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Difficulty: Very hardThe Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation

Read the passage below and answer the following question:

"If the prince who has a settled opinion in religion is joined with a faction that wishes to destroy the other, he will not only be a prince, but a party leader, and will put his state in danger of ruin... For if he would prevent the ruin of his state, he must keep the factions in equilibrium, and let them live in peace under his laws, until it pleases God to touch their hearts. We see in our own time that those sovereigns who have attempted to extirpate religious dissension by force of arms have instead increased it, and have weakened their own authority in the process."
— Jean Bodin, French political philosopher, Six Books of the Commonwealth, 1576

Which of the following developments in early modern Europe best represents the practical application of the political philosophy expressed in the passage?

  1. The French crown's issuance of the Edict of Nantes to end the French Wars of Religion by granting limited toleration to Protestant Huguenots.Answer
  2. B
    The expansion of the Ottoman devshirme system to systematically convert and recruit Christian subjects into the Muslim military elite.
  3. C
    The implementation of mercantilist trade monopolies to exclude religious minorities from state-sponsored economic activities.
  4. D
    The devolution of central monarchical power back to localized feudal structures to accommodate diverse religious sects.

Answer

The French crown's issuance of the Edict of Nantes to end the French Wars of Religion by granting limited toleration to Protestant Huguenots.
The correct answer is the Edict of Nantes because it represents a pragmatic political decision (typical of the French politiques) to grant limited religious toleration to French Protestants (Huguenots) in order to end the French Wars of Religion. This directly mirrors Bodin's advice that a sovereign must keep domestic religious factions in equilibrium under the law to prevent the destruction of the state and the erosion of royal authority.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source passage for its core argument.
Bodin argues that rulers who choose a side in religious disputes risk destabilizing their own sovereignty. He recommends that monarchs maintain political authority by tolerating opposing religious factions under the state's legal framework rather than trying to suppress them by force.
Understanding the political philosophy of the politiques and their solution to the early modern religious wars is necessary to identify the corresponding historical development.
2
Evaluate early modern European events that align with the strategy of state-enforced religious coexistence.
The Edict of Nantes (1598), issued by King Henry IV of France, granted Huguenots legal rights and freedom of worship while maintaining Catholicism as the official state religion, which effectively stabilized France after decades of destructive religious wars.
This shows a direct implementation of Bodin's advice to keep religious factions in equilibrium under state laws to preserve the state's integrity.
3
Identify and eliminate options that reflect historical misconceptions or misrepresent early modern state practices.
The devshirme system was a recruitment tool, mercantilist policies aimed at wealth accumulation, and early modern states centralized rather than returned to decentralized feudalism.
Eliminating incorrect distractors ensures the chosen option is the only historically and conceptually sound answer.

Key Concept

State consolidation and the management of religious diversity during the Protestant and Catholic Reformations.
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Topics

The Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation

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