Henry the first and henry the second Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Henry the first and henry the second - Essay Example Henry also initiated many reforms by appointing officials who administered justice impartialy and sought to restrict the abuse of power by local barons. He won the praise of the local population for his propotionate use of justice to curb the power by the nobility. His era is also marked by peace with the Church which was in dispute during the reign of his brother. Henry also married from the old English nobility which was a major step towards the unification of English and Norman people. King Henry II was another famous king of England who presided over many political, legal and religious reforms during his time period. One of his reforms was to curb the power of rebellious barons who had created their own castles and refused to provide military assistance to the King. Henry II also initiated the royal control of the church. He also strove to create a fairer legal system which would administer justice for the common people. This paper studies the legal and political reforms of both Kings. Finally the paper contrasts the reforms of these Kings. Henry I ascended the throne of England in 1100 after defeating his elder brother, Robert Curthose in 1106. He initiated many legal and political reforms which transformed England. He passed the Charter of Liberties which restricted the monarch in his dealings with the church and nobility. The charter rectified many abuses which were perpetrated during the time period of William Rufus, the previous monarch. This charter reduced the number of taxes imposed on the barons in order to prevent them from being rebellious1. Other abuses were the crimes of simony which was making profits out of sacred things. The Charter of Liberties also addressed the issue of pluralism in which land was gifted to priests and bishops for the services that they had rendered for the church2. Henry developed an effective and efficient bureaucracy which would rule and operate the kingdom in