Rule of the Major-Generals

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The Rule of the Major-Generals was a period of military governance in mid-1650s England and Wales during Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate, when the country was divided into regions each controlled by a major-general enforcing Puritan moral and political order.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Rule of the Major-Generals canonical 3

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (56)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical event
period of military government
aimedAt enforcing Puritan moral reform
maintaining public order
strengthening central control
suppressing Royalist opposition
appliesToJurisdiction England
Wales
characterizedBy centralization of authority
increased military presence in local government
strict moral regulation
suppression of popular amusements
country England
Wales
dividedInto 12 military districts
endTime 1657
financedBy Decimation tax
followedBy Second Protectorate Parliament
follows First Protectorate Parliament
hasCause Penruddock uprising
Royalist uprising of 1655
financial difficulties of the Protectorate
security concerns about Royalist plots
hasEffect increased resentment of military rule
strengthening of Puritan religious influence in some regions
weakening of support for the Protectorate
hasGovernmentForm Puritan regime
military government
headOfGovernment Oliver Cromwell
historicalPeriod mid-17th century
implementedBy Council of State
Council of the Protector
legalBasis Protectoral ordinances
locatedInTime English Interregnum
linked to: Interregnum
namedAfter major-generals who governed the districts
officeHolder Charles Worsley
Edward Whalley
George Monck
James Berry
John Berry
John Desborough
John Goffe
John Hewson
John Lambert
Philip Skippon
Robert Lilburne
William Boteler
opposedBy Royalists
many Members of Parliament
some moderate Parliamentarians
traditional gentry
partOf Interregnum
Protectorate
startTime 1655
taxImposedOn Royalists
underAuthorityOf Lord Protector

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Interregnum hasPart Rule of the Major-Generals
Interregnum significantEvent Rule of the Major-Generals
Protectorate notableEvent Rule of the Major-Generals