Three Estates

Japanese: 三部会 - さんぶかい

The French Estates' assemblies under the ancien system, consisting of the Three Estates General (États généro) and the Three Estates Provinciaux (États provinciaux).

[Akira Okamoto]

National Third Section

The council was composed of monks, nobles, and commoners, and was first convened in 1302 by Philip IV (reigned 1285-1314), who planned to tax monks, to demonstrate the unity of the country to Pope Boniface VIII. In 1308, it was also convened to disband the Knights Templar. During the Hundred Years' War, when King John the Good (reigned 1350-64) was captured, the council was held regularly for a total of three years, and the regent was allowed to hold regular meetings at the initiative of the Three Estates General, and to approve the collection of taxes. However, the road to a modern parliamentary system had not yet been opened, and the Three Estates General's attempts were thwarted after the failure of the revolt of Étienne Marcel, head of the merchants' guild (1358). From the end of the 15th century, it became customary to bring together cahiers (petitions) to create a unified cahier and submit it to the king. During the religious wars, the Three Estates Congregations were held more frequently, in Orléans in 1560, and in Blois in 1576 and 1588, and a religious peace agreement was reached, but the sectarian conflict deepened. The Three Estates Congregation held in Paris in 1593 was a meeting of only the League (hardline Catholics), and resolved to oppose the Huguenot heir to the throne, Henry de Navarre (later Henry IV), and not to recognize the accession of a heretic king to the throne. In 1614, as the movement for a limited monarchy intensified, the Three Estates Congregation was convened by Regent Marie de Medici. The clergy demanded an end to the king reselling stipends while the throne was vacant, the nobles demanded the repeal of the system of public sedition, and the commoners demanded the protection of Gallicanism (the state church system) and a reduction in the taille (poll tax). Since the three estates could not agree on a common policy, the Three Estates Congregation was dissolved without any results. After this, it was not convened even once until the eve of the Revolution. The era of absolute monarchy had begun.

In 1788, Louis XVI accepted the request of the Parlement and sought the opinion of the Estates General on the dire state of finances, and at the suggestion of Minister of Finance Necker, convened the meeting with some modifications to the traditional format. In other words, the number of commoner representatives was doubled, and it was made easier for lower clergy such as priests and non-statutory aristocrats to be elected as representatives. When the Estates General convened in Versailles in May of the following year, the debate format became a shambles from the start. The commoners felt that the establishment of a constitution was more important than finances, and so they declared themselves a National Assembly, and members of the privileged classes joined them, deciding the course of action, and France was on the brink of revolution.

[Akira Okamoto]

The Estates General

After the 14th century, when the king's feudal rule extended to the provinces, the old consultative assemblies of the dukes and counts continued to exist as the Three Estates General. Examples include Normandy, Burgundy, Brittany, and Provence, which are called the Pays d'Etat. Each Three Estates General had the right to choose the type of tax and negotiate reductions, and their direct tax collectors were responsible for collecting the taille. When Richelieu was Prime Minister (1624-42), the Three Estates General of the Dauphine and Guienne were virtually abolished, and during the personal rule of Louis XIV (1661-1715), the authority of the Three Estates General of the Franche-Comté and Normandy was weakened. In the places where the Three Estates General had been abolished, a movement to restore them arose, mainly among the aristocracy, on the eve of the Revolution.

[Akira Okamoto]

[References] | French Revolution

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

旧制度下のフランスの身分制議会。全国三部会（エタ・ジェネロ）États générauxおよび地方三部会（エタ・プロバンシォ）États provinciauxがある。

［岡本　明］

全国三部会

僧侶(そうりょ)、貴族、平民の各議員で構成され、1302年、僧侶への課税を企てたフィリップ4世（在位1285～1314）がローマ教皇ボニファティウス8世に対し国の結束を誇示するために招集したのが最初とされる。08年にはテンプル騎士団の解散のためにも開催。百年戦争中、ジャン善良王（在位1350～64）が捕虜になると、延べ3年にわたり常時開会となり、三部会の発意による定期会合、租税徴収への承認権などを摂政(せっしょう)に認めさせた。とはいえ、近代的議会制への道はまだ開かれておらず、商人組合長エチエンヌ・マルセルの乱（1358）の失敗後、三部会の試みは挫折(ざせつ)した。15世紀末からはカイエ（陳情書）を持ち寄って統一カイエを作成し、国王に提出する習わしとなる。宗教戦争中、招集の機会が増え、1560年にオルレアン、76年、88年ブロアで開かれ、宗教和議が行われたが宗派対立は深まった。93年のパリでの三部会はリーグ（カトリック強硬派）のみの会合で、ユグノーの王位継承者アンリ・ド・ナバル（後のアンリ4世）に反対し異端王の即位を認めないとの決議をした。制限王制的な動きが強まるなかで1614年、摂政マリ・ド・メディシスが招集した三部会では、僧族は、司教座空位中に国王が聖職禄(ろく)を転売することの中止を、貴族は売官制の撤回を、平民はガリカニズム（国家教会制度）の擁護とタイユ（人頭税）の減免をそれぞれ要求し、3身分の足並みがそろわなかったため、成果なしに解散した。これ以後、革命前夜まで一度も招集されなかった。絶対王制の時代に入ったのである。

　1788年、ルイ16世は高等法院の要求をいれ、窮迫する財政について三部会の意見を徴することとし、財務長官ネッケルの勧めで、伝統的形式をやや修正して招集した。つまり、平民議員の倍増と司祭など下級聖職者、非法服の貴族を議員に選ばれやすくしたのである。翌年5月、ベルサイユに招集された三部会では、冒頭から討議形式で紛糾した。平民身分は財政より憲法制定が先決であるとし、独自に国民議会を宣言、特権身分からも合流する者が出て帰趨(きすう)を決し、フランスはここに革命を迎えることとなる。

［岡本　明］

地方三部会

14世紀以降、地方に国王の封建的な支配権が及ぶと、それまでの公伯の諮問的な身分会議が地方三部会として存続することになった。ノルマンディー、ブルゴーニュ、ブルターニュ、プロバンスなどがその例で、これらの地をペイ・デタとよぶ。各地方三部会は税種の選択や減額交渉の権利をもち、直属の徴税人がタイユの徴収にあたった。リシュリューが宰相（1624～42）のときドフィーネやギエンヌの三部会は事実上廃止され、ルイ14世の親政期（1661～1715）にもフランシュ・コンテ、ノルマンディーのそれは権限を弱められた。地方三部会を廃止されたところでは、革命前夜、貴族を中心に再建運動が起こった。

［岡本　明］

[参照項目] | フランス革命

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