Class 9 History Notes The French Revolution Chapter 1 -

Class 9 History Notes The French Revolution Chapter 1

Very Short Type Questions

Q 1 – Who was the ruler of France during the revolution?

Ans – Louis XVI of the Bourbon family was the ruler of France.

Q 2 – Name the three ‘Estates’ into which the French society was divided before the Revolution.

Ans –

The First Estate — Clergy
The Second Estate — Nobility
The Third Estate — Common people.

Q 3 – When did the French Revolution occur?

Ans – 14th July, 1789.

Q 4 – What was tithes?

Ans – It was a tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce.

Q 5 – The burden of financial activities of state during the Old Regime (Society of France before 1789) was borne by the ________ .
Ans – Third estate

Q 6 – In France, the eighteenth century (1700 AD – 1799 AD) witnessed the emergence of a social group, termed as the ________ .

Ans – Middle class

Q 7 – The American constitution and its guarantee of individual rights was an important example for political thinkers in ________ .
Ans – France

Q 8 – The agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille (Fortress Prison) on ________ .
Ans – 14th July, 1789

Q 9 – The constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the ________.
Ans – National Assembly

Q 10 – What was newly elected assembly called after the assembly voted to imprison the royal family ?

Ans – The newly elected assembly was called the “Convention” when on 10^th August, 1792 the Jacobians stormed the Palace of Tuileries , massacred the King’s guards and held the king himself as Hostage for several hours.

Q 11 – The constitution began with a Declaration of the rights of ________ .
Ans – Man and citizen.

Rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law, were established as ‘natural and inalienable’ rights.

Q 12 – The National Assembly of France voted in April 1792 to declare war against ________ .
Ans – Prussia (Germany)and Austria

Q 13 – The members of the Jacobin Club belonged mainly to ________ .
Ans – The less prosperous sections of society (Third Estate).

Q 14 – What was taille?

Ans – It was a direct tax to be paid to the State.

Q 15 – Who formed the National Assembly in France in 1789?

Ans – Third Estate

Q 16 – To whom was the tax called ‘Tithes’ payable by the peasants in the eighteenth century in France?

Ans – Church

Q 17 – Who introduced ‘Reign of Terror’ and where ?
Ans – Maximilian Robespierre introduced ‘Reign of Terror’ in France.

Q 18 – Which class of society in France was behind the French Revolution?
Ans – Middle class (Emerged in the eighteenth Century)

Q 19 – What was the slogan of the French revolutionaries?
Ans – Liberty, Fraternity and Equality.

Q 20 – On what charges was Louis XVI of France sentenced to death?
Ans – Treason – Betrayal of one’s country or government.

Q 21 – What was feudal system?

Ans – It was a system under which land was granted to landlords in return for military or labour services.

Q 22 – When was slavery finally abolished in French colonies ?
Ans – Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

Q 23 – One important law that came into effect soon after the storming of the Bastille in 1789 was the ________ .
Ans – Abolition of censorship.

Q 24 – In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself as Emperor of the ________ .
Ans – France.

Q 25 – What was ‘Sceptre’?
Ans – Symbol of Royal Power.

Q 26 – The political body representing the three estates of pre-revolutionary France was ________ .
Ans – Estates General.

Q 27 – Which theory was proposed by Montesquieu ?
Ans – Theory of division of power within the government between the Legistive , the Executive and the Judiciary.

Q 28 – Who proposed the Social Contract theory ?
Ans – Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Q 29 – A triangular slave trade started among ________ .
Ans – Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Q 30 – Women in France won the right to vote in ________ .
Ans – 1946.

Q 31 – What did the French Revolution of 1789 stand for ?
Ans – The French Revolution of 1789 stood for the ideas of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

Q 32 – Which philosopher had forwarded the principle of voting by the assembly as a whole, where each member should have one vote, during the rule of louis XVI?
Ans – Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Q 33 – In which book did Jean Jacques Rousseau mention the idea of one person, one vote?
Ans – The Social Contract.

Q 34 – Give the titles of the books written by :
(a) Jean Jacques Rousseau
(b) Charles Montesquieu
Ans – (a) The Social Contract.

(b) The Spirit of the Laws.

Q 35 – What was the theme of the book ‘The Spirit of the Laws’ written by Montesquieu?
Ans – Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary.

Q 36 – What did the fall of Bastille signify ?
Ans – The fall of Bastille signified the end of the autocratic rule of the monarch.

Q 37 – Name the special tax levied by the church on peasants.
Ans – Tithes was the special tax levied by the church on peasants.

