Contact between Sweden and what is now Finland was considerable even during pre-Christian times; the Vikings were known to the Finns due to their participation in both commerce and plundering. There is possible evidence of Viking settlement in the Finnish mainland.
However, some scholars claim that the archipelago was deserted during the 11th century. According to the archaeological finds, Christianity gained a foothold in Finland during the 11th century. According to the very few written documents that have survived, the church in Finland was still in its early development in the 12th century. Later medieval legends from late 13th century describe Swedish attempts to conquer and Christianize Finland sometime in the mids.
In the early 13th century, Bishop Thomas became the first known bishop of Finland. There were several secular powers who aimed to bring the Finnish tribes under their rule. These were Sweden, Denmark, the Republic of Novgorod in northwestern Russia, and probably the German crusading orders as well. Finns had their own chiefs, but most probably no central authority. At the time there can be seen three cultural areas or tribes in Finland: Finns , Tavastians and Karelians.
It was the Swedish regent, Birger Jarl , who allegedly established Swedish rule in Finland through the Second Swedish Crusade , most often dated to The Eric Chronicle , the only source narrating the "crusade", describes that it was aimed at Tavastians.
Due to papal letter from Tavastians are known to stopped being Christian and returned to their old ethnic faith earlier. Novgorod gained control in Karelia in , the region inhabited by speakers of Eastern Finnish dialects.
Western Karelians were from then on viewed as part of the western cultural sphere, while eastern Karelians turned culturally to Russia and Orthodoxy. While eastern Karelians remain linguistically and ethnically closely related to the Finns, they are considered a people of their own by most. During the 13th century, Finland was integrated into medieval European civilization. The Dominican order arrived in Finland around and came to exercise huge influence there.
In the early 14th century, the first documents of Finnish students at Sorbonne appear. In the southwestern part of the country, an urban settlement evolved in Turku. Turku was one of the biggest towns in the Kingdom of Sweden, and its population included German merchants and craftsmen.
Otherwise the degree of urbanization was very low in medieval Finland. Southern Finland and the long coastal zone of the Bothnian Gulf had a sparse farming settlements, organized as parishes and castellanies. In the other parts of the country a small population of Sami hunters, fishermen and small-scale farmers lived.
These were exploited by the Finnish and Karelian tax collectors. In these regions, the Swedish language is widely spoken even today. Swedish came to be the language of the upper class in many other parts of Finland as well. The name "Finland" originally signified only the southwestern province that has been known as " Finland Proper " since the 18th century.
First known mention of Finland is in runestone Gs 13 from 11th century. Eastern Land which was in use between — The concept of a Finnish "country" in the modern sense developed slowly from the 15th to 18th centuries. The cathedral of Turku was the center of the cult of Saint Henry , and naturally the cultural center of the bishopric. The bishop had the ecclesiastical authority over much of today's Finland and was usually the most powerful man there.
Bishops were often Finns, whereas the commanders in the castles were more often Scandinavian or German noblemen. In , representatives from Finland were called to participate in the elections for the king of Sweden. As such, that year is often considered when Finland was incorporated into the Kingdom of Sweden. As in the Scandinavian part of the kingdom, the gentry or lower nobility consisted of magnates and yeomen who could afford armament for a man and a horse; these were concentrated in the southern part of Finland.
The strong fortress of Viborg Finnish: Viipuri, Russian: Vyborg guarded the eastern border of Finland. In the Swedish king Magnus Eriksson staged a failed crusade against the Orthodox " heretics ", managing only to alienate his supporters and ultimately lose his crown. The bones of contention between Sweden and Novgorod were the northern coastline of the Bothnian Gulf and the wilderness regions of Savo in Eastern Finland.
Novgorod considered these as hunting and fishing grounds of its Karelian subjects, and protested against the slow infiltration of Catholic settlers from the West. Occasional raids and clashes between Swedes and Novgorodians occurred during the late 14th and 15th centuries, but for most of the time an uneasy peace prevailed.
During the s, a civil war in the Scandinavian part of Sweden brought unrest to Finland as well. The next years or so were characterized by attempts of different Swedish factions to break out of the Union. Finland was sometimes involved in these struggles, but in general the 15th century seems to have been a relatively prosperous time[ citation needed ], characterized by population growth and economic development.
Towards the end of the 15th century, however, the situation on the eastern border became more tense. The Principality of Moscow conquered Novgorod, preparing the way for a unified Russia, and from — a war was fought between Sweden and Russia. The fortress-town of Viborg stood against a Russian siege; according to a contemporary legend, it was saved by a miracle. Most of present-day Finland was an integral part of the Swedish homeland , rike, shown in dark green.
