I. The origin of the Uppsala dynasty
The first ancestor in Sweden was the first king in Swedish history, Yurey, and some versions of the legend are also associated with the famous Viking Age hero Ragnar Loebek, a mysterious and great figure who was one of the magical ancestors and was even regarded as a god in Norse mythology.
As a symbol of the Swedes, the ancestor represents the origin and continuity of the Swedish state, and the Swedish tradition celebrates National Day rather than Independence Day as a symbol of the origin of the nation, in addition, Swedish historians and folktale tellers have played an important role in passing on and preserving this cultural symbol.
The Vikings were one of the first peoples in Europe to master maritime technology, and their longships were among the fastest, most flexible and durable ships at the time, and they were able to sail far away, including the North American continent, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and through their ocean-going voyages, the Vikings made an important contribution to European trade and cultural exchange.
Viking art is a distinctive art form, including Viking rattan, silverware, jewelry, carvings and fabrics, and their culture is widely regarded as the basis of Norse mythology, and the spiritual culture of the Vikings has left a profound mark on Nordic history.
They developed a complex body of law and established a large number of trading and military towns, and they also invented special army formations, the use of long-range weapons and other advanced technologies in war.
Its society was relatively open, and women played important roles in many fields, including economy, politics and culture, and Viking women could not only participate in trade, agriculture and other professions, but also fight or play Valkyries, which brought a great shock to the world at that time.
The reign of the Adel family was the late Swedish Middle Ages and the "Age of Kings" in Sweden, during which the power of the Swedish king gradually increased and the state system was gradually improved.
The king began a policy of centralization, consolidating their control by increasing taxes and building up his army, and he began to use diplomacy to protect Swedish interests and expand its influence.
During this period, Sweden's economy began to develop rapidly, and with the support of the king, Sweden established many trade alliances and promoted foreign trade, and at the same time, the king also increased agricultural productivity through large-scale land acquisition and the opening up of new arable land. These policies have led to significant developments in Swedish industry and agriculture.
Swedes began to create their own literature, music and paintings, while Swedes who traveled to other European countries brought back many cultural influences, including religion and art.
In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, Sweden's political center of gravity gradually shifted from the will of the southern cities and the royal family to local landowners and peasants, which led to a decline in Sweden's domestic political stability and accelerated the division of the Swedish aristocracy and the division between rich and poor.
II. The development of the Uppsala dynasty
The Magnus Eriksson period was a period of joint domination of Northern Europe by Sweden and Norway, also known as the "period of joint rule", during which the history of Sweden and Norway began to be closely linked, which had a profound impact on Sweden's political, economic and cultural development.
During his reign, Magnus Eriksson introduced a number of reforms, such as strengthening the country's military power, strengthening the centralization, limiting the power of the nobility, etc., and he also actively participated in the political affairs of the Nordic region, playing an important role in the Nordic region.
Sweden's economy developed rapidly at this time. During this period, Sweden began to become an international trading center, also built a large commercial fleet, and achieved great wealth through trade and plunder.
The country's fields of literature, painting, and architecture were rapidly promoted, while Magnus Eriksson actively supported education, and under his rule, many schools and libraries were built and improved.
He built a wide variety of architectural projects and cultural heritage, the most famous of which is Stockholm Castle, which became the residence of the Swedish royal family and was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In the Swedish Middle Ages, the struggle for the throne of the king was mainly caused by power struggles between nobles, who often competed with each other for the throne for more political and economic interests.
This power struggle led to a series of murders and bloodshed in Swedish history, such as the death of Magnus Radebert in 1280 and the death of Eric de Bomin in 1364.
By the 16th century, as the country developed, the struggle for the throne gradually shifted from a power struggle between the nobles to a struggle between political classes.
In the 17th century, Sweden won several wars and became a great power in Europe, so the struggle for the throne became more complex and intense, and many excellent generals such as Carl Gustav Vasa and Queen Christina rose to the throne with their outstanding talents.
In the 19th century, Sweden ushered in modernization reforms, during which the struggle for the throne became more systematic and institutionalized, and in 1905, after the separation of Sweden and Norway, the Swedish throne became more stable, the modern succession system dictated the order of succession of the king, and today, the Swedish king is succeeded by the crown prince of Victoria.
The reign of the House of Wolfast refers to the dynasty in Sweden between 1818 and 1905, also known as the Bernadotte dynasty, during which Sweden experienced a wave of modernization and industrialization, and the country's power was strengthened and consolidated.
The family originated from the French aristocratic Bernadotte family, and in 1810, Napoleon named his chief of staff, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, heir to the Swedish throne, and in 1818 the Bernadotte family became the family of the Swedish kings, changing the name Bernadotte-Wasa to become the Swedish dynasty.
During this period, Sweden gradually moved towards a constitutional monarchy, the royal power was limited, the status of parliament gradually rose, from 1856, parliament gained great power, can decide the financial problems of the country, in 1866, parliament passed a new constitution, confirming the constitutional monarchy and the sovereign status of parliament.
Since Sweden itself has few resources, it relies on foreign trade and international investment to industrialize, and at the same time, a powerful financial family, the Wallenberg family, has emerged, which is the backbone of Sweden's industrialization process and laid the foundation for the Swedish economy.
The Wolfast dynasty promoted a series of social reforms, including the establishment of the world's first factory director responsibility system in 1830 to protect the interests of workers, and in 1850, Sweden became the first country in the world to recognize the legality of trade unions, and the dynasty also promoted a series of democratic reforms, such as the abolition of the death penalty and restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
III. The Politics, Economy and Culture of the Uppsala Dynasty
During the Uppsala dynasty, Swedish agriculture developed steadily, mainly using wheat, barley, oats, beans, vegetables, fruits, etc. as the main crops, and began to adopt the dry land cultivation method.
