How did Persian Letters criticize the reign of Louis XIV?

Published in 1721, the Persian Letters (Lettres persanes) served as a vehicle for Montesquieu to offer a brilliant, satirical critique of French society and civilization, as viewed through the perspective of two Persian travelers.12

The work specifically mocks the reign of Louis XIV, which had concluded only shortly before the book's publication. By employing a spirit of vigorous, iconoclastic, and disrespectful criticism, Montesquieu used the narrative to challenge the political and social status quo established during the Sun King's era. Beyond targeting the monarchy, the text poked fun at various social classes and satirized Catholic doctrine, reflecting the broader intellectual ferment and critical spirit emerging in Paris at the time.12