Q 38 – On what principle was voting conducted in the Estates General ?
Ans – Each Estate having one vote, was the principle on which voting was conducted in the Estates General.

Q 39 – What is a Guillotine ?
Ans – The Guillotine is a device consisting of two pole and a blade with which a person is beheaded. It was named after Dr. Guillotine who invented it.

Q 40 – What idea did the ‘Law Tablet Convey’ ?
Ans – It conveyed the idea that the law is the same for all, and all are equal before it.

Law Tablet

Q 41 – Who was the leader of the Jacobin club ?
Ans – Maximilian Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobin club.

Q 42 – What was the Estates General ?
Ans – The Estates General was a political body to which the three estates sent their representatives . However, the monarch alone could decide when to call a meeting of this body. The last time it was done was in 1614.

Q 43 – Who were denied entry to the assembly of the Estates General, called by Louis XVI on 5 May, 1789 ?
Ans – Peasants, artisans and women were denied entry to the assembly of the Estate General held on 5 May, 1789 .

Q 44 – Why were images and symbols used in the eighteenth century France ?
Ans – The majority of men and women in 18th century France could not read and write. So images and symbols were frequently used instead of printed words to communicate important ideas.

Q 45 – Name any four French philosophers who inspired the French people to revolt.
Ans –

Jean Jacques Rousseau
Montesquieu
Voltaire
Maximilian Robespierre.

Q 46 – Why was Bastille hated by the French people?
Ans – Bastille was hated because it stood for the despotic power of the king.

Q 47 – Which Battle sealed the Fate of France in 1815?
Ans – Battle of Waterloo(1815) in which Napolean Bonaparte was combinedly defeated by Britian, Russia, Prussia and Austria .

Q 48 – When did France abolish the monarchy and declared to be a republic?
Ans – 21st September, 1792.

Q 49 – Name any one class that did not belong to Jacobin Club?
Ans – Nobles.

Q 50 – Name the most popular political club started by the French women.

Ans – The Society of Revolutionary Republican women.

Q 51 – Which laws were introduced by revolutionary government in France as help to improve the lives of women?
Ans –

Schooling was made compulsory for girls.
Their fathers could no longer force them into marriage against their will.
Marriage was made into a contract entered into freely and registered under civil law.
Divorce was made legal, and could be applied for by both women and men.
Women could now train for jobs, could become artists or run small businesses.

Q 52 – Who abolished slavery in France?
Ans – The Jacobin Clubs.

Q 53 – ‘The National Assembly completed the draft of the Constitution in 1791’. Mention any two features of the Constitution.
Ans –

It vested the power to make laws in the hands of National Assembly.
It limited the powers of the monarch. Now powers were decentralized and assigned to different institutions.

The Political system under the Constitution of 1791

Q 54 – Who wrote the ‘Two Treatises of Government’?
Ans – John Locke.

Q 55 – What does the Red Cap worn by Sans-Culottes in France symbolize?
Ans – Liberty.

Short Type Questions

Q 56– Who was Robespierre ? Why Is his reign referred as the ‘Reign of Terror’ ?

Ans–

Robespierre was the leader of Jacobins club which led a successful revolt and came to power. Robespierre ruled France from 1793 to 1794.
His rule is referred as the ‘Reign of Terror’ because he followed a policy of severe control and punishment.
All those who were considered enemies by him or who did not agree with him or with his methods were arrested, imprisoned and then tried by a revolutionary tribunal. If found guilty, they were executed.

Q 57 – How was the French society organised before the revolution of 1789?
Ans –

The French society was divided into sections called ‘estates’ namely First Estate consisting of the clergy, Second Estate comprising the nobility and the Third Estate comprising all commoners including big businessmen, traders, merchants, court officials, lawyers, peasants, artisans, labourers and servants.

The members of the first two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by birth. They were exempted from paying taxes to the state. The members of this estate had no political rights and social status.
The entire burden of taxation fell on the third estate. All economic functions were performed by them.

Q 58 – Write some of the main features of the French Constitution of 1791.
Ans – The main features of the French Constitution of 1791 were :

The constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. Its main objective was to limit the powers of the monarch.
The citizens of France voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly.
Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes were entitled to vote.
The constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and citizens.
The constitution declared that it was the duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights.

Q 59 – Discuss the impact of abolition of censorship in France.

