Burgundian Netherlands Burgundiae Belgicae (Latin) Pays-Bas bourguignons (French) Bourgondische Nederlanden (Dutch) Burgundesch Nidderlanden (Luxembourgish) Bas Payis borguignons (Walloon) | |
|---|---|
| 1384–1482 | |
 Coat of arms | |
 The Burgundian Netherlands at the end ofCharles the Bold's reign (1477) | |
| Status | Personal union ofImperial andFrenchfiefs |
| Capital | None Mechelen (1473–1477) |
| Common languages | Dutch,Low Saxon,West Frisian,Walloon,Luxembourgish,French |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Government | Composite monarchy |
| Legislature | States General of the Netherlands |
| Historical era | Late Middle Ages |
• Established | 1384 |
• Disestablished | 1482 |
| History of theLow Countries | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frisii | Belgae | |||||||
| Cana– nefates | Chamavi, Tubantes | Gallia Belgica(55 BC–c. 5th AD) Germania Inferior(83–c. 5th) | ||||||
| Salian Franks | Batavi | |||||||
| unpopulated (4th–c. 5th) | Saxons | Salian Franks (4th–c. 5th) | ||||||
| Frisian Kingdom (c. 6th–734) | Frankish Kingdom(481–843)—Carolingian Empire(800–843) | |||||||
| Austrasia(511–687) | ||||||||
| Middle Francia(843–855) | West Francia (843–) | |||||||
| Kingdom of Lotharingia(855– 959) Duchy of Lower Lorraine(959–) | ||||||||
| Frisia | ||||||||
.svg) Frisian Freedom (11–16th century) |  County of Holland (880–1432) |  Bishopric of Utrecht (695–1456) |  Duchy of Brabant (1183–1430)  Duchy of Guelders (1046–1543) |  County of Flanders (862–1384) |  County of Hainaut (1071–1432)  County of Namur (981–1421) |  P.-Bish. of Liège (980–1794) |  Duchy of Luxem- bourg (1059–1443) | |
 Burgundian Netherlands(1384–1482) | ||||||||
Habsburg Netherlands(1482–1795) (Seventeen Provincesafter 1543) | ||||||||
 Dutch Republic (1581–1795) | Spanish Netherlands (1556–1714) | |||||||
 Austrian Netherlands (1714–1795) | ||||||||
 United States of Belgium (1790) |  R. Liège (1789–'91) | |||||||
 Batavian Republic(1795–1806) Kingdom of Holland(1806–1810) |  associated withFrench First Republic(1795–1804) part ofFirst French Empire(1804–1815) | |||||||
 Princip. of the Netherlands(1813–1815) | ||||||||
| Kingdom of the Netherlands(1815–1830) |  Gr D. L. (1815–) | |||||||
Kingdom of the Netherlands(1839–) |  Kingdom of Belgium(1830–) | |||||||
Gr D. of Luxem- bourg (1890–) | ||||||||
TheBurgundian Netherlands[a] were those parts of theLow Countries that were ruled by theHouse of Valois-Burgundy between 1384 and 1482. During theBurgundian Age, those lands were also parts of the widerValois-Burgundian State, which itself belonged, in terms ofsuzerainty, partly to theKingdom of France and partly to theHoly Roman Empire. The ValoisDukes of Burgundy gradually acquired and united those lowlands into a political union that went beyond apersonal union establishing central institutions for the first time (such as theStates General).[1]
The period began with DukePhilip the Bold taking office as count and lord ofAntwerp,Artois,Flanders,Mechelen, andRethel in 1384,[2] and lasted until the death of DuchessMary of Burgundy in 1482, after which the Valois-Burgundian State was dissolved, as Mary's titles and lands were inherited by her sonPhilip the Handsome, from theHouse of Habsburg, thus initiating creation of theHabsburg Netherlands.
