| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,700,000)
Fiscal Year 2006: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
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| Research Abstract |
This research aims the reconsideration of venality of offices which made root in the whole society in ancien regime France. Since the end of fifteenth century, the King's government sold judicial and financial posts on a large scale and authorized by the Paulette, so the most royal servants bought their public posts and bequeathed them to their relatives at will. It is often remarked that the officeholders (ofciers) were backward and independent from royal power as compared with the commissaires such as intendants de province. However, the venality system, which was a model of so-called Patrimonialburokratie and seemed futile at first sight, effectually offers the channels through which wealthy bourgeoisie climbed the social steps.
This research especially focused the court of France that represents the power and authority of monarchs. The courts in Western Europe can be regarded exemplary center (Clifford Geertz). French court is also distinguished for its brilliant and trivial courtesy and rites which duc de Saint-Simon wrote its details in his famous memoires, but the structure and personnel of court are very incomprehensible and obscure, and so that it is meaningful to bring out the complicated composition of court and to make sure what kind of charges and posts there was in the court. We tried to analyze Maison (domestique) du roi which consisted of principal nine sections (i.e. clerge de la Maison du roi, Bouche du roi, Chambre du roi, etc.), and Maison militaire du roi which composed of various companies and regiments of royal guards. Several thousand of courtiers which acquired or inherited some charge in the court, discharged their valid functions and raised the royal authority by attending the king directly, being industrious at dull routine work. Henceforth, the prosopographical analysis of the courtiers will be indispensable to further resolution of venality of offices.
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