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July 10, 2023
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In mid 18th century and later France was divided into three large social groups of Estates i.e. first estate, second estate and third estate. The First Estate comprised clergy class. They provided religious services to the society and were exempted from the taxes. Despite being minute in numbers they possessed 10% of the land in France. Second Estate comprised nobles, specifically big landowners and they contributed nearly nill income to the government of France. Despite being only 2% of population they hold 20% of the land of France. Third Estate was the most populous estate and even this estate was further divided into three classes based on economic criteria. First groups (bourgeoisie) comprised merchants and artisans. They were well educated and paid high taxes. Second group consisted urban workers. They were poorer than bourgeoisie and suffered from economic and social insecurity. And Third groups were comprised of peasants and they were poorest of all people. They paid the most of the taxes to Government and received least services from the state. Thus French society was engulfed in acute inequalities which was the major reason of resentment of the citizens.
Causes:
# Ideas of enlightenment spread throughout the Europe and in France too. New perception about State, Power and authority brought the new hope for the people. Rousseau's The Social Contract theory put the sovereignty with the people which fueled the revolutionary spirit of the masses. Voltaire stood for supremacy of reason and religious toleration. Montesquieu brought the concept of seperation of power into executive, legislature and judiciary.
# Due to seven year wars and further in American revolution, France engulfed in high debt. To overcome it introduced higher and unpopular taxation system in France. In result lower section faced higher food prices and food shortages worsened the situation.
# France was under Monarch and ruled by King Louis XIV. He failed to handle the challenges faced by France.
# Soldiers returned from America realised the society of freedom and liberty and they saw situation ripe for revolution similar to America. American Revolution had inspired the masses and they too wanted a different kind of society in France than existed.
New proposal of taxes on Third estate was opposed by third estate and it created a political deadlock. Third estate meet seperately and decided to restructure themselves as National Assembly. Although King recognised the national Assembly yet no major decision were taken in assembly on miserable conditions of citizens. This led to the attack at the state prision called the Bastille on 14 July, 1789, and the mob murdered the guard and freed the prisoners. The fall of Bastille was regarded as triumph of liberty.
After the fall of Bastille the peasants rose against the nobles. Rebellion spread from village yo village and within short time whole country was in embrace of the revolution. Sensing the danger, nobles surrendered their rights and privileges and feudalism and serfdom was abolished from the France. National Assembly took the charge and started functioning as a constituent Assembly also. By 1791 France had a new Constitution which was inspired from enlightenment ideas of the europe.
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