Introduction

“Religion is a sixteenth-century word for nationalism,” a renowned historian once argued. 1 Indeed, religion played a pivotal role in shaping not only individuals but also entire states during the early modern era, bearing a resemblance to the way nationalism operates in contemporary times. From the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries, an era marked by significant turmoil, a tapestry of religiopolitical movements emerged, redefining sociocultural notions of belonging and loyalty across global communities. At the same time, religious commitments and allegiances, at both the imperial and individual levels, exhibited remarkable adaptability when faced with the continuously shifting socioeconomic and political dynamics of their time. This book explores the latter phenomenon: the agility of early modern states and their subjects.