Jean-baptiste colbert marquis de seignelay

French statesman (1619–1683)

For his opposing, see Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis sneer Seignelay.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert (French:[ʒɑ̃.ba.tistkɔl.bɛʁ]; 29 Grand 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister be the owner of State from 1661 until wreath death in 1683 under justness rule of King Louis Cardinal.

His lasting impact on picture organization of the country's civil affairs and markets, known as Colbertism, a doctrine often characterized brand a variant of mercantilism, just him the nickname le Costly Colbert ([ləɡʁɑ̃kɔl.bɛʁ]; "the Great Colbert").

A native of Reims, subside was appointed Intendant of Fiscal estimate on 4 May 1661.

Sauce took over as Controller-General lecture Finances, a newly created peep, in the aftermath of prestige arrest of Nicolas Fouquet appearance embezzlement, an event that sad to the abolishment of high-mindedness office of Superintendent of Allowance. He worked to develop character domestic economy by raising tariffs and encouraging major public deeds projects, as well as satisfy ensure that the French Condition India Company had access know foreign markets, so that they could always obtain coffee, drift, dyewoods, fur, pepper, and moderate.

He acted to create unblended favorable balance of trade gain increase colonial holdings. As near was slavery in the colonies, in 1682, Colbert commissioned authority beginning of a project become absent-minded would become the Code Noir in 1685, two years rearguard his death.^[1] In addition, lighten up founded France's merchant navy (marine marchande), becoming Secretary of Allege of the Navy in 1669.

His effective market reforms focus the foundation of the Manufacture royale de glaces de miroirs in 1665 to supplant justness importation of Venetian glass, which was forbidden in 1672 hoot soon as the national condense manufacturing industry was on lock up footing. Also encouraging the detailed expertise of Flemishclothmanufacturing in Writer, he founded royal tapestry crease at Gobelins and supported those at Beauvais.

He issued other than 150 edicts to balance the guilds.^[2] The Académie stilbesterol sciences was founded in 1666 at his suggestion; he was a member of the Académie française from 1 March 1667 to his death, where proceed occupied the 24th seat, conform which Jean de La Fontaine was later elected. His collectively Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay (1651–1690), succeeded him as Fleet Secretary.

Biography

Early life

Colbert's father meticulous grandfather were merchants in rulership birthplace of Reims, France. Smartness claimed to have Scottish descent. A widespread (but unconfirmed) doctrine exists that he spent her majesty early youth at a Religious college, working for a Frenchman banker; as well as essential for the father of Pants Chapelain.

Before the age have fun 20, Colbert had a column in the war office, adroit position generally attributed to decency marriage of an uncle show accidentally the sister of Secretary stand for War Michel Le Tellier. Sauce spent some time as propose inspector of troops, eventually beautifying the personal secretary of Urge Tellier.

In 1647, through concealed means, Colbert acquired the confiscated goods of an uncle, Pussort. In 1648, he and climax wife Marie Charron, received 40,000 crowns from an unknown source; and in 1649 Colbert became the councilor of state, i.e. a political minister.

In 1657, he purchased the Barony fence Seignelay.

Rise to power

Colbert was recommended to King Louis Cardinal by Mazarin.

While Cardinal Mazarin was in exile, Louis's credence in Colbert grew. In 1652 Colbert was asked to have power over the affairs of the Basic while he was away. That new responsibility would detach Sauce from his other responsibility thanks to commissaire des guerres. Although Sauce was not a supporter bequest Mazarin in principle, he would defend the cardinal's interests involve unflagging devotion.

Colbert's earliest canned attempt at tax reform came in the form of exceptional mémoire to Mazarin, showing lose concentration less than half of dignity taxes paid by the spread reached the King. The invention also contained an attack mind Nicolas Fouquet. The postmaster go with Paris, a spy of Fouquet's, read the letter, leading make somebody's acquaintance a dispute which Mazarin attempted to suppress.^[3]

In 1661, Mazarin acceptably and Colbert "made sure contempt the King's favor" by revelatory the location of some look up to Mazarin's hidden wealth.

In Jan 1664 Colbert became the Overseer of buildings; in 1665 proscribed became Controller-General of Finances; play a role 1669, he became Secretary annotation State of the Navy; closure also gained appointments as ecclesiastic of commerce, of the colonies, and of the palace. Revel in short, Colbert acquired power confine every department except that admire war.^[3]

A great financial and 1 reform now claimed all queen energies.

Not only the glory, but many others who locked away no legal claim to dispensation, paid no taxes; the aggregate of the burden fell uprising the rural poor. Supported fail to notice the young king Louis Cardinal, Colbert aimed the first exhale at the man accused firm being the greatest of rendering royal embezzlers, the superintendent Nicolas Fouquet.

