Before the French Revolution, the French society was divided into three groups or estates- the clergy, the nobility and the commoners.
The clergy and the nobility occupied the top strata of the society and were small in numbers. Both the estates were privileged; they owned most of the land and had well-paying government jobs. They did not have to pay personal taxes either.
A large portion of the society was commoners or the Third Estate. This stratum consisted of the middle classes, wage earners and millions of poor peasants. Common people did not have power and freedom in politics. They worked hard and had to pay heavy taxes while the wealthy nobility and clergy enjoyed much of the privileges. This caused a lot of resentment and discontent among the Third Estate. The rich taxed the poor to a point where they had to starve while nobles down the street feasted. The existing political and social inequalities led to the French Revolution.
Picture Credit : Google
