Säätyjä

Säätyjä refers to the historical social estates or orders that structured society in many European countries, particularly before the advent of modern class systems. These divisions were often hereditary and determined an individual's rights, privileges, and obligations. The most common estates were the clergy (first estate), the nobility (second estate), and the commoners or peasantry (third estate). In some societies, burghers or the urban middle class formed a distinct fourth estate, or were incorporated into the third. Membership in an estate was typically based on birth, though some individuals could gain entry through exceptional service or appointment. These estates were not necessarily rigid, and there could be some social mobility, but the fundamental structure remained deeply entrenched. The concept of säätyjä played a significant role in political representation, legal systems, and economic activities, with each estate having a defined place and function within the broader social hierarchy. The French Revolution and subsequent societal transformations largely dismantled these estate systems, paving the way for more fluid class-based societies.