Nikisoma jinsi mfalme huyu Louis XIV alivyokaribia kuifilisi nchi ya France, inanikumbusha mamiradi ya mwendazake hayati John Pombe Joseph Magufuli na serikali yake ya CCM Mpya.
Lèt’at ? C’est moi!” (‘The state? That’s me.’)
In 1682, Louis XIV moved his court from the fortified castles of Paris to a newly constructed palace at Versailles, about 12 miles (19 kilometres) south-west of the capital. Versailles became one of Europe’s grandest palaces, with 2,153 rooms, 230 acres of gardens and 20 miles of roads and pathways.
Versailles was not just a royal showpiece; it also became a virtual political prison for France’s provincial nobles. The king demanded the near-permanent attendance of significant noblemen at Versailles.
Censorship of books and pamphlets increased under Louis XIV and his successor, Louis XV. So too did the king’s use of lettres de cachet, orders to arbitrarily detain individuals who had criticised or offended the king or members of his inner circle.
Many radical and revolutionary writers – including Voltaire, Denis Diderot and Honore Mirabeau – all fell foul of the state and spent time in prisons or exile during the mid-18th century.
Royal oppression
Secondly, with growing royal absolutism came an increase in state oppression. The royal government became ruthless in suppressing criticism, political dissent and religious heresy.
Government expansion
Thirdly and finally, the expansion of the national government under Louis XIV, while effective in the short term, was both haphazard and inefficient. New departments and offices were created but traditional and obsolete ones were not abolished. France acquired a modern bureaucracy but it was created atop antiquated systems of privilege and inequality.
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