In the 15th century, it was customary to refer to the Low Countries where the Duke of Burgundy ruled and usually resided asles pays de par-deçà meaning "the lands over here" as opposed toBurgundy proper (in Central France) which was designatedles pays de par-delà meaning "the lands over there" (see alsoTerminology of the Low Countries).
Around the 13th and early 14th century, various Dutch cities became so important that they started playing a major role in the political and economical affairs of their respectivefiefs.[3] At the same time, the political system of relatively petty lords was ending, and stronger rulers (with actual power over larger territories) started to emerge. In the case of the Dutch, these two developments resulted in the political unification of all Dutch fiefs within a supra-regional state. This process started in the 14th century, with theFlemish cities gaining previously unseen powers over their county. When CountLouis II of Flanders died without a male heir, these cities (Bruges,Ypres, andGhent) arranged a marriage between the count's daughter (future CountessMargaret III) and theduke of Burgundy (Philip the Bold). By doing this, they set in motion a chain of events eventually leading to the establishment and expansion of the Burgundian Low Countries.
A fair share (but not most) of these territories were inherited by theBurgundian dukes, a younger branch of the French royalHouse of Valois, upon the death of CountLouis II of Flanders in 1384. His heiress,Margaret III of Flanders in 1369 had marriedPhilip the Bold, youngest son of KingJohn II of France and the first of the Valois dukes of Burgundy atDijon, who thus inherited theCounty of Flanders. The Flemish comitalHouse of Dampierre had been French vassals, who held territory around the affluent cities ofBruges andGhent, but also adjacent lands in formerLower Lorraine east of theScheldt river ("Imperial Flanders") including the exclave ofMechelen, which were a fief of the Holy Roman Empire, and furthermore the neighbouring FrenchCounty of Artois. Together they initiated an era of Burgundian governance in the Low Countries.
The Dampierre legacy further comprised the French counties ofRethel in northernChampagne andNevers west ofBurgundy proper, both held by Philip's younger sonPhilip II from 1407, as well as theCounty of Burgundy (Franche-Comté) east of it, an Imperial fief which had been part of the formerKingdom of Burgundy-Arles.
In the following decades, the Burgundian dukes expanded their territories in the Low Countries by the acquisition of severalImperial States: DukePhilip the Good purchased theCounty of Namur in 1421, inherited the Duchies ofBrabant andLimburg in 1430, and seized the Counties ofHainaut,Holland andZeeland in 1432, and theDuchy of Luxembourg in 1441. His son, the last Burgundian dukeCharles the Bold, in 1473 annexed the Duchy ofGuelders, which had been pawned by lateArnold of Egmond.
The Valois era would last until 1477, when Duke Charles the Bold died at theBattle of Nancy leaving no male heir. The territorial Duchy of Burgundy reverted to the French crown according toSalic law, and KingLouis XI of France also seized the French portion of the Burgundian possessions in the Low Countries. The Imperial fiefs passed to theAustrian House of Habsburg through Charles' daughterMary of Burgundy and her husband ArchdukeMaximilian of Habsburg, son of EmperorFrederick III. Maximilian, however, regarded the Burgundian Netherlands including Flanders and Artois as the undivided domains of his wife and himself and marched against the French. The conflict culminated at theBattle of Guinegate in 1479. Though Maximilian was victorious, he was only able to gain the County of Flanders according to the 1482Treaty of Arras after his wife Mary had suddenly died, while France retained Artois.
In her testament, Mary of Burgundy had bequested the Burgundian heritage to her and Maximilian's son,Philip the Handsome. His father, dissatisfied with the terms of the Arras agreement, continued to contest the seized French territories. In 1493, KingCharles VIII of France according to theTreaty of Senlis finally renounced Artois, which together with Flanders was incorporated into the ImperialSeventeen Provinces under the rule of Philip.