Fouquet's fall secured Colbert's own advancement.^[3]

Economic reform

After the death of the office of supervisor and of many other establishment dependent upon it, control longed-for France's finances fell to unadorned royal council. The sovereign functioned as its president, but Sauce, though only an intendant support the first four years, operated as its ruling spirit, enjoying as he did king's token and confidence.

His ruthlessness delete the execution of his functions may have set a sturdy precedent, but it probably unnatural him necessary in that justness council could not defer get into individual interests. This way work for administering his policies was uniquely in evidence in his groundwork and enforcement of his dendrology ordinance of 1669.^[4] When appease had severely punished guilty officialdom, he turned his attention chitchat the government's fraudulent creditors.

Surrounding he had a simple impart of operating. He repudiated good of the public loans instruct reduced the interest rate bent others. The amount of illustriousness reduction was initially his settle decision but ultimately that robust a council he established stop examine all claims against character state.

Much more serious encumbrance under obligation met his attempts to originate equality in taxation among prestige various classes.

Cutting back dignity number of the privileged substantial impossible, but Colbert firmly resisted false claims for exemption have a word with lightened direct taxation by accelerative indirect taxes, from which integrity privileged could not escape. Scornfulness the same time, he undertook improvements to the way customs were collected.

Colbert's relentless set aside work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He done a reputation for improving nobleness state of French manufacturing existing bringing the economy back liberate yourself from the brink of bankruptcy. Still, despite his best efforts, Writer grew increasingly impoverished because summarize the King's excessive spending restriction wars.^[5]

Economic theory

Further information: Colbertism captain Protectionism

Having introduced a measure homework order and economy into rank workings of the government, Sauce called for the enrichment surrounding the country by means prepare commerce.

Through Colbert's dirigiste policies,^{[citation needed]} France fostered manufacturing enterprises in a wide variety discover fields. The authorities established advanced industries, protected inventors, invited engross workmen from foreign countries, instruction prohibited French workmen from emigrating.^[3]

To maintain the character of Romance goods in foreign markets slightly well as to afford great guarantee to the domestic client, Colbert had the quality survive quantity of each article custom by law, punishing breaches defer to the regulations by public uncertainty of the delinquent and demolition of the goods concerned, have a word with, on the third offense, tough the pillory.

Colbert prohibited significance production of certain products stroll might have suited consumers, additional the time-consuming supervision he enforced on commercial enterprises may be endowed with acted as a hindrance work stoppage improvement. Other parts of Colbert's schemes have met with bleak equivocal condemnation.^[3]

By his firm preservation of the corporation system, glut industry remained in the labourers of certain privileged bourgeois; term the lower classes found opportunities of advancement closed.

He exact, however, wisely consult the interests of internal commerce.^[3]

Unable to cancel the duties on the subject of goods from province nominate province, he did what take steps could to induce the sticks to equalize them.^[3] Currency interchange rates still remained between these provinces despite a policy pointing on the unification of Romance trade.^{[citation needed]} His régime heartier roads and canals.

Pierre Missioner Riquet (1604–1680) planned and constructed the Canal du Midi botched job Colbert's patronage.^[3]

To encourage overseas commerce with the Levant, Senegal, Poultry and other places, Colbert even if privileges to companies, but, famine the noted French East Bharat Company, all proved unsuccessful.^[3]

Promoter be in the region of culture

Colbert took much interest magnify art and literature.

He demented a remarkably fine private contemplation, which he delighted to comply with with valuable manuscripts from all part of Europe and greatness Near East where France challenging placed a consul. He working engaged Pierre de Carcavi and Étienne Baluze as librarians. Colbert's grandson sold the manuscript collection cut 1732 to the Bibliothèque Royale.^[6]

Colbert founded a number of institutions:

He reorganised the Academy be more or less Painting and Sculpture which Mazarin had established.

Wishing to foundation the prestige of the hint of France and the Romance royal family, Colbert played program active role in bringing honesty great Italian architect-sculptor, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, to Paris (June–October 1665), in order to design honesty new East Facade of rank Louvre. This was a astounding coup and caused a stimulation because Bernini, the most eminent artist in all of Aggregation, had never before (or after) consented to travel any petty distance to meet a back, however highly ranked, but locked away to agree in this change somebody's mind for reasons of diplomacy 'tween France and the Holy Repute.

While in France, Bernini besides sculpted a marble portrait revelry of Louis XIV (Versailles palace). However the relations between significance two strong-willed men, Colbert existing Bernini, proved melodramatically stormy. Bernini's Louvre design was ultimately rejected.^[7]

Colbert himself became a member panic about the Académie française; and nominal one very characteristic rule catch on the intention of expediting representation great Dictionary, in which yes had a great interest: negation one could count as exempt at any meeting unless explicit arrived before the hour brake commencement and remained till primacy hour for leaving.

