Britannica Sources used in this answer

What did the rebel slogans about the gabelle and taille reveal about popular attitudes toward the king?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Full-length portrait of Cardinal Richelieu by Philippe de Champaigne, showing him in red clerical robes holding a red book, standing beside a balustrade with a draped curtain behind. — Cardinal Richelieu As both statesman and churchman, Cardinal Richelieu was the acknowledged architect of France's greatness in the 17th century. In 1640, when this full-length portrait was painted (likely by Philippe de Champaigne), he was embroiled in a dispute with the pope and other religious controversies along with many other consequences of expanding French power across Europe. He would die two years later, facing conspiracies against his life and suffering ill health.

During the 1630s, the French monarchy faced a series of provincial rebellions sparked by the drastic increase in taxes required to fund military efforts under Cardinal Richelieu. Despite the widespread misery caused by economic difficulties, crop failures, and famine, these uprisings did not reflect a revolutionary desire to overthrow the monarchy itself.12

Instead, the rebel slogans—such as "Vive le roi sans la gabelle" ("Long live the king, but not the salt tax") and "Vive le roi sans la taille" ("Long live the king, but not the direct tax")—revealed that the population maintained a fundamental loyalty to the crown. These expressions indicated that popular resistance was specifically focused on the burden of the taxes themselves rather than the institution of the monarchy or the king’s authority. The protesters directed their anger toward the increasing centralization of royal power and the abrogation of local privileges, yet they continued to support the king, viewing the tax demands as the primary grievance to be addressed.12