During his rule, the Swedish church was reformed. The state administration underwent extensive reforms and development too, giving it a much stronger grip on the life of local communities—and ability to collect higher taxes. Following the policies of the Reformation, in Mikael Agricola , bishop of Turku, published his translation of the New Testament into the Finnish language. In Helsinki was founded by Gustav Vasa under the name of Helsingfors, but remained little more than a fishing village for more than two centuries.
King Gustav Vasa died in and his crown was passed to his three sons in separate turns. This action contributed to the early stages of the Livonian War which was a warlike era which lasted for years. The common people of Finland suffered because of drafts, high taxes, and abuse by military personnel. This resulted in the Cudgel War of —, a desperate peasant rebellion, which was suppressed brutally and bloodily.
A peace treaty the Treaty of Teusina with Russia in moved the border of Finland further to the east and north, very roughly where the modern border lies. An important part of the 16th-century history of Finland was growth of the area settled by the farming population. The crown encouraged farmers from the province of Savonia to settle the vast wilderness regions in Middle Finland.
This was done, and the original Sami population often had to leave. Some of the wilderness settled was traditional hunting and fishing territory of Karelian hunters. During the s, this resulted in a bloody guerrilla warfare between the Finnish settlers and Karelians in some regions, especially in Ostrobothnia.
The conquest of Livonia was now completed, and some territories were taken from internally divided Russia in the Treaty of Stolbova. In , the Swedish and Finnish armies marched into Central Europe, as Sweden had decided to take part in the great struggle between Protestant and Catholic forces in Germany, known as the Thirty Years' War. The Finnish light cavalry was known as the Hakkapeliitat. After the Peace of Westphalia in , the Swedish Empire was one of the most powerful countries in Europe.
During the war, several important reforms had been made in Finland: Many important reforms were made and many towns were founded. His period of administration is generally considered very beneficial to the development of Finland. However, the high taxation, continuing wars and the cold climate the Little Ice Age made the Imperial era of Sweden rather gloomy times for Finnish peasants. In —, the Northern Wars were fought, taking Finnish soldiers to the battle-fields of Livonia , Poland and Denmark.
In , the political system of Sweden was transformed into an absolute monarchy. In Middle and Eastern Finland, great amounts of tar were produced for export. European nations needed this material for the maintenance of their fleets. According to some theories, the spirit of early capitalism in the tar-producing province of Ostrobothnia may have been the reason for the witch-hunt wave that happened in this region during the late 17th century.
The people were developing more expectations and plans for the future, and when these were not realized, they were quick to blame witches—according to a belief system the Lutheran church had imported from Germany.
The Empire had a colony in the New World in the modern-day Delaware-Pennsylvania area between — At least half of the immigrants were of Finnish origin. The 17th century was an era of very strict Lutheran orthodoxy.
In , the law of Moses was declared the law of the land, in addition to secular legislation. Every subject of the realm was required to confess the Lutheran faith and church attendance was mandatory. Ecclesiastical penalties were widely used. The church required from each person a degree of literacy sufficient to read the basic texts of the Lutheran faith. Although the requirements could be fulfilled by learning the texts by heart, also the skill of reading became known among the population.
A combination of an early frost, the freezing temperatures preventing grain from reaching Finnish ports, and a lackluster response from the Swedish government saw about one-third of the population die.
Harsh conditions—worsening poverty and repeated crop failures—among peasants undermined support for the war, leading to Sweden's defeat.
Finland was a battleground as both armies ravaged the countryside, leading to famine, epidemics, social disruption and the loss of nearly half the population. By only , remained. Russia was the winner, annexing the south-eastern part , including the town of Viborg , after the Treaty of Nystad.
Sweden's status as a European great power was forfeit, and Russia was now the leading power in the North. The absolute monarchy was ended in Sweden. During this Age of Liberty , the Parliament ruled the country, and the two parties of the Hats and Caps struggled for control leaving the lesser Court party, i. The Caps wanted to have a peaceful relationship with Russia and were supported by many Finns, while other Finns longed for revenge and supported the Hats. Finland by this time was depopulated, with a population in of ,
After the Peace of Westphalia inthe Swedish Empire was one of the most powerful countries in Europe. Here, children make gingerbread cookies with Mrs. Despite a couple of victorious battlesthe war was fruitless, Best finnish dating site, managing only to bring disturbance to the economic life of Finland. Following the policies of the Reformation, in Mikael Agricolabishop of Turku, published his translation of the New Testament into the Finnish language. Best way to reach the Christmas town? Ecclesiastical penalties were widely used. Related content 5 Best finnish dating site to visit in December family and Christmas theme optional Russia was the winner, annexing the south-eastern partincluding the town of Viborgafter the Treaty of Nystad.
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