The primary cause of the French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a combination of social inequality, economic hardship, and Enlightenment ideas. The French populace was divided into three estates: the privileged First and Second Estates (clergy and nobility) and the Third Estate, which comprised the vast majority of the population, including peasants and the bourgeoisie. Growing discontent with high taxes, food shortages, and the extravagant spending of King Louis XVI fueled unrest. Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau and Voltaire inspired revolutionary ideas about democracy and individual rights, leading the Third Estate to demand political reforms and equal representation.