During this period, farmers used traditional farming tools such as hoes, sickles, ploughshares, etc., while also using animal and water power to increase agricultural productivity.
Fur was one of the main export goods at that time, so the breeding of poultry, cattle, sheep, horses and other animal husbandry has been well developed, to meet the food needs and export trade of the Swedish people, metal technology is mainly iron, copper, gold and other materials, the production of a variety of utensils and weapons; The textile industry uses cotton, linen, wool, etc. as raw materials to produce a variety of clothing and home textile supplies.
In addition to metalwork and textiles, the handicrafts of the Uppsala dynasty included the production of woodwork and porcelain, and during this period, many excellent woodworkers appeared in Sweden, who used local pine and oak wood to make various furniture and building components, and porcelain also became popular and became an important collector's item for the nobility and wealthy.
Swedish cities also gradually developed, with trade between cities becoming more and more frequent through inland and land transportation.
During this period, Sweden mainly exported timber, furs, arms and other products, while importing various daily necessities and luxury goods from other countries, and in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, trade between Sweden and other countries was very frequent, becoming a necessary place for many merchants and navigators.
The king of Sweden has great power, which can be described as dictatorial rule, the king has legislative, executive and judicial powers, can make laws, issue decrees, collect taxes, appoint officials, grant land and titles, etc., in addition, the king can also protect the interests and unity of the country through military means.
The aristocracy imposed strict restrictions on the power of the king to ensure that their rights and interests were not oppressed, and religious forces also played a certain role in restraining them, and the king must abide by the norms of Christian doctrine and maintain good relations with the Pope.
The king is appointed by his own officials to manage the affairs of the country, including taxation, finance, military, justice, education and culture, and the king's power is unlimited, while the power of other officials is delegated by the king.
In order to ensure the efficiency and fairness of the administration, the Uppsala dynasty also established a three-tier administrative system, with provinces, districts and municipalities, provinces under the direct administration of the king, and counties and municipalities under the responsibility of a leader, in which the king could send his own representatives to supervise the management of local governments and ensure that their policies were implemented.
Uppsala University, Sweden's first university, was founded in 1593, making Uppsala one of the most important intellectual and cultural centers in the entire Nordic region.
With the establishment of the university, Uppsala also welcomed a group of outstanding scholars and intellectuals, who attracted more people to study in Uppsala and promoted the prosperity of the city.
During this period, Swedish literature reached its peak, the main literary figures were the Jesuits Fran Il and Giyol Adlerkrants, and thanks to the support of King Gister Adolf Casttopist, Sweden also made great progress, Uppsala had many theaters and opera houses at that time, and was also an important place for Swedish cultural activities.
IV. The decline of the Uppsala dynasty
Uppsala's role in the war was more complex, and King Eric XIV of Sweden was not involved in the early days of the war, which began in 1563.
However, as the war escalated, Eric XIV joined the war in 1564, and in the years that followed, Sweden achieved some victory in the war, while Poland and Denmark began ceasefire negotiations.
With political instability and financial difficulties under Eric XIV, Sweden showed fatigue in the later stages of the war, especially in the Battle of Ramadan in 1570, when Sweden suffered a complete defeat and withdrew Sweden from the Seven Nordic Wars.
Although Sweden won some victories in the early days of the war, it was eventually defeated and withdrew due to political and economic problems, which profoundly affected the entire Nordic region and became one of the important historical events of the Uppsala dynasty.
The Kuran War, which began in 1600, was an important war between the Uppsala dynasty and Tsarist Russia, mainly due to the struggle for rights and interests in the Baltic region.
At the beginning of the war, Sweden achieved some victories, including the capture of the Kurand Peninsula, but later due to leadership mistakes and internal divisions, the Swedish army gradually routed.
In the Treaty of Stolbovo signed in 1617, Sweden renounced the Kuran Peninsula and the Karelian region, which is widely regarded as the collapse of Sweden in the Baltic region.
The Uppsala dynasty also lost its colony in Finland in the late 17th century, and Finland, an important territory of the Uppsala dynasty, was once one of Sweden's main powers in the Baltic region, however, the conflict between Sweden and Tsarist Russia escalated again during the Northern War between 1714 and 1721.
Sweden lost several wars, culminating in the Treaty of Nistady in 1721, when Sweden abandoned its Finnish colonies and the Baltic coast, an event that was a further continuation of the early defeat of the Uppsala dynasty.
In the early days of the dynasty, the power confrontation between the king and the nobles was fierce, but as the Uppsala dynasty became stronger, the king gradually consolidated his power, prevented the nobles from challenging him, and took measures such as increasing the rights of the monarchy and unifying Sweden, which gradually developed into an absolute monarchy, which lasted until it was abolished in the 70s of the 19th century.
The king, Eric IX, was one of the key figures in the Christianization of Sweden, and he actively promoted the development of Christianity, which had a profound impact on Swedish history, and the Uppsala dynasty also produced many important bishops and priests, who played an active role in the advancement of Christianization in Sweden.
During this period, Swedish culture and education experienced a vigorous development, especially after the establishment of the famous Uppsala University in the city of Uppsala, which became one of the most famous universities in the entire Nordic region, making outstanding contributions to education in Sweden and even Europe.
The Uppsala dynasty not only laid the foundation of the Swedish monarchy, but also promoted the development of Swedish Christianization, culture and education, which directly or indirectly affected the political, social, cultural, economic and other aspects of Sweden's development, and became one of the important symbols of Swedish history.
Bibliography:
Carroll, William Westerlund. The History of the Swedish Empire: vol. 1. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1879