The Magna Carta set out a series of limitations on the power of the English kings and was extorted from King John by a council of nobles, bishops and merchants at Runnymede in Berkshire on June 15th 1215. It has been seen as the foundational step in the formation of democratic power in England, and hence more widely.
The charter was drafted after intense negotiations following King John's failure to recover his lost French lands at the battle of Bouvines in 1214. His rule (from 1199) had been characterised by cruelty excessive for a cruel age, especially in his efforts to control the baronry whom he suspected of seditious intentions (which his cruelty did much to feed). When his military failure compounded his abuse of regal power, the barons seized the opportunity to force his signature
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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Magna Carta". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 23 January 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=684, accessed 24 April 2024.]
