A meeting of the city's burghers decided that everyone, including the nobility, should pay taxes. The nobles had little option but to submit. Sensing their power, the citizens went on to suggest that the crown become hereditary and end the hSndfsestning system. Frederik III accepted and, with a fullscale ceremony in Copenhagen, was declared hereditary monarch. The task of writing a new constitution was left to the king and its publication, in 1665, revealed that he had made himself absolute monarch, bound only to uphold the Lutheran faith and ensure the uni of the kingdom. The king proceeded to rule, aided by a Privy Council in which seats were drawn mainly from the top posts within the civil service. The noble influence on royal decisionmaking had been drastically cut. Christian V, king from 1670, instigated a broad system of royal honours, creating a new class of landowners who enjoyed exemptions from tax, and whose lack of concern for their tenants led Danish peasants Into virtual serfdom. In 1699 Frederik IV set about creating a Danish militia to make the country less dependent on foreign mercenaries. With Sweden changing its allegiance towards Britain and Holland, Denmark reestablished its relations with the French, which culminated in the Great Northern War from 1709 to 1720. This resulted in the emergence of Russia as a dominant force in the region, while Denmark emerged with a strong position in Schleswig, and Sweden's exemption from the Sound Toll was ended. The two decades of peace that followed saw the arrival of Pietism, a form of Lutheranism which strove to renew the devotional ideal. Frederik embraced the doctrine towards the end of his life, and it was adopted in full by his son. Christian VI, who took the throne in 1730. He prohibited entertainment on Sunday, closed down the Royal Theatre, and made court life a sombre affair: attendance at church on Sundays became compulsory and confirmation obligatory. ¦ The Enlightenment Despite the beliefs of the monarch. Pietism was never widely popular, and by the 1740s its influence had waned considerably. The reign of Frederilc V, from 1746, saw a great cultural awakening: grand buildings such as Amalienborg and Frederikskirke were erected in Copenhagen (though the latter's completion was delayed for twenty years), and there was a new flourishing of the arts. The king, perhaps as a reaction to the Puritanism of his father, devoted himself to a life of pleasure and allowed control of the nation effectively to pass to the civil service. Neutrality was maintained through several international conflicts and the economy benefited as a consequence. In 1766 Frederik's heir. Christian VII, who had scarcely more credibility as a ruler, took the crown. His mental state was unstable, his moods ranging from deep lethargy to rage and drunkenness. By 1771 he had become incapable of carrying out even the minimum of official duties.