10 MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ABSOLUTE MONARCHY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The absolute monarchy is a form of government in which there is a monarch who enjoys total political control without laws that limit it.

He relied on the argument that the king enjoyed a divine right and had the support of the church to maintain that power.

This form of government had its peak during the late Middle Ages and early modern times, especially with the support of the Catholic Church.

However, even today there are governments with these characteristics in countries such as Oman and Brunei.

Most important characteristics of absolute monarchies

Full political control

The main characteristic of absolute monarchies was the existence of a king who held absolute political control.

This meant that there were no laws, no division of powers, or some other form of control over the decisions or actions of the monarch.

The king enjoyed the authority to set new laws and decrees, sometimes only on the advice of a group of advisers but without the participation of the people.

In the same way, it had the power to judge those who committed crimes and to establish new taxes.

All laws and rulings were imposed by the king and therefore the king was located above it. This meant that he could modify them or even exempt himself from the responsibility to comply with them.

Military control

In addition to total political control, the monarch had control over his army. This armed wing was responsible for maintaining the order established by the king as well as the stability of the monarchy.

These were specialized military corps that were exclusively in the service of the king. They were specifically dedicated to the control of the commoners and the borders to guarantee the sovereignty of the territory.

Hereditary online transfer

Within the absolute monarchy there are no democratic mechanisms that allow the election of any ruler or representative.

Therefore, the new monarchs are appointed directly by the monarchy through mechanisms that they themselves have.

Usually, this mechanism consists of a hereditary transfer of power, where the sons of the kings themselves receive the throne.

Therefore, the usual thing in these cases is that the government remains under the control of the same family throughout the centuries.

State society

Absolute monarchies developed within the context of established societies that were characterized by marked inequality among their members.

In this social order, each person was born within a social level that determined their place for life.

According to the class or social level within which a person was, their responsibilities, privileges or limitations were defined.

Within this context it was practically impossible for any man or woman to change their place in society.

People born into the aristocracy or those who were part of the clergy, could enjoy privileges such as access to positions within the government.

Meanwhile, those who were born within the peasantry or the urban plebs, would always be subject to the power of the king.

Divine right

The main reason that sustained absolute monarchies throughout the centuries was the belief that their right to rule was of divine origin.

The kings were considered as envoys and representatives of the divinity to exercise their will on earth.

This implied that no person had the right to question his decisions because the monarch was acting on behalf of a god.

This belief was accepted by the townspeople, who even accepted the authority of the king as a way to keep the peace.

Influence of the clergy

Despite the fact that theoretically the monarchy confers absolute control on the ruler, throughout history kings have had a strong influence from the clergy.

In fact, the relationship between the churches and the monarchies has been essential to maintain their power.

Even many church leaders are considered to have had great power from absolute monarchies.

This situation arose because the monarchs, in order to make important decisions, had to have the support of the church, questioning whether their power was really absolute.

The influence of the nobility

As part of the exercise of their government, monarchs usually had the support of ministers and personal advisers.

These people always came from the nobility, therefore their privileges in some cases allowed them to be educated and their opinions had value.

Therefore, on some occasions those advisers could have a strong influence on the monarchs and the decisions they made.

Officials of the monarchy

To comply with the law, the monarchy had a series of officials who were directly related to the people.

These people were in charge of collecting taxes and keeping the monarch up to date on important events.

Exaltation of the king in art and propaganda

Within the societies that functioned under the rule of absolute monarchies, the image of the king enjoyed great importance.

As a way of maintaining the stability of the monarchy, monarchs were exalted through the dissemination of propaganda messages.

On the other hand, the artists of the time exalted the image of kings and royal families through their works. This practice left great sculptural and pictorial works that left their mark on art history.

Luxury and extravagance

The life of the absolutist monarchs was characterized by a waste of luxury and splendor that sometimes contrasted with the poverty of the people. This practice included owning huge castles, as well as abundant precious metals and stones.

Louis XVI, King of France, was one of the most prominent monarchs in this regard. He was popularly known as the "King of the Sun", due to the brilliance that the Palace of Versailles enjoyed during his reign and the extravagance of the festivities that he held together with the nobles.

References

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