What landmark decisions were taken by …

On June, 1789 the representatives of the third estate declared themselves as a National Assembly. They drafted a Constitution for France. (i) They discarded the power of absolute monarchy. Even Louis XVI accepted the fact that his powers would be checked by a Constitution. (ii) On 4th August, 1789 the assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system of obligations and taxes. (iii) Members of the clergy were forced to give up their privileges. (iv) Tithe, a tax levied by the Church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce, were abolished and lands owned by the Church were also confiscated. (v) As a direct consequence of these measures taken by the government, the government acquired assets worth at least 2 billion livres. (vi) France now became a Constitutional monarchy. Powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person were now separated and assigned to three different institutions, the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. (vii) The Constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen which established right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law as 'natural and inalienable' rights. It was the duty of the state to protect these rights.