One of the first and most zealous advocates of Protestantism in Finland was Michael Agricola , the son of a Finnish fisherman, and later the bishop. He translated into Finnish first a prayer book, then (1548) the New Testament. In the preface to the prayer book, the conviction was expressed that “God reading in the hearts of the people will, of course, also understand the prayer of the Finn.” Agricola laid the foundation of the Finnish literature.
Under Gustav Vaz, the colonization of the northern empty spaces began; when Helsinki (1550) was founded. His war with Russia (1555-1557) ended in peace in Moscow, which did not change the borders of the state. Gustav Vasa strengthened royal power, but beside this he also raised the importance of the nobility. Taking the land from the clergy, he distributed them to the nobles. With his sons, the importance of the nobility increased even more and reached a climax during the struggle between Sigismund and the Duke (later the king) Charles. The first serious manifestations of separatism of the Finnish nobles belong to this era. As a matter of the lust for power of individuals, the attempts to isolate Finland did not enjoy the sympathy of the people: they remained loyal to the legitimate authorities, seeing in it protection against aristocrats. Realizing that it is difficult to govern Finland from Stockholm, Gustav Vaza appointed his son John , the ruler of Finland, to be the ruler of the country.
After the death of Gustav Vasa (1560), Duke John decided to secede from Sweden and become an independent sovereign. He joined the fight with his brother, King Eric XIV (1560-1568), but was defeated and taken captive to Stockholm. Having become king (1568–1592), he generously rewarded the nobles for their support; they were exempt from compulsory military service, but retained the associated with this duty freedom from the payment of land taxes. In the reign of John, Finland began to be called the Grand Duchy (1581).
After the death of John, a civil war began. The adherents of the duke Charles were defenders of monarchical traditions, Protestantism, and state unity; on Sigismund’s side were rebellious grandees who could not forget the times of the Kalmar Union and valued in Sigismund only that he was far away. The most powerful of these nobles was Finnish Klas Fleming. Finland, under his control, actually separated.
The nobles oppressed the people, which caused a peasant uprising in northwestern Finland (Esterbotnia). Outraged by the harassment and, mainly, by the military position, especially burdensome during the Swedish-Russian war (which ended in peace in1595), the Estonians took up arms. It is believed that they complained to the Duke Carl, but received advice from him to deal with the oppressors on their own. This episode from the history of the Finnish peasantry is known as the “ club war ” (klubbe-kriget, 1596-1597). Fleming put out a rebellion in the bloodstream and became more powerful than ever, but soon died. Arvid Stolarm, who fought with Karl for two years, continued his business in Finland. In 1599, the duke was finally able to humble the recalcitrant. The might of the Finnish nobility was crushed; it gradually merged with the Swedish nobility.
Under Charles IX (1599–1611), and especially under Gustav-Adolf (1611–1632), central authority was strengthened, and improvements were introduced in the administration; taxes were brought to a certain unity, but did not decrease, but increased, as continuous wars devastated the state treasury. Gustav Adolf issued in 1617 a Sejm Charter, according to which the Riksdag was divided into four classes. In 1616, the officials of Finland gathered at local Seym, presided by the king, in Helsingfors. Of the external events of that time, the Stolbovo Peace Treaty (1617) was of particular importance for Finland, by which Russia ceded a vast area to Sweden – the so-called Kexholm District. The Orthodox and Russified Karelian population of this area reluctantly put up with their new position. When Russian troops under Tsar Alexei invaded Karelia in 1656, the population joined them. Fearing the Swedes’ revenge, the Orthodox Karelians, after the retreat of the Russian troops, almost without exception moved to Russia. Their place was taken by immigrants from the inner parts of Finland.
Sources:
Essays on the history of Finland from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century
Brief history of Finland
The history of the Finnish people
Historiallinen Arkisto (“Historical Archive”) // Periodicals of the Finnish Historical Society.