Who controlled Brussels politics during the medieval cloth trade?

During the medieval period, the economy of Brussels was driven by the manufacture of luxury fabrics. Political control over the city during this time was held by seven dynasties of enterprising merchant families. With the support of the duke of Brabant, these families established a plutocratic regime, maintaining complete mastery over municipal affairs and business. They also wielded judicial power, acting as magistrates for local disputes and as a court of appeal for surrounding areas.1

This concentration of power eventually led to significant social unrest, resulting in popular uprisings in 1280, 1303, 1360, and 1421. The 1421 revolt successfully forced a shift toward a more equitable government, which divided local authority between the patrician families and the emerging guilds of craftsmen and workers. Despite these reforms, the patrician elite eventually regained political control, which they maintained for centuries.1