What significant change took place in political and social structure in the late fifteenth century Europe?
(a) The growth of cities created lesser demand for foodstuff
(b) With the expansion of trade and growing monetary transactions, began to break the old structure of feudalism.
(c) Resulted in the rise of absolute monarchies.
(d) The institution of serfdom became more rigid.

Choose the correct answer from the code given below.

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (c) (b) and (c) only.

The late fifteenth century in Europe was a transitional period that saw the decline of the medieval feudal system and the rise of the early modern state.

(b) With the expansion of trade and growing monetary transactions, began to break the old structure of feudalism. (TRUE)
The expansion of trade (commercial revolution) and the increasing use of money made the old system of land-for-service (feudalism) and labor-for-land (manorialism) obsolete. Lords increasingly preferred rent in cash over labor or goods, which weakened their direct control over the peasantry and dissolved feudal obligations.

(c) Resulted in the rise of absolute monarchies. (TRUE)
Monarchs benefited from the breakdown of feudal power. With the financial support of the newly wealthy merchant class (bourgeoisie) and access to new sources of tax revenue, kings were able to centralize power, maintain standing armies, and assert authority over the previously independent feudal lords, leading to the rise of absolute monarchy.

Additional Knowledge

(a) The growth of cities created lesser demand for foodstuff. (FALSE)
The growth of cities meant a growing urban population that was largely removed from agricultural production, leading to an increased demand for foodstuffs from the countryside.

(d) The institution of serfdom became more rigid. (FALSE)
In Western Europe, serfdom was in decline during this period due to the economic changes mentioned in (b) and the labor shortages following the Black Death (mid-14th century), which gave peasants more bargaining power and mobility. Serfdom, however, became more rigid in parts of Eastern Europe (the "second serfdom") in the same period, but this was a divergence from the West. For the general structure in Western Europe, the statement is false.