Which statement shows that the numbers of the Third Estate did not automatically become power?

Its numbers were large but political representation and privileges were limited

A large population and real political power are not the same thing. In pre-revolutionary France, the Third Estate included most of the people, such as peasants, workers, and the middle class. Yet it did not receive political influence equal to its size. The privileged estates enjoyed important exemptions and social advantages, so population alone could not give the Third Estate control over decisions.

Option A correctly brings together both parts of the idea: the Third Estate was numerically large, but its representation and privileges were limited. Option B is wrong because the Third Estate was not small, even though its tax burden was heavy. Options C and D deny the unequal political structure. Therefore, numbers did not automatically become power because institutions and privileges determined influence.

This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: The French Revolution. Topic: French Society During the Late Eighteenth Century.