Question

What did Louis XIV mean when he said ‘I am the state’ ?

Answer 1

Hint:
i) From 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715, Louis XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, ruled France. With a reign of 72 years and 110 days, he holds the record for the longest reign of any sovereign ruler in European history. The France of Louis XIV typified Europe's age of absolutism.
ii) He took the French monarchy to its pinnacle of absolute power and established France as Europe's dominant power. His reign is also linked to France's golden age of culture and art.

Complete answer:
i) Louis XVI took the French monarchy to its pinnacle of absolute dominance, establishing France as Europe's dominant power. His reign is also linked to France's golden age of culture and art. The French monarchy had been restored by Louis XIV's grandfather, Henry IV, after the anarchy of the Wars of Religion.
ii) Louis XIV took France to the pinnacle of absolute dominance, and his words 'L'etat c'est moi' ('I am the state') encapsulate the essence of a monarchy under which the king wielded complete political power. iii) His absolutism put him at odds with the Huguenots and the papacy, with disastrous consequences.
iv) Louis XIV meant when he said ‘I am the state’. He meant that he had complete control.
v) Louis XIV meant when he said ‘I am the state’. That means, because "I incarnate the state," all decisions must be made by me. This is crucial because absolute monarchy is built on this basis. Until then, the King delegated (and confined) government matters to a minister of some kind, who was chosen by the King to concentrate on something else. Delegation is a positive thing, but some of these ministers have taken advantage of it. Louis XIV desired to have a say in all state affairs, so that no decisions could be made behind his back without his consent. This essentially eliminates the risk of corruption, but it also results in a highly centralized society in which decisions are clogged at his level.

Note: Louis XIV was known as the "Sun King," and his reign is remembered for the extension of absolute monarchical rule and the construction of the Palace of Versailles, which seemed to sum up Louis XIV's reign. Louis XIV's schooling was extensive, but it included a significant amount of physical labour in order for him to be seen as a powerful ruler.