Final answer:
The Old Order in pre-revolutionary France was a rigid social and political system that divided the society into three Estates: the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners. This system entrenched social inequities and placed the economic burden on the Third Estate, which eventually led to the French Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Old Order or Ancien Régime in France prior to the French Revolution was a social and political system that divided citizens into three distinct classes or Estates. The First Estate was composed of the clergy, the Second Estate the nobility, and the Third Estate the commoners. The first two estates enjoyed significant privileges, including exemptions from taxes and control of a large percentage of land. Tax burdens and social inequalities were largely shouldered by the Third Estate, which made up about 97% of the population and included the urban poor, peasants, and the rising bourgeoisie.
The oppressive social inequities of this system played a considerable role in sparking the French Revolution. Exclusive power and economic advantages were held by the tiny minority of clergy and nobility who dominated both land ownership and exemptions from taxes. In contrast, the Third Estate was burdened by heavy taxes yet lacked political power, driving them toward revolutionary action, symbolized by the storming of the Bastille and the formation of the National Assembly.