Protestant militants in southern France who opposed Louis XIV 's persecution of Protestantism.
The armed insurrection, which began in 1702, came in response to Louis's revocation of the Edict of Nantes , ending religious toleration. The well-organized Camisards, so named for their white shirts (in French dialect, camisa ), fought successfully and even held royal armies in check. In response, the government burned hundreds of villages and massacred their populations. By 1705, with many of the Camisard leaders captured and executed, the revolt had lost its force.