Definition (1):
The Estate system is a system of stratification under which peasants were required to work land leased to them by nobles in exchange for military protection and other services. Also known as feudalism.
Definition (2):
The Estate system is a form of stratification established by law in which the ownership of land leads to the monopolization of power.
Definition (3):
“A stratified system consisting of the clergy, nobility, and commoners; with interlocking legal rights and obligations.” French Old Regime is an example of this system.
It is a type of social hierarchy where a serf musk or a peasant must work a part of the land owned by a member of the society’s noble class. The noble, in return, would give protection or any other service, agreed upon. During the middle ages, this system became prominent. The downfall of the Roman Empire decentralized many portions of Europe, leading in small kingdoms ruled by nobles and local warlords. The estate system obtained a strong foothold in these kingdoms. Before the spread of feudalism, Europe faced chaos and social disorder after the collapse of Rome. Nobles promised and intervened in the common people's stability and order in exchange for plowing the land. Though this system spread along most of Europe, declined strongly over the centuries.