Land reforms were done in the Habsburg monarchy, beginning at 1680, in order to liberate the peasants from the bondages of Feudalism. They were officially motivated by ideas related to the Age of Enlightenment - the "natural law", revealed to the monarch, which states that peasants should be free. Other motives were: to weaken the nobility, to gain support with the peasants, and to increase tax revenue (since the nobles were exempt from tax).