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The estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognised in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe. There was no single system of dividing society into estates, and systems developed over time. The best known system is the French three-estate system that was used until the French Revolution: the clergy (first estate), the nobility (second estate), and commoners (third estate). Some countries considered burghers and rural commoners separate estates, notably Scandinavian nations and Russia. The two-estate system which eventually evolved in England was to combine nobility and bishops into one lordly estate, with "commons" as the other estate, the two-estate system which produced the two houses of parliament. In southern Germany, a three-estate system of princes, burghers, and knights was used, with high clergy included as princes. Today the term "Fourth Estate" is often used in reference to forces outside the established power structure (imagined as three estates), and is now most commonly used in reference to the independent press or media. Historically, in Northern and Eastern Europe, the fourth estate meant rural commoners. ==Social immobility== During the Middle Ages individuals were born into their class and change in social position was difficult. The medieval Church was the institution where social mobility was most likely up to a certain level (generally to that of vicar general or abbot/abbess for commoners). Typically, however, only nobility were appointed to the highest church positions (bishops, archbishops, heads of religious orders, etc.) although low nobility could aspire to the highest church positions. Since clergy could not marry, such mobility was theoretically limited to one generation, though in practice senior clergy might be able to greatly influence the social and financial fortunes of their relatives. Another possible way to rise in social position was due to exceptional military or commercial success. Such families were rare and their rise to nobility required royal patronage at some point. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Estates of the realm」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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