Describe the effects of abolition of law of censorship on France.
Ans –

France before censorship: In the Old Regime all written material and cultural activities, books, newspapers, plays could be published or performed only after they had been approved by the censors of the king.
Freedom of Speech: Now the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed freedom of speech and expression to be a natural right. Newspapers, pamphlets, books and printed pictures flooded the towns of France from where they travelled rapidly into the countryside. They all described and discussed the events and changes taking place in France.
Debate and Discussion: Freedom of the press also meant that opposing views of events could be expressed. Each side sought to convince the others of its position through the medium of print. Printed tracts and newspapers not only spread the new ideas, but they shaped the nature of debate. Plays, songs and festive processions attracted large numbers of people. This was one way they could grasp and identify with ideas such as liberty or justice.

Q 60 – Describe the incidents that led to the storming of the Bastille.

Ans –

While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution, the rest of France was seething with turmoil.
A severe winter had meant a bad harvest, the price of bread rose. Often bakers exploited the situation and hoarded supplies.
After spending hours in long queues at the bakery, crowds of angry women stormed into the shops.
At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris. On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed Bastille.

Q 61 – What do you know about the abolition of slavery in France ?
Ans –

It was finally the convention which in 1794 legislated to free all the slaves in the French overseas possessions. This, however, turned out to be a short-term measure. However, ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced slavery.
Plantation owners understood their freedom as including the right to enslave African Negroes in pursuit of their economic interests.
Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

Q 62 – How was the Church responsible for the French Revolution ?
Ans –

The members of the church, clergy belonged to the First Estate.
The clergy enjoyed all privileges with no obligations. They lived in pomp and extravagance which led to resentment among the members of the Third Estate.
The church was owner of a big chunk of land in France.
The church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes from the peasants. Apart from this, the church also collected several other taxes.

Q 63 – State the election process of the National Assembly in France.
Ans –

The constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected.

Citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn close the assembly.
All citizens did not have the right to vote. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourers wage were given the status of active citizens, that is, they were entitled to vote.

The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens. To qualify as an elector and then as a member of the assembly, a man had to belong to the highest bracket of tax payers.

Q 64 – What were the main ideas behind the French Revolution ?
Ans – The main ideas behind the French Revolution were :

The revolutionary ideas in France were propagated and preached by the famous thinkers and philosophers like Rousseau, Montesquieu. They favoured the abolition of such a social system that supported political, social and economic injustice and discrimination.
The French revolutionaries were also influenced by the triple ideals of the American Revolution, i.e., Liberty, Equality and Fraternity and they opposed the privileges enjoyed by the clergy and the nobles.

Q 65 – How did a directory rule in France ? Explain.

Write a short note on the Directory.
Ans –

The new constitution made provision for two elected legislative councils. These then appointed a Directory, an Executive made up to five members. This was meant as a safeguard against the concentration of political power in a one-man executive as under the Jacobins.
The political instability of the Directory paved the way for the rise of a military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Through all these changes in the form of government, the ideals of freedom, of equality before the law of the land and of fraternity remained inspiring ideals that motivated political movements in France and the rest of Europe during the following century.

Q 66 – What was subsistence crisis ? Mention two factors responsible for this crisis ?
Ans – Subsistence crisis is an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered.
Two factors responsible for this crisis were :

The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains.
Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand. So the price of bread which was the staple diet of the majority rose rapidly.
Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops whose owner fixed their wages. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices. So the gap between the poor and the rich widened.
Things became worse whenever drought or hail reduced the harvest. This led to a subsistence crisis, something that occurred frequently in France during the Old Regime.

Q 67 – What is the significance of the “Tennis Court Oath” in the French Revolution ?
Ans –

The representatives of the third estate viewed themselves as spokesman for the whole French nation.
On 20th June, 1789, the assembled in the hall of on indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles.
They declared themselves a national assembly and swore not the disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the Monarch.
The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791 as a result of which France finally became a republic in 1792.

Q 68 – What were the causes of the empty treasury of France under Louis XVI ?
Ans –

Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France. Added to this was the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles.

Under Louis XVI, France helped the thirteen colonies to gain their independence from the common enemy, Britain.
The war added more than a billion livres to a debt that had already risen to more than 2 billion livres.
Lenders, who gave the state credit, now began to charge 10 percent interest on loans.
To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running government offices or universities, the state was forced to increase taxes.

Q 69 – Write the importance of Napoleon Bonaparte in the History of France and the world.
Ans –

Napoleon saw himself as a modernizer of Europe.
He introduced many laws such as protection of private properly and uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.
He carried out the revolutionary ideas of liberty and modern laws to other parts of Europe which he conquered. They had a great impact on people.
He was a great general too.

Q 70 – Which laws were introduced by revolutionary government to improve the condition of women in France ?
Ans –

In the early years, the revolutionary government did introduce laws that helped to improve the lives of women.

