Ancien Regime Guide

This group held the highest positions in government, the military, and the courts. They owned about 25% of the land and enjoyed significant tax exemptions and the right to collect feudal dues from peasants.

Making up 98% of the population, this group included wealthy bourgeois merchants, urban workers, and rural peasants. Despite their numbers and economic contribution, they bore the brunt of the nation's taxation and had virtually no political voice. Political Absolute Monarchy ancien regime

The Ancien Régime (Old Regime) refers to the social and political system of the Kingdom of France from the Late Middle Ages until the French Revolution of 1789. It was characterized by a rigid hierarchical structure, an absolute monarchy, and a complex web of feudal privileges that ultimately became unsustainable under the weight of economic crisis and Enlightenment ideals. The Social Hierarchy: The Three Estates This group held the highest positions in government,