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Question
What was an old regime?
What was an old regime?
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Solution
Answer:
The term ‘Old Regime’ is usually used to refer to the institutions and society in France before 1789.
The society of France in 18th Century was divided into 3 estates:
- The 1st estate was the clergy.
- The 2nd estate was the nobility.
- The 3rd estate was made up of servants, landless labourers, small peasants, artisans, court officials, lawyers, merchants, and big businessmen.
- Only members of the 3rd estate paid taxes.
- Within the 3rd estate there were poor and rich people.
- 90% of the population was made up of peasants.
- 60% of the land was owned by Church, Nobles and rich members of 3rd estate.
- Feudal privileges were enjoyed by the Nobles.
Old Regime
- There were frequent subsistence crises in France during the Old Regime. Subsistence crisis means endangering basic survival. The prices kept rising but the wages did not rise commensurate with the rise in prices. This led to widening of the gap between poor and the rich during the old regime.
- Although education was provided there was no system where talents could be utilised.
- In the old regime, the monarch alone could not make decisions on taxes. The monarch had the power to call the meeting of the Estates General. The Estates General was a political body having representatives from 3 different estates. The Estates General would take decisions of passing proposals regarding the taxation.
- Although the Estates General had members of the 3rd estate, it was represented by the educated and rich members of the 3rd estate.
- Each estate had 1 vote, but the 3rd estate members wanted voting rights, where each member of the estates had 1 vote, they wanted voting in the assembly as a whole.
- In 1774, the King of France XVI faced growing discontent in the society of the Old regime. It slowly led to a lot of changes in French society.
- In the old regime there was a rule of censorship. As per this rule all cultural activities could be played and written materials could be published only after approval by the censors of the King.
- After the storming of Bastille in 1789, the rule of censorship was abolished.
Answer:
The term ‘Old Regime’ is usually used to refer to the institutions and society in France before 1789.
The society of France in 18th Century was divided into 3 estates:
- The 1st estate was the clergy.
- The 2nd estate was the nobility.
- The 3rd estate was made up of servants, landless labourers, small peasants, artisans, court officials, lawyers, merchants, and big businessmen.
- Only members of the 3rd estate paid taxes.
- Within the 3rd estate there were poor and rich people.
- 90% of the population was made up of peasants.
- 60% of the land was owned by Church, Nobles and rich members of 3rd estate.
- Feudal privileges were enjoyed by the Nobles.
Old Regime
- There were frequent subsistence crises in France during the Old Regime. Subsistence crisis means endangering basic survival. The prices kept rising but the wages did not rise commensurate with the rise in prices. This led to widening of the gap between poor and the rich during the old regime.
- Although education was provided there was no system where talents could be utilised.
- In the old regime, the monarch alone could not make decisions on taxes. The monarch had the power to call the meeting of the Estates General. The Estates General was a political body having representatives from 3 different estates. The Estates General would take decisions of passing proposals regarding the taxation.
- Although the Estates General had members of the 3rd estate, it was represented by the educated and rich members of the 3rd estate.
- Each estate had 1 vote, but the 3rd estate members wanted voting rights, where each member of the estates had 1 vote, they wanted voting in the assembly as a whole.
- In 1774, the King of France XVI faced growing discontent in the society of the Old regime. It slowly led to a lot of changes in French society.
- In the old regime there was a rule of censorship. As per this rule all cultural activities could be played and written materials could be published only after approval by the censors of the King.
- After the storming of Bastille in 1789, the rule of censorship was abolished.
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