Question

The members of the Third Estate had to pay direct tax to the state called____.
A. Livre
B. Taille
C. Tithe
D. All of these

Answer 1

Hint: The society of estates was part of the feudal system in French. The members of the third estate were Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants, artisans, small peasants, landless labour and servants. They were required to serve the members of the other two estates, the nobles and the clergy.

Complete answer: The system of Estates was an organised system. 90 percent of the population was made up of peasants. However, a small number had a land of their own. 60 percent of the land in France was owned by nobles, Church and other rich class members of the third estate. The members of the first two estates, the nobles and the clergy enjoyed certain rights in the society by birth. The most important was the exemption from paying taxes to the state. The Nobles also enjoyed feudal privileges which included feudal dues, which they extracted from the peasants. Peasants were obliged to pay their labour and service to the above two estates in their houses and fields, army or building roads. The Church extracts its share of taxes from peasants and all other members of the third estate known as tithes. These taxes were divided into two types-direct and indirect. The direct tax is known as taille and indirect taxes which were levied on everyday consumer products and items like salt or tobacco. Livre was the unit of currency in France which was later discontinued in 1794.
Therefore the correct answer would be option-B.

Note: The burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was carried out by the third estate alone. Under third estate some were rich and some were poor. Under Louis XVI, France helped many American colonies to gain independence which pushed livres to a debt. In order to meet their expenses, the French government decided to divide society into three estates were the only third estate would pay taxes.