French society divided into 3 estates

3 estates

1st estate = clergy men church fathers etc. they paid no taxes.

2nd estate = men of noble birth. also no taxes.

3rd estate = poor people peasents etc, they paid all taxes.

French society was divided into 3 estates in the ruler ship of Louis 16

1st estate were the

clergy

2nd estate were the

nobility

3rd estate were the

big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers etc.

peasants and artisans

small peasants, landless labour, servants.

in the 3rd estate some were poor and some were rich. and only the people of 3rd estate had to pay taxes while the 1st and 2nd estates enjoyed certain privileges by birth.

the most important of these was exemption of paying taxes to the state. the nobles further enjoyed feudal privileges. these included feudal dues, which they extracted from the peasants. peasants were obliged to render services to the lord - to work in his house and fields - to serve in the army or to participate in building roads.