Absolutism And Society In Seventeenth Century France: State Power And Provincial Aristocracy In Languedoc

Description

Why was Louis XIV successful in pacifying the same aristocrats who had been troublesome for Richelieu and Mazarin? What role did absolutism play in reinforcing or changing the traditional social system in seventeenth-century France? This analysis of the provincial reality of absolutism argues that the answers to these questions lie in the relationship between the regional aristocracy and the crown. Starting with a critical examination of current approaches to state and society by institutional, social "Annales," and Marxist historians, the author calls for a new class analysis based on the findings of all these schools. Cover Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of tables List of figures Preface List of abbreviations Map: Languedoc in the seventeenth century PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 Absolutism and class Analytical foundations: classes and orders Institutions in society Society and absolutism Absolutism in Languedoc 2 Languedoc and its rulers The province Identifying the rulers Lifestyles PART TWO: THE DISTRIBUTION OF AUTHORITY 3 Urban setting and local authorities The environment The consulates Other local authorities 4 The sovereign courts: a provincial perspective The Parlement of Toulouse The Cour des Comptes, Aides et Finances of Montpellier A changing of the guard ? 5 The royal agents: a national linkage Dealing with the province The intendancy develops 6 The Estates: central bargaining place Sessions and members The yearly transaction The burden of taxes PART THREE: THE PROVINCE ON ITS OWN 7 Contradictory aspirations and practical problems Common values Separate interests and strategies Central difficulties A common program 8 The inadequacy of authority The nature of authority Potential threats: conflict among authorities and popular rebellion A crisis of authority 9 The prospects for provincial solidarity Resistance strategy and the elus (1622-32) The tax crisis of 1645-6 The possibilities of the Fronde The 'echo' of 1656-7 PART FOUR: THE PROVINCE AND THE CROWN 10 Channels of personal influence The importance of personal influence Provincial connections Royal client networks 11 Tax flows and society The system Financiers and politics Social distribution Public debt, private investment 12 Collaborating with the king: positive results and fulfilled ambitions Troops regulated Manufactures and public works Huguenots repressed 13 Basking in the sun: the triumph of authority and hierarchy The royal presence through bureaucratic channels Working through provincial agencies The reinforcement of hierarchy Conclusion Appendix: Breakdown of taxes from the diocese of Toulouse, 1677 Select bibliography Manuscript sources Printed sources and works published before 1800 Secondary works: general and theoretical Secondary works concerning Languedoc Index