Question

Which out of these was the most important privilege enjoyed by the members of the first two estates in France?
A] Collection of taxes
B] Owning large parts of the land
C] Exemption from paying taxes
D] Reservation of administrative posts on a hereditary basis

Answer 1

Hint: Before the French revolution, the social structure of France was divided into three tiers. These tiers were known as estates and the classification was based on the number of privileges they received due to their position. The highest estate or the first estate was known as the Clergy and they were the wealthy individuals and the biggest religious figures, the second was known as the Nobility, which contained the privileged minorities and the bottom tier were the poor.

Complete answer:
The estate of the Realm in France prior to the French revolution was the perfect example of an unfair social hierarchical system. The fact that this happened soon after the industrial revolution also shows unfair modes of holding power in the world.
The three-tier system had an unfair mode of functioning. It mainly or completely gave advantages to the higher tiers and made the life of people in the lower tier a hell. The majority of the lower middle class and minimum wage working class were under the bottom tier hence the resources available to them were very limited. On the other hand, people of the higher class had money due to the newborn industries and they were the owners.
During this time, France was financially in gutters due to the unimaginable boom of the industries and the money spent to build them. Hence, they were looking for a solution to gain the capital back through taxes. When the bill came in front of the estates, the people of the lower tier were made to pay the taxes and the other two tiers were left out by giving an explanation that they are providing money to the economy through the industries. This sparked outrage in the lower estate and eventually, it became one of the fundamental reasons for the beginning of the French revolution.
So, the correct answer is Option C.

Note: A certain view on society has always been present in the world and this predicted position of people was based on the wealth and power they carry. Even though the higher ground requires the lower class of the world, they were not ready to accept them as equal powers. The higher estates saw common people as burghers (also known as bourgeoisie) of the realm's cities. In order to gain equality, people had to go through tortures and disappointments. But there are phases of discrimination present in this world to this day.