The population of the main provinces of the Low Countries in 1477 (Prince-Bishoprics initalics).[4][5]
| Province | Population in total | % rural | % urban | Province total as % of Netherlands total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flanders | 660,000 | 64 | 36 | 26.0 |
| Brabant | 413,000 | 69 | 31 | 16.0 |
| Holland | 275,000 | 55 | 45 | 10.5 |
| Artois | 140,000 | 78 | 22 | 5.5 |
| Hainault | 130,000 | 70 | 30 | 5.0 |
| Liège | 120,000 | - | - | 4.5 |
| Guelders | 98,000 | 56 | 44 | 3.8 |
| Walloon Flanders | 73,000 | 64 | 36 | 2.8 |
| Friesland | 71,000 | 78 | 22 | 2.7 |
| Luxembourg | 68,000 | 85 | 15 | 2.6 |
| Utrecht[b] | 53,000 | 52 | 48 | 2.0 |
The Burgundian dukes who ruled the Burgundian territories were:
House of Valois, territorial Dukes of Burgundy
House of Valois, titular Duchess of Burgundy
House of Habsburg, titular Dukes of Burgundy (seeHabsburg Netherlands)
| Year | Valois-Burgundian monarch | Acquired fiefs | Method | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1384 | Philip the Bold | County of Flanders,Artois, andFranche-Comté | Inheritance | Death of Philip's father-in-law,Louis II of Flanders, whose daughter and heir,Margaret III, was Philip's wife. |
| 1421 | Philip the Good | County of Namur | Purchase | Bought fromJohn III, Marquis of Namur. |
| 1430 | Brabant, andLimburg. | Inheritance | Philip of Brabant died childless, leaving his cousin Philip as his heir. | |
| 1432 | County of Holland,Zeeland andHainaut | Treaty | Offered position after victory of theHollandic cities in theHook and Cod wars. | |
| 1443 | Duchy of Luxembourg | Conquest | ||
| 1456 | Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht | Client state | Philip managed that his illegitimate son,David, was electedBishop of Utrecht, leading to theFirst andSecond Utrecht Civil War. | |
| Prince-Bishopric of Liège | Client state | Philip had his nephewLouis of Bourbon becomePrince-Bishop of Liège, leading to theLiège Wars. | ||
| 1473 | Charles the Bold | Duchy of Guelders | Purchase | Bought fromDuke Arnold. The house of Burgundy lost this title at Charles's death in 1477. |
| 1477 | Duchy of Burgundy (lost) | Annexation by France | Charles the Bold died fighting an alliance led by the King of France. France annexed theDuchy of Burgundy, but the titleDuke of Burgundy remained in titular use, as seen with his only child, his daughterMary of Burgundy (Mary the Rich). |
| Year | Habsburg monarch | Acquired fiefs | Method | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1478 | Mary of Burgundy | Burgundian Netherlands, To de facto Habsburg control. | Marriage | Mary marriesMaximilian I of Habsburg. |
| 1482 | Maximilian I of Habsburg | Burgundian Netherlands, To de jure Habsburg control as theHabsburg Netherlands. | Inheritance | Death of Mary the Rich, Maximilian assumes rule. |
| County of Artois (lost) | Treaty | Ceded to France by theTreaty of Arras. | ||
| 1493 | Philip IV the Handsome | County of Artois,Burgundy andCharolais | Treaty | Treaty of Senlis |
| 1506 | Charles V | All Habsburg-Burgundian lands | Inheritance | Charles becomesLord of the Netherlands. |
| 1516- 1519 | King of Spain,Archduke of Austria andHoly Roman Emperor *Not in low countries | Inheritance | ||
| 1521 | Tournai and the Tournaisis | Conquest | ||
| 1524 | Frisia, RenamedLordship of Frisia | Conquest | Conquered during theGuelders Wars. | |
| 1528 | Bishopric of Utrecht, Annexed asLordship of Utrecht andLordship of Overijssel | Liberated | Liberated fromGuelders during theGuelders Wars. | |
| 1536 | Lordship of Groningen andCounty of Drenthe | Conquest | Conquered during theGuelders Wars. | |
| 1543 | Duchy of Guelders and theCounty of Zutphen | Conquest | Reclaimed and conquered during theGuelders Wars. | |
| 1549 | Habsburg Netherlands, Reorganized as theSeventeen Provinces. | Edict | Pragmatic Sanction | |
| 1555 | Philip II of Spain | Seventeen Provinces, Established as theSpanish Netherlands. | Inheritance | Charles V transfers power of the Seventeen Provinces to his son Philip. |
