Announcement of a law, often associated with monarchism
An edict is a decree or announcement of a
law, often associated with
monarchism, but it can be under any official authority. Synonyms include "dictum" and "pronouncement". Edict derives from the Latin
edictum.[1]
Edict of Toleration (311), by
Galerius before his death. This proclamation removed all previous restrictions on the
Christian religion, allowing it and all other religions to be practiced throughout the
Roman Empire.
Edict of Milan (313), by
Constantine the Great, and
Licinius, the Eastern
tetrarch. It declared that the
Roman Empire would be neutral with regard to religious worship, officially ending all government-sanctioned religious persecution, especially of Christianity.
Edict of Paris (614), by
Clotaire II of
Neustria. It tried to establish order by standardising the appointment process for public officials across the realm. It guaranteed the nobility their ancient rights, and in this respect has been seen as a French
Magna Carta.
Sakoku Edict (1635), the third of a series issued by
Tokugawa Iemitsu, shōgun of
Japan from 1623 to 1651. The Edict of 1635 is considered a prime example of the Japanese desire for
isolationism (sakoku). This decree is one of the many acts that were written by Iemitsu to eliminate Catholic influence, and enforced strict government rules and regulations to impose these ideas. The Edict of 1635 was written to the two commissioners of
Nagasaki, a port city located in southwestern Japan.
Sacred Edict (1670), by the
Kangxi Emperor of the
Qing dynasty of China. Made up of 16 maxims, it served to instruct the average Chinese people of the basic principles of
Confucianism. The Sacred Edict was subsequently expanded upon in a separate edict issued by the
Yongzheng Emperor in 1724.
A
French edict by
Finance Minister Colbert (17th century) was intended to improve the quality of
cloth. This law declared that if a
merchant's cloth was not found to be satisfactory on three occasions, then he was to be tied to a post with the cloth attached to him.
Edict of Gülhane (1839), Ottoman edict that ushered in the Tanzimât period
Hatt-ı Hümayun of 1856 (Reform Edict of 1856) by
Ottoman Sultan
Abdülmecid I, promised equality in education, government appointments, and administration of justice to all regardless of creed.