| Merchants with Special Legal Status | VII. A NEW REGIME AND AN ALTERED ETHNIC PATTERN (1711–1770) (Zsolt Trócsányi) | Taxation and the Maintenance of the Army; The Policies of the Treasury |
Contents
It is clear from the foregoing that there were numerous economic and social issues in Transylvania awaiting political consideration. However, in this period, the country's political process was dominated by the priorities of the Habsburg empire. Only in a few policy spheres could Transylvania's estates exercise significant influence. The question arises, to what extent did social demands earn political responses in these circumstances?
The Habsburg central government regarded Transylvania as being primarily of strategic, military importance, and its principal concern was to maintain control over the region. Since the country had to make a material contribution to this end, the raising of taxes became the government's top priority. Integration into the empire was promoted by the Habsburg-backed Counter-Reformation, which was expected to make Transylvania, with its four recognized religions, conform to the model prevailing in Hungary.
| Merchants with Special Legal Status | VII. A NEW REGIME AND AN ALTERED ETHNIC PATTERN (1711–1770) (Zsolt Trócsányi) | Taxation and the Maintenance of the Army; The Policies of the Treasury |