What social phenomenon began to occur during this period due to the disenfranchisement of European nobility?

Question

A. Indebted nobles would inter marry with bourgeoisie families to improve finances

b. The Kings of Europe would grant financial pardons to bankrupt nobles

c. Bourgeoisie families would purchase titles and land from parliament to help raise funds

Answer 1

The correct answer is A: indebted nobles would intermarry with bourgeoi families to improve their finances. During this period - especially 17th and 18th century (1600 and 1700s), many European nobles were in financial difficulties because they lost their feudal priviliges (the black plague killed about 1/3 of the population in Europe, so those who survived could "stand up for their rights" more - especially serfs / peasants). Furthermore, it started costing more to maintain their nobility status (obviously they were quite attached to that luxury lifestyle they had before and did not want to give it up) and lastly because of the economic shifts that we started to see (industrial revolution), the bourgeoisie (wealthy middle class) started getting more economic power. Land was not the main cause of wealth anymore, so the nobility often married the wealthy middle class (bourgeoisie) to gain access to that money (that way they could keep up with that lifestyle they were used to) and the bourgeoisie in turn got a "title" (lord, lady, baroness, ...) which they didn't get through birth. As a result we get some sort of "fusion" between the old aristocracy and the new money. This reshaped the social hierarchy.