Bringing the People Back In : State Building From Below in the Nordic Countries Ca. 1500-1800

The formation of states in early modern Europe has long been an important topic for historical analysis. Traditionally, the political and military struggles of kings and rulers were the favoured object of study for academic historians. This book highlights new historical research from Europe’s northern frontier, bringing ‘the people’ back into the discussion of state politics, presenting alternative views of political and social relations in the Nordic countries before industrialisation. The early modern period was a time that witnessed initiatives from people from many groups formally excluded from political influence, operating outside the structures of central government, and this book returns to the subject of contentious politics and state building from below. This book highlights new historical research from Europeâ€TMs northern frontier, bringing †̃the peopleâ€TM back into the discussion of state politics, presenting alternative views of political and social relations in the Nordic countries before industrialization. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of contents 6 List of tables 9 List of figures 10 List of contributors 11 Acknowledgements 15 PART I: Bringing the people back in 18 1. Repertoires of state building from below in the Nordic countries, c. 1500–1800 20 2. The historical sociology of politics as the study of people, power, and agency 40 PART II: The war, riots, and protests 54 3. The ethics of rule and the pragmatics of resistance 56 4. Conflict, state formation and literacy 78 5. Statebreaking from below 93 6. Pride of the communes 108 7. Insurgents of the Oldenburg state in Torstenson war 1643–1645 124 PART III: Bringing order to the state from below 142 8. Households and state-building in early modern Denmark 144 9. Policing the guilds 163 10. How soldiers’ women built early modern states 179 PART IV: Elites in state formation 198 11. From state elite to regional elite 200 12. An improvised empire 216 13. The state conquers a feudal enclave 232 PART V: Formation of the public sphere in the 18th century 248 14. From subjects to rural citizens? 250 15. Houses divided? 269 16. Local space building as state building? 291 17. Contested customs 309 18. Criticism of government in Norway c. 1770–1814 326 PART VI: State building from below in perspective 344 19. The people and the state 346 Index 354 Repertoires;,Nordic,countries;,historical,research;,northern,frontier;,sociology;,statebreaking;,communes;,Oldenburg,state;,Torstenson,war;,Modern,Denmark;,Policing,the,guilds;,improvised,empire;,feudal,enclave;,rural,citizens;,Contested,customs;,government,in,Norway;,political,and,social,relations;,contentious,politics;,regional,elite Repertoires,Nordic countries,historical research,northern frontier,sociology,statebreaking,communes,Oldenburg state,Torstenson war,Modern Denmark,Policing the guilds,improvised empire,feudal enclave,rural citizens,Contested customs,government in Norway,political and social relations,contentious politics,regional elite "The formation of states in early modern Europe has long been an important topic for historical analysis. Traditionally, the political and military struggles of kings and rulers were the favoured object of study for academic historians. This book highlights new historical research from Europe's northern frontier, bringing 'the people' back into the discussion of state politics, presenting alternative views of political and social relations in the Nordic countries before industrialization. The early modern period was a time that witnessed initiatives from people from many groups formally excluded from political influence, operating outside the structures of central government, and this book returns to the subject of contentious politics and state building from below"-- Provided by publisher