King Henry 2 went down in the history of England as one of the powerful monarchs and the first representative of the Plantagenet dynasty, who ascended the throne. The crown was not easy for him, but he managed to retain power for more than 30 years. Consider the main milestones of his reign and dwell in more detail on the transformations that the monarch conducted.
Country during the reign
Before considering the reforms of Henry 2 themselves, we briefly describe the historical situation that prevailed in England at the beginning of his reign. The death of Henry 1 caused a weakening of monarchical power and caused dynastic confusion. Large wealthy feudal lords rebelled and seized the lands of the crown. Anarchy swept all over England, so a strong hand was needed to restore order. And Henry 2 succeeded in this: relying on chivalry and the population of cities, he managed to strengthen the centralization of the state and carry out a number of major transformations.
First steps
Having come to power, Henry the Second proceeded to solve the problems caused by the troubles. In this direction, the following was done:
- The royal lands are returned.
- They leveled a huge number of castles.
All this helped restore order in the country. The next direction of the reforms of Henry 2 is the strengthening of power and its centralization. It is known that considerable help in domestic politics was provided by the spouse of the monarch, Queen Alienora.
Main directions
Consider the key areas of reform of Henry 2:
- Centralization of legal proceedings. Now all free people could apply to the Royal Curia for a criminal or civil case. Services were provided for a fee. This was a crucial step towards the emergence of a common law.
- Changes in the church, which became more dependent on the monarch.
- Transformation of the tax system. “Shield money” was introduced, which all free citizens were required to deposit. At the expense of these funds the army was collected and maintained.
- Changes in the army, the development of mercenaries and militias.
These are the main directions of the reform activity of Henry 2. Next, the main changes will be considered in more detail.
Transformations in court
The most important merit of Henry 2 is the centralization of the judiciary. Now the barons did not have the right to judge, and the laws of the king were recognized as more significant in comparison with local ones. How did the royal court go?
- First of all, an investigation was called the Inquisition proceedings.
- Only after that a decision was made.
This was a crucial step in transforming the judicial system, which used to be divine judgment and trial.
It is very interesting that as part of the reforms of Henry 2 in England, a jury was created - experienced people who testified on murders, robberies and other violations of the law. Unlike modern jurors, they couldn’t make decisions, they only helped expose criminals. Many of the jurors subsequently became judges and were empowered to draw up sentences.
To limit the power of the feudal lords on the ground, the institution of traveling vessels was created, which made decisions on the most important matters. Gradually, the duties of judges were delegated to 3 different bodies:
- The royal bench court dealt with criminal cases.
- The court of general litigation considered land disputes.
- The Treasury Court was in charge of financial matters.
All this helped to make the judicial system of England more perfect and fair.
The next feature of the judicial reform of Henry 2 is the paid basis of legal proceedings. The proceeds were one of the sources of replenishment of the treasury.
Significance and features of court reform
Consider what changed the reforms of Henry 2 in the structure of the judiciary. State jurisdiction was strengthened by limiting the judicial power of feudal owners. However, it is important to note the limited transformation - it concerned exclusively the free population and did not in any way facilitate the fate of dependent layers, for example, peasants. That is, for most of the country's population, everything remained as before.
The feudal owners, according to the assises of Henry 2 (the court orders of the king), were no longer able to deal with criminal cases and litigations related to land and lethal possessions.
The judiciary was largely secular in nature. Its highest authority, the Royal Curia, was represented by 5 lawyers, three of whom did not belong to the clergy. Appeal to the curia was not obligatory, if one wanted, everyone could use the services of county courts, hundreds, but it was perceived as a blessing for free citizens.
Church Reforms
In the area of the church, the reforms of Henry 2 in England concerned the following points:
- The king was recognized as the last resort.
- The decisive word remained with the monarch and the appointment of the highest church ranks.
- Archbishops and bishops could not leave the country without his permission.
- Part of the income of church departments went to the treasury.
But the church still remained very strong - even the election of the proxy of Henry 2, Thomas Becket, to the post of archbishop, could not change the situation.
Transformation in the military sphere
The monarch did a lot to strengthen the army. So, on his orders, every free citizen was required to own weapons, which were inherited. Instead of military service, the feudal lords were charged with the already mentioned tax, “shield money”, which they had to pay during each military campaign. The proceeds made it possible to maintain a strong army, and the royal dependence on the feudal lords weakened. This measure helped in the fight against evasion of military service and made the army stronger.
Another direction is the renewal of the militia system, which included free people - peasants and artisans.
Value
Consider what the reforms of Henry 2 changed in the country. First of all, they allowed to strengthen the royal power, limiting the influence of the largest feudal owners. The monarch became less dependent on the feudal lords, which allowed to strengthen the centralization of power.
Reliance on the broad masses of the people and the conformity of politics to their interests allowed the king to achieve a strong centralized power, which at that time was not inherent in any continental state. At the same time, do not forget that he ascended the throne in an atmosphere of complete anarchy, and when leaving, he left order.