Discuss the caste system in France
Answers
Ancien Régime means 'Old Order.' It was the way that French society was ordered before the French Revolution. At the top of the societal pyramid was the king. The king was an absolute monarch, which meant that he obtained his right to rule from God, and, in theory, could do whatever he wanted. The rest of society was divided up into three estates.
The First Estate was made up of the Catholic clergy. The Catholic Church was very important in France. It was in charge of churches and some government tasks and advising the king. It was also tax exempt.
The Second Estate was made up of the nobility. These were aristocrats who inherited their titles and wealth and paid no taxes. They also had influence with the king.
The Third Estate included everybody else and ranged from peasants to lawyers and wealthy businessmen. They made up about 96% of the French population, which had to shoulder the country's entire tax burden. The third estate was especially interesting because it contained the bourgeoisie, or budding middle class. For most of European history, a time when kings and nobility lorded over the peasants and serfs, the middle class didn't really exist. However, the more educated and increasingly prosperous bourgeoisie wanted - and demanded - more rights and privileges in France.