Together with the creation of state schools, schooling was made compulsory for all girls.
Their fathers could no longer force them into marriage against their will.

Marriage was made into a contract entered freely and registered under civil law.
Divorce was made legal and could be applied for by both women and men. Women could now train for jobs, could become artists or run small businesses.

Q 71 – What landmark decisions were taken by the National Assembly led by the Third Estate on 4th August, 1789 ?

Ans – Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly and accepted the principle that his powers would be checked by a constitution. On 4 August 1789, the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the fedal system of obligations and taxes. Members of the clergy too were forced to give up their privileges. Tithes were abolished, and lands owned by the church were confiscated. As a result, the government acquired assets worth at least 2 billion livres.

Q 72 – “Ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the French Revolution”. Explain the statement in the light of French Revolution.
Ans –

People of Third Estate demanded a society based on freedom and opportunities to all.
The National Assembly was formed in 1791 with an object to limit the powers of the monarch.
The Constitution framed in 1791 began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens.
Censorship was abolished in 1789.

Q 73 – Explain the impact of the French Revolution on the life of people of French.
Ans –

Divorce was made legal, and could be applied by both women and men. Women could be now trained for jobs, could become artists or run small businesses.
The Constitution of 1791 began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. It proclaimed that Freedom of speech and opinion and equality before law were natural rights of each human being by birth. These could not be taken away.
Newspapers, pamphlets and printed pictures appeared steadily in the towns of French. From there, they travelled into the countryside. These publications described and discussed the events and changes taking place in the country.

Q 74 – What compelled Louis XVI to raise taxes in France?

Ans – Wars and Economic Crisis : In 1774, when Louis XVI ascended the throne, he found and empty treasure. The nation had gone into deep debt because of the fighting in the Seven Years War (1756- 1763) and the Revolutionary War in America under Louis XVI. In this war, France helped the 13 American colonies to gain their independence from Britain. The war added more than a billion livers to a dept that had already risen to more than 2 billion livres.
Debt Trap: Lenders who gave the state credit, now began to charge 10 per cent interest on loans. So the French government was obliged to spend an increasing percentage of its budget on interest payments alone. To meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running government offices or universities the state was forced to increase taxes.

Extravagant Court: France under various kings had a extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles.

Q 75 – Describe the status of the nobles in France before the revolution.
Ans –

The clergy and the nobles led a life of luxury and enjoyed numerous privileges.
On the other hand, the peasants and workers lived a wretched life. They groaned under heavy taxes and forced labour.
The middleclass comprising of lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc also suffered humiliation at the hands of the clergy and the nobles.
This state of social inequality was the chief cause of the French Revolution.

Q 76 – “The inequality that existed in the French Society in the Old Regime became the cause of French Revolution”. Justify the statement by giving three suitable examples.
Ans – The examples are :

French Society was divided into three Estates.
The First Estate comprised of clergy,
The Second Estate comprised of nobility and
The Third Estate comprised of businessmen, traders, merchants, artisans, peasants and servants.
The members of Church and nobility enjoyed certain privileges by birth, the most important being the exemption from paying taxes to the State.
Feudal dues were extracted by nobles from peasants and one-tenth of the agricultural produce of peasants, in the form of Tithes came to the share of clergy.
All members of the Third Estate including peasants paid taxes, thus, the burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was borne by the Third Estate alone creating heavy discontentment.

Q 77 – How did philosophers influence the thinking of the people of France?

Ans – Philosophers influence the thinking of the people of France as :

Major changes were introduced in the Russian economy and agriculture after the revolution. Private property was abolished and land became a state property. Peasants had the freedom to cultivate on state” – controlled land.
A proper system of centralized planning was introduced with the help of five year plans. It helped in bringing about technological improvements, economic growth and helped in removing the inequalities in the society.
The revolution acknowledged right to work and identified dignity of labour. Socialist economy added a new dimension to democracy, by attributing it as a socio-economic system.

Q 78 – What was the role of philosophers and thinkers in the French Revolution? Explain by giving three examples.

Ans –

The philosophers and thinkers believed that, no group in a society should be privileged by birth. They supported a society based on freedom and equal laws.
In his Two Treatises of government, John Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives. In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.

Q 79 – What measures were taken by Robespierre to bring equality in the French Society?
Ans – Measures are :

Robespierre government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices.
Peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at prices fixed by the government.
The use of more expensive white flour was forbidden; all citizens were required to eat the quality bread, a loaf made of whole wheat.
Equality was also sought to be practiced through forms of speech and address.
Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices.
Equality was also sought to be practiced through forms of speech and address.

