Powerbrokers in the Late Middle Ages: The Burgundian Low Countries in a European Context = Les courtiers du pouvoir au bas Moyen-Âge: Les Pays-Bas bourguignons dans un contexte européen

Description

The fifteenth century was of crucial importance for the Low Countries. After centuries of gradual political disintegration, a rapid unification took place during the reign of the Burgundian dukes, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. How did this new 'state' work? To most people the political high-points are well known; but the slow process of integration that had by then started remains, by contrast, largely unknown. In this process, the regional institutions, which were thoroughly modernised by the Burgundian dukes, seem to have played a key role. The first part of this volume discusses the role of these regional institutions. In particular it studies the role in the principalities of Brabant, Holland and Flanders of civil servants as formal and informal 'powerbrokers' between central government and subjects in the Low Countries during the Burgundian period. The Low Countries, however, cannot be treated in isolation from its neighbours: they were situated literally on the frontier of the Holy Roman Empire and France and there were intensive commercial and political contacts with England. Therefore, by way of comparison, the second part of this volume contrasts developments in other European countries, in particular, France, the Empire and England. The articles in this volume are written by a group of distinguished specialists in the field of administrative history, working at universities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Preface vii The Low Countries Robert Stein / Burgundian bureaucracy as a model for the Low Countries? The 'Chambres des Comptes' and the creation of an administrative unity 3 Mario Damen / Taxation for prince and officers. The Council of Holland and the aides in the Burgundian period 27 Yvonne Bos-Rops / The power of money. Financial officials in Holland in the late 15th and early 16th century 47 Jan Dumolyn / Les conseillers flamands au XVème siècle: rentiers du pouvoir, courtiers de pouvoir 67 Mireille Jean / 'Les Gens de Comptes à Lille à la fin du XVème siècle 87 Philippe Godding / Le Conseil de Brabant sous Philippe le Bon. L’institution et les hommes 101 Comparisons Jean-Philippe Genet / Les conseillers du prince en Angleterre à la fin du moyen âge: sages et prudents? 117 Steven Gunn / 'New men' and 'new monarchy' in England, 1485-1524 153 Peter Moraw / Conseils princiers en Allemagne au XIVème et au XVème siècle 165 Olivier Mattéoni / Entre fidélité et compétence. Les conseillers du duc Louis II de Bourbon (1356-1410) 177 Jean Kerhervé / La Chancellerie de Bretagne sous Anne de Bretagne et Louis XII (1498-1514) 199 Anthony Black / Ottoman political thought: A comparison with Europe 235 Claude Gauvard / Conclusions 243