Parliament is a common electoral authority in any democratic country. It can be called differently. In the Russian Federation it is the Duma, in Israel - the Knesset, in Germany - the Bundestag. The history of the emergence of this authority took place in different countries according to the same historical laws. Using the example of the British government, let’s try to tell where and when the parliament appeared in England.
Background
The ability to trace the origin of the electoral system on the British Peninsula can be traced from the moment Roman legionnaires retreated from these places. The stages of the formation of statehood were very slow, and royal power was weak. The development of cities entailed the birth of a new class - the bourgeoisie, which is trying to defend its interests along with large landowners at the state level.
Chronicles of some English counties presented evidence that the sheriffs of these places sent noble knights to advise the kings on taxation and other financial matters. The kings, of course, did not need the thoughts of the knights and the townspeople about this, but they required full agreement with the opinion of the crown. But the opinion of subjects still had to be reckoned with. It is precisely under these conditions that representative assemblies arise in Western Europe, which had a restraining effect on the appetites of their monarchs — the General States of France, the German Reichstag, and the Parliament of England. The history of Britain connects the emergence of this institution of power with the name of one of the most influential people of that time - Simon de Montfort.
Royal ambition
The aggravation between the three ruling classes of England reached its peak at the beginning of the XIII century. By the power of the barons, the son of King John Henry III was recognized as head of England. He was a weak and cowardly monarch who always came under the influence of someone. Giving land and wealth to foreigners, he aroused indignation among all segments of the population. In addition, for the sake of the ambitions of his own family, Henry was going to get involved in the war for the Sicilian crown, which he needed for his son. To wage war, he demanded a third of the country's income.
The first parliament in England was not created at that time, so no one could put up firm and reasonable resistance to the king. Excerpts from the chronicles of that time say that the barons were so outraged by the exorbitant appetites of their own king that they "rang in their ears." Decisive measures had to be taken.
Mad advice
To the question of where and when the parliament appeared in England, the answer can be found in medieval chronicles, which for the most part are gathering dust in the archives of public libraries. In them you can find references to the event that occurred in Oxford in 1258. Then the barons, outraged by the arbitrariness of their monarch, gathered a royal council in this city. He went down in history under the name "Frantic (frantic) advice." According to the decision of the barons, the power of foreigners in the country was limited, the ownership of land and castles passed to the English nobles, and the king had to coordinate all important matters with large landowners.
Knight and revolutionary
Having made concessions from the king, the barons did not even think about taking care of the simple knights and the bourgeoisie. Protests broke out in the country. The most radical wing of the rebels was led by Simon de Montfort. At first, the king’s army was defeated, and the monarch himself and his son Edward were captured. Montfort entered London and began to rule England.
Representative meetings
Monfort understood that his power, not backed by any rights, was extremely fragile. In order to rule the country in its position, it was necessary to enlist the support of wide sections of society. Montfort's decision already answers the question of why parliament was created in England. This is primarily the support of society, obtaining regular financial injections, strengthening royal power in the field.
In 1265, a meeting of three property classes of medieval England was convened in London. Spiritual and secular magnates were invited to it, as well as representatives of chivalry and the urban bourgeoisie. The communication language of the noble masters then, like many years later, was French, and only peasants and artisans used English common people speech. Therefore, the parliament was called in the French manner. The root of this word is the French "parle", which means "to speak."
The End of Monfort
Most invaders do not briefly use the gifts of their victories. So Monfort quickly lost power and was killed in a fight with supporters of Prince Edward. The king’s power was restored, and a lesson from what happened was learned.
The elected assembly remained the state authority even after Montfort. But where and when the parliament appeared in England after these events is a completely different story.
London and Parliament
Knowing the royal authorities on their own example made sure that without the support of knights and townspeople, England would not be easy to manage. Even after the death of Montfort, the Parliament of England in the Middle Ages lived and performed certain functions. For example, in order to avoid new popular unrest, in 1297 a decree was signed by King Edward, according to which, no tax could be introduced in the kingdom without the approval of its parliament.
The latter was built on the principles of compliance with the terms of the treaties - thereby laid down the principles of modern justice. The transparent terms of the transaction between state power and the royal subjects guaranteed that it would be beneficial for both parties to comply with the agreements. Only the form of the elective meeting has changed somewhat since then.
How parliament was organized in England
As a permanent authority, the Parliament in England in the Middle Ages was fully functioning, starting in 1265. Representatives of the titled nobility and the upper clergy received personal documents that allowed them to take part in the work of the parliament, and for ordinary knights and townspeople there was a general invitation.
How the parliament was organized in England can be seen in the modern British government - after all, for 900 years, almost nothing has changed in the structure of this authority. The entire parliament is divided into two large chambers. The first - the House of Lords - includes the descendants of those same barons who participated in the Frenzied Council. These are representatives of the titled nobility and spiritual nobility. In the XIV century, the clergy left the assembly of the parliament, but later returned to its ranks. The lower house - the House of Commons - is occupied by the heirs of those who in ancient times were sent “general invitations”. These are the descendants of knights and wealthy citizens. At present, representatives of the House of Commons include deputies from the local nobility, whom local communities have entrusted with representing their interests in the capital.
The ability to directly control power gave impetus to the development of local self-government - local assemblies were created in various counties, and urban interests were upheld in councils.
We hope that from this article it will become clear where and when the parliament appeared in England. We examined in detail what influence the elected system of self-government had on the English kings in the Middle Ages.