French Navigation LawsJEAN-BAPTISTE COLBERTFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search Jean-Baptiste ColbertController-General of FinancesIn ofce1665168Personal detailsBorn!" #ugust 161"$eims, %ingdom of FranceDied6 &eptem'er 168 (aged 6)*+aris, %ingdom of FranceJean-Baptiste Colbert (French: [ .ba.tist k .b ! " #$ A%&%st '('$ ) ( Se*te+ber '(,-. /as a French *0itician /h0 ser1e2 as the 3inister 04 Finances 04 France 4r0+ '((5 t0 '(,- %n2er the r%e 04 6in& L0%is 7I8. 9is reentess har2 /0rk an2 thri4t +a2e hi+ an estee+e2 +inister. 9e achie1e2 a re*%tati0n 40r his /0rk 04 i+*r01in& the state 04 French +an%4act%rin& an2 brin&in& the ec0n0+: back 4r0+the brink 04 bankr%*tc:. 9ist0rians n0te that; 2es*ite C0bert/he art of ta:ation consists in so plucking the goose as to o'tain the largest amount of feathers @ith the least possi'le amount of hissing>,5-See as0[e2it!Kingdom of France portal Bans 2arl von 2arlo@it1S0%rces[e2it! #mes, Clenn J; Colbert, Mercantilism, and the French Quest for Asian Trade (1""6* 2lDment, Jean