The Danish diet, suspended, disappears for a…
1672 CE to 1683 CE
During this time power becomes increasingly centralized in Copenhagen.
Frederick IV's government has reorganized itself in a much more hierarchical manner, built around the king as a focal point of administration.
Crown officials dominate the administration, as well as a new group of bureaucrats, much to the dismay of the traditional aristocracy, who see their own influence curtailed even further.
The absolutist kings of Denmark are quite weak compared to their Swedish counterparts, and non-noble landlords become the real rulers of the country.
They use their influence to pass laws that favor themselves.
The administration and laws undergo "modernization" during this period.
In 1683 the Danske lov 1683 (Danish Code) standardizes and collects all the old provincial laws.
Other initiatives include the standardization of all weights and measures throughout the kingdom, and an agricultural survey and registry.
This survey allows the government to begin taxing landowners directly, moving it beyond dependence on revenue from crown lands.
Regions
