CHARLES XL, one of the ablest kings of Sweden, was the son of king Charles (X.) Gustavus, and was b. Nov. 24, 1655. While he was little more than four years old at his father's death, the government was committed to his mother Hedwig as regent, and a council. The peace of Oliva (May 3, 1660) with Poland, by which Sweden obtained Estlionia, part of Livonia, and Oescl, and the Polish monarch renounced all pretensions to the Swedish crown; and that of Copenhagen (June 6, 1660), generally confirmatory of the treaty of Roskild with Denmark, were the first important acts of the government. A treaty with Russia on the basis of the status quo followed in 1661; and from this period till 1672, the kingdom was free from foreign wars. In Dec., 1672, C. (whose education had been so ill attended to that he had reached manhood before he could read) took the reins of government, and by the allurements of France, was induced to make war on Brandenburg. This unprovoked attack was disastrous to the Swedes, for they suffered a severe defeat from the elector at Fehrbellin (1675); and though C. revenged himself by defeating the Danes (who were allied with Prussia) at Halmstadt, Lemd, and Landskrona, his fleet was defeated by the Dutch near Deland, and again by the Danes at Sicking and Kioge; and many of Sweden's recent acquisitions were wrested from her. These, however, were restored by the peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (17th Sept., 1679), which closed this needless and unfortunate contest. In 1680, a struggle commenced between the crown, supported by the burghers and peasants, on one hand, and the nobles on the other; and a considerable diminutionof the power of the nobles was the consequence. The resumption of all the crown lands which had been alienated since 1609, was a fatal blow to the preponderating power of the nobles; and by a volun tary declaration of the states, Dec. 9, 1682, the king was invested with absolute authority.
This voluntary erection of a despotism by the people, a thing of rare occurrence in the world's history, is yet more extraordinary at the close of the 17th c.; and it speaks highly for C. that he never employed his unlimited authority otherwise than for the best interests of his kingdom. By a judicious administration of the revenues, he was enabled to extinguish the public debt (1686), reorganize the fleet and army, and by 1693 to dispense with the calling up of extraordinary subsidies. Though absolute, he never imposed a tax but with consent of the states; and he every year published a detailed account of revenue and expenditure. In 1693, he was formally declared absolute by an act of the diet. The foreign policy of the country was also conducted in a manner equally satisfactory and effective. Deux-Ponts fell to him as heir to his cousin Fried rich-Ludwig. the last palatine, in 1681; the attempts of the Danes upon Holstein were rigorously repressed, and niany small outlying territories were brought under his sway. His anxiety for his subjects' welfare was particularly shown by commercial and mari time regulations superior to any that then existed in Europe; and by his numerous journeys to all parts of his dominions to examine for himself into the remote details of the administration. A codification of the laws was commenced but was unfinished at his death, which took place at Stockholm, 15th April, 1697.