Q 80 – How did the peasants contribute to the outbreak of the French Revolution? Explain.
Ans – Contribution of the peasants to the outbreak of the French Revolution:

The peasants had to pay various taxes to the government, to the nobles and to the Church.
They were subjected to forced labour, they had to work free in the land of the nobles for three days in a week.
Crops were trampled by hunting parties of the nobles. About 81% of their income went to the State, Nobles, Church, 19% of the income was there to live on grass and roofs and 1,000 peoples of them died due to starvation. As whole, the Administration was corrupt.

Q 81 – State the events that led to the formation of the National Assembly.
Ans –

The Estates General was a political body of France to which the three estates sent their
representatives. The voting in it had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote.
This time too when Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General, he decided to continue the same old practice.
But the members of the Third Estate demanded that voting now be conducted on the democratic principle of one person, one vote.
When the king rejected this proposal, the members of the Third Estate walked out of the assembly in protest.
They assembled on 20 June, 1789 in the hall of an indoor tennis court in Versailles. These representatives of the Third Estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for whole French nation. They declared themselves a National Assembly.

Q 82 – Trace the event which led to the fall of Bastille.

Ans –

On 20th June the representatives of the Third Estate assembled in the hall.
While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution, After spending hours in long queues at the bakery, crowds of angry women stormed into the shops.
At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris.
On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.

Q 83 – Write three main features of the French Constitution of 1971.
Ans –

Powers of the National Assembly: The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. That is, citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly.
Right to Vote: Not all citizens, however, had the right to vote. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were given the status of active citizens that is they were entitled to vote. The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.
Basic Rights: All the citizens were given some basic rights such as right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law. It was the duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights.

Q 84 – What was the significance of ‘The Tennis Court Oath’ in the French Revolution?
Ans –

The Tennis Court Oath was a significant event in the French revolution. The Oath was taken on 20^th June in the hall of an indoor court in the grounds of Versailles.
The members declared themselves as the National Assembly and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a Constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch.
The National Assembly drafted the new Constitution which laid the foundation of Republic of France.

Q 85 – What was the Convention? Describe its role in France.
Ans – The elected assembly formed in France in 1792 was called Convention.
Role in France :

It abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.
Hereditary monarch Louis XVI and his wife were sentenced to death. Robespierre was elected President of the National Convention. He followed the policy of severe control and punishment.

Q 86 – Describe how abolition of slavery became possible in France.

Ans – Abolition of slavery became possible in France by the following ways :

The slave trade began in the 18th century. The National Assembly held long debates about the rights of man should be extended to all French subjects including those in the colonies.
Convention legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions. .
However, Napoleon reintroduced slavery. Finally slavery was abolished in 1848.

Q 87 – Write a short note on the document ‘Declaration of the Rights of Man and citizen.’
Ans –

The Declaration of the ‘Rights of Man’ and Citizen proclaimed freedom of speech and expression to be natural rights.
Censorship was abolished. Newspapers, books and pamphlets flooded French towns and reached the countryside as well.
Events and changes taking place in France were frankly discussed.
Plays, songs and festive processions attracted large number of people. Thus, people could identify with ideas of liberty and equality easily.

Q 88 – Trace rights which we are enjoying today had origin in the French Revolution.
Ans – The following fundamental rights, given in the Indian constitution can be traced to the French Revolution :

The right to equality.
The right to freedom of speech and expression.
The right to freedom from exploitation.
The right to constitutional remedies.

Long Type Questions

Q 89 – Who were the Jacobins ? What was their contribution to the French Revolution ?
Ans –

Political clubs had become rallying point for people who wanted to discuss government policies and plan their own forms of action.

The most successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins. They got their name from the former convent of St. Jacob in Paris. They belonged to the less prosperous sections of the society.
They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch makers, printers, as well as servants and daily wage earners.

Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre. A large group among the Jacobin decided to wear long striped trousers like those worn by dock workers.
This was to set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of society especially the nobles who wore knee breeches. It was a way of proclaiming the end of the power wielded by the wearers of knee breeches.

These Jacobins came to be known as sans-culottes, literally meaning ‘those without knee breeches’. Sanculottes men wore in addition the red cap that symbolised liberty. Women, however, were not allowed to do so.

In the summer of 1792, they planned an insurrection of many Parisians who were angered by the short supplies and high prices of food. On August 10, they stormed the Palace of the Tuileries, massacred the king’s guards and imprisoned the king. Elections were now held.
The newly elected assembly was called the Convention. On 21st September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason and executed on 21st January 1793. The queen also met with the same fate.

