IndexWhat was his rule about?Louis Especially in France, which is the country that stands out most for its absolute rulers. In other areas, constitutional government began to form. Absolute monarchies are monarchs in which the king believes he has the exclusive right to rule given to him by God (this is known as divine right). Henry IV was, in particular, the king (first of the Bourbon line) who laid the foundations of absolutism in France. After Henry IV, the reign of Louis XIII was an absolute monarch. The reign of Louis XIV was also an absolute monarch. Louis XIV is notably the definition of what an absolute monarch would be like. However, Louis XIV was almost kidnapped during the Fronde, demonstrating the failure of absolute rule; ultimately, the term absolute monarchy describes Louis XIV's rule as seen through the intendants, his narcissistic view of himself, his declaration that the king has greater power over religious institutions in temporal matters, and the public's discontent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay What was his rule about? Louis XIV's use of intendants allowed Louis to monitor the multiple jurisdictions under his reign. Ultimately, Louis XIV controlled these intendants, whose jurisdictions they controlled. Therefore, showing that Louis XIV controlled all corners of France is a sign of absolute domination. In Bouchu's report to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, he reports that he did everything possible to “establish the king's authority.” This shows that this steward, Bouchu, is asserting the king's power and dominance; therefore, this would give the king more power and therefore show absolute dominance. Claude Bouchu would most likely report this because his job is an intendant, and the intendant's job includes communicating with his superiors to report on his work in promoting the king's interests - which demonstrates absolute dominance. In the report of Arnoul (an intendant), regarding the efforts to convert the Huguenots to Catholicism, he reports that he understands the king's intentions and does what he can to arrest those who try to leave the country without trying to cause bankruptcies. This steward demonstrates that he understands the king's intentions and is actively trying to implement them by arresting them, which demonstrates absolute dominance because he directly follows the directions conveyed by the monarchy. However, it could be argued that Arnoul is hesitant to arrest due to the financial risks; in the end, he still follows the king's orders for those who are not merchants. Louis XIV's Narcissism as a Key Feature of His Rule Louis thus, saying that his rule is the most important. Charles-François Poerson's portrait of Louis XIV seated on the throne of the supreme Roman god Jupiter, displayed at the Palace of Versailles, shows the power held by Louis XIV. Louis XIV sitting on the throne of the Roman god Jupiter is saying that Louis is on the same level as god. More importantly, Jupiter in Roman mythology is the king of the gods; thus, signifying the absolute power/rule that Louis held. More importantly, because it was displayed at the Palace of Versailles, it means that it was a public portrait for all to see. This is because Versailles was a palace where nobles had to live for part of the year. So, therefore, the purpose of showing thisportrait is to demonstrate to the public the power held by Luigi, who once again demonstrates/affirms absolute dominance. Memoirs of Louis This shows that his dominion was absolute because, by explaining that everything revolved around him, he is essentially saying that everything around him is under his dominion. Furthermore, by explaining how his rule is distributed throughout the world, he proves that he is capable of ruling every corner of the world. Therefore, showing his absolute dominance. Louis XIV's phrase “I am the State” also demonstrates that he is an absolute sovereign. The phrase gives the meaning that Louis is France and France is Louis. This narcissistic comment proves that he is an absolute monarch because if he is the state, then he is able to make any laws he wants. The statement that Louis XIV and his successors have more power in temporal matters than the church demonstrates the absolute rule of controlling every aspect of his country. In the Declaration of the Assembly of the Clergy of France it is declared that the Church has no power in temporal and civil matters, and therefore the king is not obliged to listen to the Church in non-spiritual matters (Doc 4). This statement demonstrates Louis' absolute rule because this statement gives Louis XIV more power in his country. This is because if there were religious institutions in this country that held civil/temporal power, then Louis XIV would have less control. Whereas when the church had no civil/temporal power, then Louis XIV would have a greater opportunity to assert absolute rule. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate that temporal figures have more power than religious figures in civil matters. It would therefore make sense for them to declare that religious bodies have no power in temporal matters because in this way they can create a clear separation between the role of religious figures in civil matters. The public discontent demonstrates that Louis XIV has absolute dominion over France due to the contents of these documents. François Fénelon's letter to Louis XIV expresses his discontent with the monarchy, but also demonstrates that Louis XIV has the divine right that is the core of every absolute ruler. Fénelon's explanation that God would help Louis XIV shows that Louis has always been watched by God and that God is on his side. Therefore, this shows that Louis' reign is justified and protected by God, which is a characteristic of an absolute government. An anonymous parody of the Our Father criticizing Louis XIV was circulating in France, asking for food. The request for food shows that Louis has complete authority over his country. This is because the absolute rule of Louis XIV contributed to making the country suffer economically; therefore, the request for food, as shown in the parody, is the result of Louis' absolute dominance. The document was written during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), which would explain why the author criticized the government. This was because the course of the war would have made France suffer economically. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion However, Louis XIV was almost kidnapped by nobles during the Fronde (1648 -1653) which may prove that he was not an absolute ruler; it was just because he was a kid. As he matured into adulthood, he would slowly demonstrate much more absolute dominance. During the Fronde, nobles broke into the palace, trying to kidnap Louis XIV. Luckily he escaped. It can be argued that Luigi was not a.