the patriarchal family worked to Justify and naturalist the appointment of an absolutist ruler, who could be seen as he â€Å"husband† and â€Å"father† of the state. 17 Furthermore, Hanley examination of court cases exposes legal limitations on female political and economic privileges within their marital and civic relationships. Women gained social and economic status through marriage and childbearing, but the Compact put men in greater control these activities, disemboweling women and forcing them to break laws for economic and social survival. 18 In the Diagram- du Piqued case for example, Barber- Francoise Diagram was charged with â€Å"supposition attendant† because she faked the birth of a child to avoid becoming a childless widow and losing socioeconomic status. 9 Furthermore, this source reveals that legal structures shaped collaborative relationships between women of different social classes, as Barber sought the assistance of midwifes, paupers and a prostitute. 0 Thus while primary accounts such as Saint-Simony’s Memoirs explain social and genealogical connections at their surface, Handless wider variety of social records reveals in greater depth, the gendered social constructions that defined social relationships in the absolutist monarchy, as well as unexpected cross-class relationsh ips. Cultural manifestations of absolutism in art, gardens and entertainment were further significant factors shaping social relationships. Diverging from traditional and social historiographers, Peter Burke, Chancre Muskier and Craig Callously take an art historical concepts to court social life. He argues that the language of allegory, hyperbole and euphemism in songs, literature, sermons, painting and other mediums communicated a lofty ‘high style’ that associated the King with exalted figures and ideas. 21 For example Louis XIV was pained as SST John the Baptist and Apollo. 22 Courtiers learnt these references and conducted themselves accordingly, with grandeur and dignity. 3 In turn, this new language displayed, magnified and rationalized the King as a sublime and spiritual ruler. 24 In contrast, Muskier applies geopolitical concepts to understanding social relationships. Muskier references historian Michel Faculty’s theory that 17th century society began to view material possessions as indicators of wealth and power. 25 Increasing trade, scientific and technological innovations made material items more prominent in social gatherings and conversations. 26 Muskier argues absolutism worked within this materialist culture, valuing land the most as a material item. 7 In a geopolitical way, Kings enforced power by appropriating and manipulating land into formal gardens. In turn, this established material ownership as a language of power. 8 Material goods came to dominate social and political relationships during the 17th century. 29 Callously similarly seeks specialized research on theatre and festivals, alongside primary accounts. However he argues the political purposes of nocturnal entertainment were significant factors shaping court life. 30 For example, Baroque night time theatre developed and through its illusionist’s lighting, performa nces such as Louis Xiv Ballet De la Unit,† physically presented Louis as a ‘radiant’ King. 1 Furthermore, court diaries from Versailles reveal an increase in concerts, balls, and billiards, offering different opportunities for solicitation. 32 Nocturnal activities changed and began to characterize social life. 33 Memoirs by Louis XIV and absolutist critic Jean De La Buyer (1645-96) also divulge that night time entertainments were deliberate distractions from political issues. 34 Callously maintains Kings communicated and secured their power through nocturnal spectacles, which consequently transformed court social relationships. 35 However unlike other historians discussed, James Afar argues social relationships were shaped by concepts of ‘Honor’ that pre-dated absolutist expressions of power. Like other historians, Afar relies on a primary source: Farther Lame’s eye witness account of the trial and execution of disgraced nobleman Philippe Group. Unconventionally, Group did not confess his crime, thus preserving honor but damning his soul. 36 More important to him was maintaining honor for his family and young son. 37 Honor defined people’s positions of power and status. 38 It was treated as an item that could be appropriated through displays of respect. Lame’s text, confirmed by trial records, reveals Group bowed and spoke respectfully to colleagues and onlookers, to earn back some of the honor he had lost. 40 Through displays of respect, Group also sought favor with his patron the Prince of Condone, who could gain him a Kings pardon. 41 Fear’s study revises primary doc uments and challenges past historians such as Ladies and Rest, previously discussed. Courtesy codes, and court cabals were not Just to gain political power, but were part of a possible, albeit largely speculative, that Kings consciously manipulated this established framework of honor to their political advantage. But what Group’s trial reveals is honor was a precious commodity, and was central to the way people conversed and connected. The majority of historians discussed, agree that the most important factors shaping social relationships under the absolute monarchy, were essentially the absolute monarchy itself. Absolutism established a new laws, social customs, entertainment and art that had a dramatic impact on social relationships involving gender, class, marriage, family ties and friendships. But in contrast, historians also argue that, as in any society, there were already complex social codes that absolutism worked within. How to cite Important factors shaping social relationships under the French, Papers