Q 90 – How was the French society organized? What privileges did certain sections of the society enjoy? Describe.

‘Social disparity was one of the major causes of the French Revolution.’ Justify by giving examples.

Ans– (i) Division of the society into three Estate :
The First Estate: It consisted of the clergymen and church-fathers.
The Second Estate: It consisted of landlords, men of noble birth and aristocrats.
The Third Estate: It consisted of the vast majority of the common masses, the landless peasants, servants, etc.
(ii) Heavy Burden of Taxes on the Third Estate: The members of the first two Estates were exempted from paying taxes to the state. So all the taxes were paid by the people of the Third Estate.
(iii) Wide Gap between People of Different Estates: Most of the people of the Third Estate were employed as labourers in workshops with fixed wages. The wages failed to keep pace with the rise in prices. So the gap between the poor and the rich widened.
(iv) No Political Rights: Out of the total population, the first and the second Estates had share of 2%. The remaining people belonged to the Third Estate. Although the upper two classes made up only a small fraction of the total population, yet they were the people who controlled the political and economic system of the nation. They enjoyed all the rights and privileges. The entire machinery of the government was designed to protect their interests and privileges.
(v) Unequal Distribution of Wealth : In the French society, peasants made up about 90% of the population. However, only a small number of them owned the land they cultivated. About 60% of the land was owned by nobles, the church and other richer members of the Third Estate.

Q 91 – “The revolutionary government took it upon themselves to pass laws that would translate the ideals of liberty and equality into everyday practice.” Discuss this statement with special emphasis on the abolition of censorship.
Ans –

The years following 1789 in France saw many such changes in the lives of men, women and children. The revolutionary governments took it upon themselves to pass laws that would translate the ideals of liberty and equality into everyday practice.

One important law that came into effect soon after the storming of the Bastille in the summer of 1789 was the abolition of censorship.
Earlier all written material and cultural activities — books, newspapers, plays — could be published or performed only after they had been approved by the censors of the king.
Now the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen declared freedom of speech and expression to be a natural right. They all described and discussed the events and changes taking place in France.
Freedom of the press also meant that opposing views of events could be expressed. Each side sought to convince the others of its position through the medium of print. Plays, songs and festive processions attracted large numbers of people.
This was one way they could grasp and identify with ideas such as liberty or justice that political philosophers wrote about at length in texts. Newspapers, pamphlets, books and printed pictures flooded the towns of France from where they travelled rapidly into the countryside.

Q 92 – Did women have a revolution in 1789 and after it ?
Ans –

Most of the historians believe that from the very beginning women were active participants in the events related with the French Revolution of 1789.
Before and during the days of Revolution, most of the women of France did not have access to good job training or education.
The women were paid lower wages than those of men.
In order to discuss and voice their interests, women began their own newspapers and political clubs.
The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was the most famous of them.
They demanded the right to vote and right to contest elections as well as the right to hold political office. Women’s movement for voting rights and equal wages continued through the next two hundred years in many countries of the world.

Q 93 – Describe the social conditions in France before the French Revolution.

Ans –

The French king drove France into useless wars bringing the country on the verge of bankruptcy.
French society was divided into three main classes called ‘estates’. The first estate constituted the clergy, the second estate constituted the nobility and the rest of the population constituted the third estate. The first two estates were the privileged ones exempted from all the taxes. The third estate shouldered the burden of taxation and had few privileges.
France was a centralized monarchy and the people had no share in decision making. Administration was disorganized, corrupt and inefficient. The defective system of tax collection and oppression created discontentment.
Peasants made up of 10 per cent of the population. However, only a small number of them owned the land they cultivated about 60 per cent of the land was owned by nobles, the church and other richer members of the third estate.
Peasants were obliged to render services to the lord. They have to work in the lord’s house and fields or to serve in the army or to participate in building roads.

Q 94 – Explain the role of thinkers and philosophers in the French Revolution.

Ans – (i) Influence of the Philosophers and Writers: There were many French philosophers and thinkers like John Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire and Mirabeau, who exposed the evils prevailing in the system. They infused people with the idea of liberty, equality and fraternity.
(ii) Charles Montesquieu (1689-1775): A nobleman by birth, he became a lawyer and a judge. In his book, “The Spirit of Laws”, he criticized autocracy and praised the democratic republic.
(iii) Francis Aronet Voltaire (1694-1778): Voltaire was another outstanding philosopher of the Revolution. He wanted the people to think about their material life on earth, and forget about heaven. He condemned the Church which supported the privileged class, and ignored the poor.
(iv) Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778): Rousseau is regarded as the architect of the French Revolution. He gave the slogan “Man was born free, yet he is everywhere in chains”. In the famous book, “The Social Contract”, he proved that the government was the result of a social contract between the people on the one hand, and ruler on the other. So if the ruler did not fulfill the contract, the people had the right to withdraw their loyalty to him, and bring down the tyranny of the ruler, by revolting.