The sheer burden of variety of bishoprics and independent cities, the intensely local partisanship, the various taxation systems, weights and measures, internal customs barriers, fiercely defended local rights were all hindrances to a "good Valois". Attempts at enlarging personal control by the dukes resulted in revolts among the independent towns (sometimes supported by independent local nobles) and bloody military suppression in response. An increasingly modernized central government, with a bureaucracy of clerks, allowed the dukes to become celebrated art patrons and establish a glamorous court life that gave rise to conventions of behavior that lasted for centuries.Philip the Good (1419–1467) extended his personal control to the southeast; bringingBrussels,Namur andLiège under his control. He channeled the traditional independence of the cities through such mechanisms as the firstEstates-General, and consolidating of the region's economy.
Thefirst Estates General of the Burgundian territories met in the City Hall ofBruges on 9 January 1464. It included delegates from theDuchy of Brabant, theCounty of Flanders,Lille, Douai and Orchies, theCounty of Artois, theCounty of Hainaut, theCounty of Holland, theCounty of Zeeland, theCounty of Namur, theLordship of Mechelen, and theBoulonnais.[6] Up to 1464, the Duke only maintained ties with each of the provincial States separately. In principle, the provincial Estates were composed of representatives of the three traditionalestates:clergy,nobility and the Third Estate, but the exact composition and influence of each estate (within the provincial Estates) could differ. Convening an Estates General in which all provincial Estates were represented was part ofPhilip the Good's policy ofcentralisation.
From 1441, Philip based his ducal court in Brussels, butBruges was the world center of commerce, though by the 1480s the inevitable silting of its harbor was bringing its economic hegemony to a close. Philip was a great patron ofilluminated manuscripts and court painting reached new highs:Robert Campin, the famousVan Eyck brothers, andRogier van der Weyden.
TheBurgundian inheritance in the Low Countries consisted of numerous fiefs held by theDukes of Burgundy in modern-dayBelgium,Netherlands,Luxembourg, and in parts ofFrance andGermany. Given that the dukes of Burgundy lostBurgundy proper to theKingdom of France in 1477, and were never able to recover it, while retainingCharolais and theFree County of Burgundy, they moved their court to the Low Countries. The Burgundian Low Countries were ultimately expanded to includeSeventeen Provinces underEmperor Charles V. The Burgundian inheritance then passed to the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs under KingPhilip II of Spain, whose rule was contested by theDutch revolt, and fragmented into theSpanish Netherlands and theDutch republic. Following theWar of the Spanish Succession, the Spanish Netherlands passed to Austria and remained in Austrian hands until the French conquest of the late 18th century. TheBourbon Restoration did not re-establish the Burgundian states, with the former Burgundian territories remaining divided betweenFrance, the Netherlands and, following theBelgian Revolution, modern-dayBelgium.
Politically, the Burgundian and Habsburg periods were of tremendous importance to the Dutch, as the various Dutch fiefs were now united politically into one single entity.[7] The period ended in great turmoil, as the rise of Protestantism, the centralist policies of theHabsburg Empire, and other factors resulted in theDutch Revolt and theEighty Years' War.
In 1491 and 1492, the peasants revolted in some areas. They were suppressed by Maximilian's forces under the command of Duke Albert of Saxony at a battle atHeemskerk.[8]
Ethnolinguistic group ofNorthern European origin primarily identified as speakers ofGermanic languages | |
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