How did Maria Theresa reduce the power of the provincial estates?

To reduce the power of the provincial estates, Maria Theresa implemented significant financial and administrative reforms, primarily guided by the advice of Friedrich Wilhelm von Haugwitz.12

Historically, the crown lands were governed by estates—parliamentary bodies representing the nobility, church, and towns—that negotiated annual tax contributions with the ruler. To diminish their influence, Maria Theresa shifted the negotiation process:1

• Decadal Negotiations: Instead of annual meetings, she required the estates to negotiate tax contributions only once every 10 years, setting a fixed annual collection amount for the entire decade.1
• Centralization: By securing these long-term agreements, she established a steady income for the central government, which allowed for reliable budgeting and effectively eroded the power of the diets.1
• Abolishing Exemptions: She further weakened the great landowners who dominated these assemblies by working to abolish their traditional tax exemptions.2

While the estates were never formally abolished, these measures stripped them of the significant influence they had held over the monarchy’s finances for generations, leading to a much more centralized government.12