16th Century State
Well, maybe. In sixteenth century Scotland there was a steady dissolution of the absolutist notions of the Divine Right of Monarchs towards a centralised state, or so some historians are seemingly fond of saying. As with feudalism, the term state can be rather misleading when used in a modern context. The word is thought to have originated with Aristotle, who used it in reference to a collection of freeborn citizens that were working for the common good of their polity. Considering how highly regarded studies of Aristotle and his peers were in medieval society, it is perhaps unsurprising that the term caught on.
One of the most important developments to happen in reference to this was literacy becoming more widespread. Jack Goody called the invention of written symbols to represent the oral alphabet a revolutionary event. In medieval Scotland it would certainly have helped trade, giving rise to a number of literate merchants. Before this (rather vague) age literacy was the hallmark of the clerical elite, who could be scribes for charters and other important documents that came to be used in legal matters.
James I was the first well-known literate monarch in Scotland, which would of course have led to many of his nobles emulating him. Whereas it would once have been customary to simply employ literate servants, now the nobles underwent education in order to do it themselves; education that usually followed the humanist scholars of Europe such as Aristotle. By 1496 it became mandatory for the eldest sons of all nobles to stay in school and learn fluent Latin before going on to university.
Eventually the printing presses reached Scotland. The burdens of relying on manuscripts were lifted and so opened a near limitless scope of potential. This may not always have been to the benefit of the nobles, since many broadsheet posters containing criticisms of certain gentryfolk have been found (inc. Mary I).
Under James V's rule there was a move away from clerical government as many knights came to the royal court, leaving their local polities, to hold offices that would once have been the exclusive domain of the clergy. This included most of the Justices of the Peace. Initially, and inevitably, literacy proved to be quite limited. A number of letters would be astonishingly brief, contain a great many errors, and perhaps be completely illegible. In part this may have been due to reading and writing being taught as two separate subjects.
Bureaucracy is the skeletal system of a ruler at war. England certainly depended on it a great deal whilst the Hundred Year War with France rumbled on. For one thing, it helped to keep tabs on the taxes that were being levied in order to pay for the war. The prolonged campaigns created a situation whereby taxation was effectively commonplace. For a king as extravagant as James VI, who was often found wanting for yet more expenses, this must have seemed like a rather peculiar affront. After all, Scotland was not at war. By 1581, this led to an attempt to impose regular taxation. This was a highly controversial matter, since usually taxes were only levied with a prior, specific explanation as to the need.
One of the most important developments to happen in reference to this was literacy becoming more widespread. Jack Goody called the invention of written symbols to represent the oral alphabet a revolutionary event. In medieval Scotland it would certainly have helped trade, giving rise to a number of literate merchants. Before this (rather vague) age literacy was the hallmark of the clerical elite, who could be scribes for charters and other important documents that came to be used in legal matters.
James I was the first well-known literate monarch in Scotland, which would of course have led to many of his nobles emulating him. Whereas it would once have been customary to simply employ literate servants, now the nobles underwent education in order to do it themselves; education that usually followed the humanist scholars of Europe such as Aristotle. By 1496 it became mandatory for the eldest sons of all nobles to stay in school and learn fluent Latin before going on to university.
Eventually the printing presses reached Scotland. The burdens of relying on manuscripts were lifted and so opened a near limitless scope of potential. This may not always have been to the benefit of the nobles, since many broadsheet posters containing criticisms of certain gentryfolk have been found (inc. Mary I).
Under James V's rule there was a move away from clerical government as many knights came to the royal court, leaving their local polities, to hold offices that would once have been the exclusive domain of the clergy. This included most of the Justices of the Peace. Initially, and inevitably, literacy proved to be quite limited. A number of letters would be astonishingly brief, contain a great many errors, and perhaps be completely illegible. In part this may have been due to reading and writing being taught as two separate subjects.
Bureaucracy is the skeletal system of a ruler at war. England certainly depended on it a great deal whilst the Hundred Year War with France rumbled on. For one thing, it helped to keep tabs on the taxes that were being levied in order to pay for the war. The prolonged campaigns created a situation whereby taxation was effectively commonplace. For a king as extravagant as James VI, who was often found wanting for yet more expenses, this must have seemed like a rather peculiar affront. After all, Scotland was not at war. By 1581, this led to an attempt to impose regular taxation. This was a highly controversial matter, since usually taxes were only levied with a prior, specific explanation as to the need.
posted by Thed at 21:39
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