"State Formation Through the Lens of Local Religious and Civic Authorities In Early Modern Europe" (original) (raw)

Henry Kamen has argued that the evolution of nation states was a central characteristic of the western civilization; however, the early nation states did not identify themselves with the interests of their subjects. Instead, in the gradual formation of the central state power, it was the local elites and authorities, which consented to the central rule of the newly developed nation states. Contrary to Kamen’s view, this paper argues that in the early stages of state formation, the central government needed support from the local elites and religious clergy in order to maintain peace and order in the regional territories. It was important for the state to co-operate with the local authorities in order to gain the community’s support, which was essential for the state’s political and economic stability. My aim in this paper is to discuss this relationship between the local powers, specifically religious authorities and the central state in Germany, France and England. State formation in the early modern Europe was a gradual and slow process. The states and the local religious authorities had a symbiotic relationship through which the central state was able to enforce royal laws and the clergy negotiated their position in favour of the regional cultural values.