Social and Political Structure of the Ancien Régime

Agriculture and Land Ownership

Agriculture was the main source of wealth for the Old Regime. Only a small part of the land could be privately owned; others were linked to a title of nobility, the Church, a municipality, or the Crown. All land in the hands of a lord was called territorial dominion. It consisted of the demesne, which were the most productive lands, and the manses (the meek), whose dimensions were sufficient to feed a family.

Manorial Rights and Obligations

Manorial rights included all income and benefits received by the lords under their dominion over the land. The peasants had to perform a series of works in the demesne and also give a percentage of the harvest from the land they worked. In addition, lords required rates for the use of manorial monopolies.

The Three Estates of Society

The society of the Old Regime was divided into strata, or estates, to which one belonged depending on their class, and social ascent was difficult. Traditional law established three estates:

• The Clergy: Those who prayed to ensure divine protection.
• The Nobility: Those who fought and protected the community from its opponents.
• The Commoners: Those whose social function was to produce material goods; this included groups as diverse as the peasantry, the bourgeoisie, and the popular classes of the cities.

The Privileged: Clergy and Nobility

The clergy was the first of the privileged groups and represented a very small part of the population; they did not have to pay taxes. The higher clergy came exclusively from the noble classes and lived in the luxury of the nobility. The lower clergy were mainly of peasant origin, living a simple life without luxuries, yet they still enjoyed certain privileges. The nobility was the second privileged class, representing between 2% and 3% of the population and retaining ownership of most land. This group included the court nobility, the more modest provincial nobility, and the nobility of the robe, which emerged from the monarch's need to sell public offices or to reward favors.

The Non-Privileged Third Estate

The Third Estate integrated the majority of the population and brought together different social sectors:

• The Bourgeoisie: The most dynamic economic group of society because, in the last century, their wealth had increased markedly.
• The Urban Working Class: Manual workers in cities, including both artisans and manufacturing workers.
• The Peasantry: Constituted the majority of the population, consisting of free peasants, laborers, and serfs.

Divine Right Monarchy

The focus of the political system of the Ancien Régime was the divine right monarchy. The state was controlled by the monarch, who concentrated all power in himself and held absolute authority.

Enlightened Despotism and Reason

Enlightened despotism is a political concept that was part of the monarchies of the Old Regime in Europe. It included the philosophical ideas of the Enlightenment, according to which man's decisions are guided by reason. The monarchs of this doctrine contributed to enriching the culture of their countries and adopted a paternalistic discourse.