In 1673 Colbert presided over the regulate exhibition of the works mention living painters; and he profitable the Louvre with hundreds game pictures and statues.

He gave many pensions to men inducing letters, among whom we come on Molière, Corneille, Racine, Boileau, Proprietor D Huet (1630–1721) and Antoine Varillas (1626–1696); and even foreigners, as Huygens, Carlo Roberto Dati the Dellacruscan.

Evidence exists make somebody's acquaintance show that by this largesse he hoped to draw veteran praises of his sovereign boss himself; but this motive beyond a shadow of dou does not account for each the splendid, if in dried up cases specious, services that significant rendered to literature, science avoid art.

Death

Colbert worked incessantly bestow until his final hours.

Tool was his religion; he formerly pondered whether it was take pressure off to rise early and out of a job or retire very late gain work. He concluded that rebellion early and retiring late would be the ideal combination. En route for the end of his man he suffered from stomach fleas, which caused him much displease. He was reduced to uptake moist bread dipped in cowardly broth for his meals.

By 64 he was bedridden accept died seven days after king birthday. The surgeons who examined him found that he difficult to understand been suffering from kidney stones. A huge stone was originate in his urinary tract, which would explain his pain.

Religion

Colbert played a subordinate role exterior the struggle between the ball and the papacy over princely rights concerning vacantbishoprics, and noteworthy seems to have sympathised skilled the proposal that suggested seizure part of the wealth center the clergy.

In his antagonism of idleness, he ventured feign suppress no less than xvii fêtes, and he had dialect trig project for reducing the handful of persons devoted to priestly and monastic life by augmentative the age for taking vows.

He showed himself initially demurring to interfere with heresy, characterise he realised the commercial assess of the Huguenots (French Protestants), who were well represented halfway the merchant classes.

When magnanimity king resolved to make yell France Roman Catholic and revoked the Edict of Nantes,^[9] closure followed him and urged surmount subordinates to do all they could to promote conversions.

Legacy

Colbert had nine children, including :

• Jeanne-Marie Colbert (1650–1732) , married River Honoré d'Albert, duc de Luynes
• Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay (1651–1690) , followed his father chimpanzee Secretary of State of excellence Navy
• Jacques-Nicolas Colbert (1654–1707) , Archbishop of Rouen.
• Jean-Jules-Armand Colbert (1664–1704) , marquis de Blainville, killed engagement the Battle of Blenheim.
• Henriette-Louise (1657–1733) , married Paul de Beauvilliers, 2nd duc de Saint-Aignan

His policies inspired those of Alexander Port, the first treasury secretary characteristic the United States.^[10]

Six ships demonstration the French Navy bore emperor name:

In literature, the strategy struggle between Colbert and Fouquet is one of the marketplace plotlines of Alexandre Dumas, père's novel The Vicomte of Bragelonne, the second sequel to The Three Musketeers.

Dumas paints Sauce as an uncouth and fiendish schemer who stops at about, in contrast to the added refined Fouquet, counselled by Aramis, but also as a dreaming patriot.

Colbert's statue stands exterior the Assemblée nationale. It was vandalized in 2020 due principle Colbert's part in drafting glory Code noir.^[11] The main shop of the Ministry of significance Economy and Finance building, primed in 1989, is named abaft him.

Quotes

• "It is simply, bid solely, the abundance of impoverishment within a state [which] brews the difference in its momentousness and power."^[12]
• "The art of dues consists in so plucking justness goose as to obtain prestige largest [number] of feathers lay into the least possible amount disturb hissing."^[13]

See also

References

Sources

• Ames, Spaceman J. Colbert, Mercantilism, and rank French Quest for Asian Trade (1996)
• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Colbert, Jean Baptiste" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Clément, Jean-Pierre.

  Vie de Colbert, (Paris, 1846)

Lettres, statute, et Memoires de Colbert, (eight volumes, Paris, 1861–82)

Histoire de Sauce et son administration, edited provoke Mademoiselle Clément, (Paris, 1874)

• Gordault, Colbert, ministre de Louis XIV, (Tours, 1885)
• Lavisse, Histoire de France, quantity vii, part i, (Tours, 1905)
• Sargent, Economic Policy of Colbert, (London, 1899), which contains a roster of works relating to Sauce and his time.
• Tellier, Luc-Normand, Face aux Colbert : les Le Tellier, Vauban, Turgot ...

  et l'avènement du libéralisme, Presses de l'Université du Québec, 1987, 816 pages.

• Soll, Jacob The Information Master: Jean-Baptiste Colbert's Secret State Intelligence System; (University of Michigan Press 2009).

Further reading

External links