(v) John Locke: He was also a great political thinker. He wrote ‘Two Treatises of Government’ in which he sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and the absolute right of the monarch.

Q 95 – Explain the events that led to the insurrection of 1792 in France.

Ans – (i) Assembly of the Estates: On 5th May, 1789 Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes. Voting in the Estates General in the past had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote. This time too, Louis XVI was determined to continue the same
practice. But members of the Third Estate demanded that voting now should be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote. When the king rejected this proposal, members of the Third Estate walked out of the assembly in protest.
(ii) National Assembly : The representatives of the Third Estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for the whole French nation. On 20th June, they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. They declared themselves a National Assembly, and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch. They were led by Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s.
(iii) Turmoil in France : While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting the Constitution, the rest of France seethed with turmoil. Due to bad harvest, there was shortage of food, and there was also rumor that bands of brigands were on their way to destroy the ripe crops. Caught in a frenzy of fear, peasants started attacking nobles. Under all these circumstances, Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly.

(iv) Storming the Bastille : On the morning of 14th July, 1789 the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille. Under all these circumstances, Louis XVI finally according recognition to the National Assembly.
(v) France became a Republic : In 1792 the Jacobins held the king hostage and declared to form a new government. The newly elected Assembly was called the Convention. On 21st September, 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France as a republic.

Q 96 – Explain the role of Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s in the French Revolution.

Ans –

Both Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes were great political thinkers.
They were the leaders of the National Assembly which was formed in 1789 after the failure of the meeting of the Estate General.
Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to do away with a society of feudal privilege.
He brought out a journal, and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds assembled at Versailles.
Abbe Sieyes originally a priest, wrote an influential pamphlet called, ‘What is the Third Estate?’

Q 97 – Explain triangular slave trade carried on during 18th and 19th century.

Ans –

The triangular slave trade was carried between Europe, Africa and America.
The slave trade began in the seventeenth century. French merchants sailed from the ports of Bordeaux or Nantes to the African coast, where they bought slaves from local chieftains.
Branded and shackled, the slaves were packed tightly into ships for the three-month long voyage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. There they were sold to plantation owners.
The exploitation of slave labour made it possible to meet the growing demand in European markets for sugar, coffee, and indigo.
Port cities like Bordeaux and Nantes owed their economic prosperity to the flourishing slave trade.

Q 98 – Evaluate the importance of the following years in concern with French Revolution, 1774,1789, 1791, 1804 and 1815.

Ans – The importance of the following years in concern with French Revolutions :
(i) 1774: Louis XVI ascended the throne of France. He believed in the Divine Right Theory of Kings. He had no respect for the freedom of liberty. Because of his empty treasure he began to impose heavy taxes which were disliked by his own people.
(ii) 1789: French Revolution began in 1789. It started with the convocation of the Estates General in May. The first year of revolution proclaimed the Tennis Court oath, assault on the declaration of rights of man and citizen. Estates General was called together by Louis XVI to pass proposals for new taxes.
(iii) 1791: The constitution of 1791 also established a short lived constitutional monarchy. The Third Estate which assumed the name of the National Assembly framed a new constitution for France in 1791. The Assembly nationalized church lands to pay off the public debt. It also abolished the rights of privileged classes. Declaration of the rights of man and citizen was also a feature of this year.

(iv) 1804: Napoleon became the emperor of France. He set out to conquer neighbouring Europeon countries. He conquered Europe and saw his role as a moderniser of Europe.
(v) 1815: The French Revolution appeared nullified by 1815. The land owning classes and the bourgeois emerged as the dominant power. Napoleon was defeated in the battle of Waterloo. Many of his measures that carried the revolutionary ideas of liberty and modem laws to other parts of Europe had an impact on people long after Naopleon had left.

