Pragmatic Sanction of 1549
The Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 was an edict, promulgated by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, reorganising the Seventeen Provinces of the present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg into one indivisible territory,[1] while retaining existing customs, laws, and forms of government within the provinces.
By streamlining the succession law in all Seventeen Provinces and declaring that all of them would be inherited by one heir, Charles effectively united the Netherlands as one entity.
After Charles' abdication in 1555, the Seventeen Provinces passed to his son, Philip II of Spain.
It and other monarchical acts, such as the creation of bishoprics and promulgation of laws against heresy, stoked resentments, which fired the eruption of the Dutch Revolt.
The following territories, collectively called nos Pays de pardeçà ("our Lands around here", meaning the Netherlands, as opposed to nos Pays de par delà, "our Lands over there", meaning the Franche-Comté and originally also the Duchy of Burgundy) are mentioned in the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549:
