CHARLES XI. (1653-97). King front 1660 to 1697. lie was the on of Charles X. and Hedwig Eleimora of Holstein. and was born November 24. 1655. During his minority the government was intrusted to his mother, Iledwig. as regent. By the Peace of Oliva (May :1. 1(660) with Poland. Sweden obtained Esthonia, part of Livonia. and oesel. and the Polish mon arch renounced all pretensions to the Swedish t row : that of Copenhagen (dune 6, 1660) was generally confirmatory of the of Roeskilde with Denmark in 1655. (See Cumitis X.) A treaty with Russia on the bask of the status quo followed in 1661: and from this period till 1672 the kingdom was free from foreign wars. but it was misgoverned by the regency and the educa tion of the young King wa, neglected. willfully. it is charged. in order that he might longer be kept in leading-strings. Until he reached man hood he could neither read write. In De cember. 1672. Charles assumed the rein- of eminent. In 1674 he was called upon by Louis XIV.. under a treaty made by the regency. to engage in the war of France on the German princes and Holland. The Swede. invaded Bran denburg and met a severe defeat at Feh•bellin in 1675. Charles, however, overthrew the Danes, who were allies of Brandenburg. at Halm-tadt. Lund. and landskrona, but his fleet was de feated by the Dutch near ()eland. and again by the Danes at Blekinge and and many of :tweden's recent acquisitions were wrested from her. These. however. were restored by the peace
of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (September 17, 1679i. Charles now entered upon an active period of reform in the administration, aided by hi. most trusted counselor, John Gyllenstern. In 1080 a struggle commenced between the Crown, sup ported by the burgher- and peasants, on the one hand, and the nobles on the other: and a con-iderahle diminution of the power of the noble- was the consequence. The resumption of all the Crown lands which had been alienated slime 109 was a fatal blow to the power of the noble-. and by a voluntary declaration of the estates. December 9, 1082. the King Iva, invested with absolute authority. By a judi cious admini-tration of the revenues. Charles was enabled to extinguish the public debt. reor ganize the fleet and army, and by 1693 to dis pense with extraordinary subsidies. Though absolute, he never imposed a tax but with the con-ent of the e.tates: and he published every year a detailed :lemma of revenue and expendi ture. He e-tabli-hol the finances on a sound ba-i. and brought the army and navy of the kingdom to a state of high effi•ien•y. The codi fication of the laws was commenced, but was unfinished at his death. which took place in to•kliolin. April IS. 1697. Consult Geller and Carl-on, t";, hiell to Srhirob Vol.. 1V.• (Gotha. 1855-7S).