How has the reformation contributed in creating a strong central monarchy in Tudor, England?

Question

ARGHHHH!!! I'm really bad at history and i just can't seem to understand the question :( I need a history genius lol please help me!!! Thanx so much :D

Answer 1

Under the feudal system, Monarch, Church and Nobility, bore a three way cut on wealth.

The avaricious designs of the nobility, were well pleased when the King made it a two way cut on the wealth.

As "Head of Church" the King was to turn the Church into mere civil functionary  to the "anointed theology" of the usurper King.... a D.I.Y. job!

Answer 2

One minute the King of England sent a large contribution "Peter's Pence" to the Papacy, and the Roman Catholic Church owned one fifth of the Land in England. A good deal of money from tythes for this land was sequestered out of the English Economy by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church reinforced heirarchy, and was a significant break on social, cultural, technical, and artistic development. Loyalty split between Pope and King was a source of tension.

The next moment... not so much.

No "Peter's Pence". The King had one fifth of the land in England suddenly dumped into his lap to use himself, and give away to his supporters. When Henry VIII became Head of the Church of England, this uncrossed the lines of allegiance of Temporal Power and a Spiritual Power. Suddenly the King had to build a secular State because the Catholic Church which provided him with Civil Servants was hostile to him.

The Tudors created a large number of newly landed gentry loyal to the Crown, and used land to create Towns by Royal Charter. These began to create an urban artisan middle class, which oweds their existence, and tax income to the Crown. Being directly under the crown their Charters put these towns outside the Feudal System, and generated "cash" rather than teh more feudal "agricultural produce" and "the duty to provide troops in the event of war". Their significant economic activity also generated Excise Duties paid directly for the Crown (research Cardinal Wolsey and Richard Pate in this regard).

The Education of priests had allowed the Church to collect tythes from its tenants. Rather than just "Cathedral Schools" attached to every Cathedral, the King endowed King's Schools in every county, to educate the next generation of literate administrators, magistrates, tax collectors, etc. necessary to run a State. This created a secularised educated literate urban middle class, and an education industry in the newly endowed and blooming Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Despite a new division between Colleges endowed under Catholicism, and the newer Protestant Colleges in Oxford, the sudden independance from Catholic Monasteries in Oxford lead to increased academic rigour, and innovation.

Providing Royal Justice cemented the State - Subject relationship in a recognisably modern way.

1) Legal cases usually concerned property. The Monarch is interested in who owns property so they know who to Tax.

2) To do all of this administrative and clerical work, he needed a strong Central Civil Service. England had a long tradition of competent public administration - (see the development of the Curia Regis under Angevins). In the Tudor period, the increase in quality and quantity of record keeping, primary legislation, an tax records was as good as anywhere else in Europe.

3) Shakespeare's world highlighting the holes that were beginning to appear in the strict social limitation of the Medieval Period (contrast Shakespearian and Chaucerian societies). It depicted a world which is recognisable to a Modern sensibility. By breaking the power of the Roman Church, the Tudors changed the relationship between the Subject and State begun by Magna Carta - the due Process of Law.

The Tudors unleashed economic energy and creativity in England, creating a vibrant diverse economy, social change, art, technological development, and a dynamic culture. A strong Central Crown developed to resist counter-reformation, give out justice, collect "money" taxes rather than agricultural tythes. The new Tudors landed Gentry were educated and loyal to the Crown. The Tudors provided access to opportunity by greater access to education. They placed a priority on a compreshensive justice system (local magistrates giving out the Kings justice) to reinforce their legitimacy, which created an environment where people could have the confidence that justice would probably prevail over power. This was partly done by removing the right for Aristocrats to have their own private Army (Statue of Livery and Maintenance).

The Crown administered some of the suddenly freed up land itself, from which significant wealth flowed. This made the Crown wealthy enough to

- invest in building up the economy

- employ a small professional well equipped standing Army rather than a peasant levy.

- build a professional properly equipped Navy

- Supervise and regulate wealth creation

- provide a professionalised secular Royal Justice system.

They build a strong central Civil service to implement and develop all of these institutions of the State.

Contrast this with the much more stagnant monolithic Spain, where despite Gold and Silver from the New World, everything was run directly and centrally on behalf of the monarchy by the Catholic Church. Particularly instructive regarding the principal of due process of law, don't forget the Spanish Inquisition.