Q 99 – Describe causes for the fall of Jacobin government in France.
Ans –

The Jacobin government in France was based on extreme measures. The period from 1793-1794 is referred to as the reign of terror. Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishment. All those he saw as being ‘enemies’ of the republic-nobles and clergy, members of other political parties, even members of his own party who did not agree with his methods-were arrested, imprisoned and guillotined. This led to chaos and resentment among the people.
The Jacobin government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wage and prices. Meat and bread were rationed. Peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at prices fixed by the government. This led to a feeling of resentment against the Jacobins. Peasants began opposing them.
Robespierre government ordered shut down of churches and converting church buildings into barrack or offices. Thus the clergy turned against the Jacobin regime and hastened its fall.
Robespierre pursued his policies so relentlessly that even his supporters turned against him. They began to demand moderation and a middle path.
Finally, he was convicted by a court in July 1794, arrested and guillotined.

Q 100 – Explain the role of philosophers in the French Revolution of 1789.

Ans – The role of philosophers in the French Revolution of 1789 were :

In Two Treaties of Government, Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives.
In the Spirit of the laws Moritesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensely in salons and coffee-houses and spread among people through books and newspaper.
Patriotic song Marseillaise composed by poet Roget de Lisle. It was sung for the first time by volunteers from Marseilles as they marched into Paris and so got its name. The Marseilles is now the national anthem of France.

Q 101 – Explain the circumstances under which Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly.
Or
What were the main causes of the French Revolution of 1789?
Ans – (i) Assembly of the Estates: On 5th May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes. Voting in the Estates General in the past had been conducted according to the principle that each estate had one vote. This time too, Louis XVI was determined to continue the same practice. But members of the Third Estate demanded that voting now should be conducted by the assembly as whole, where each member would have one vote, when the king rejected this proposal, members of the Third Estate walked out of the assembly in protest.
(ii) National Assembly: The representatives of the Third Estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for the whole French nation. On 20th June, they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. They declared themselves a National Assembly, and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch. They were led by Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s.

(iii) Turmoil in France: While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting the Constitution, the rest of France seethed with, turmoil. Due to bad harvest, there was shortage of food, and there was also rumor that bands of brigands were on their way to destroy the ripe crops. Caught in a frenzy of fear, peasants started attacking nobles. Under all these circumstances, Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly.

(iv) Storming the Bastille: On the morning of 14th July, 1789, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille. Under all these circumstances, Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National Assembly.

(v) France became a Republic: In 1792 the Jacobians held the king hostage and declared to form a new government. The newly elected Assembly was called the Convention. On 21st September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France as a republic.

Q 102 – Explain how the new political system of Constitutional monarchy in France worked.

Explain any five features of the Constitution drafted in 1791.
Ans –

The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected.
With the new Constitution the powers of govern the country were assigned to different institutions, i.e., the legislature, executive and the judiciary.
The judiciary and the legislature were elected by the people. Only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were given the status of active citizens, that is, they were entitled to vote.
Under this system the powers of the monarch were limited. Most of the powers were in the hands of legislatures.
The ministers were also answerable to the legislature. The king enjoyed the veto power.

Q 103 – What was the role of Jacobins during the French Revolution?

Explain the role of Jacobins in the French Revolution.

Ans– (i) Middle Class: The members of the Jacobins club belonged mainly to the less prosperous sections of society. They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and daily-wage workers. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre.
(ii) Different Clothes: A large group among the Jacobins decided to start wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers. This was to set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of society, especially nobles, who wore knees breeches. It was a way of proclaiming the end of the power wielded by the wearers of knee breeches. These Jacobins came to be known as the Sansculottes, literally meaning — those without knee breeches. Sansculottes men wore in addition the Red cap that symbolized liberty.
(iii) Carrying the Revolution: They were the people who believed that the revolution had to be carried further, as the Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of society.
(iv) Storming the King’s Palace: In the summer of 1792 the Jacobins planned an insurrection of a large number of Parisians who were angered by the short supplies and high prices of food. On the morning of August 10 they stormed the ‘Palace of the Tuileries’ massacred the king’s guards and held the king himself as hostage for several hours. Later the Assembly voted to imprison the royal family.
(v) France became a Republic: Elections were held. From now on all men of 21 years and above, regardless of wealth, got the right to vote. The newly elected assembly was called the Convention. On 21 September, 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.

Q 104 – How was slavery abolished in France?

Ans –

One of the most revolutionary social reforms of the Jacobin regime was the abolition of slavery in the French colonies.
Throughout the eighteenth century there was little criticism of slavery in France. The National Assembly held long debates about whether the rights of man should be extended to all French subjects including those in the colonies. But it did not pass any laws, fearing opposition from businessmen whose incomes depended on the slave trade.
It was finally the Convention which in 1794 legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions.
This, however, turned out to be a short term measure: ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced slavery.
Plantation owners understood their freedom as including the right to enslave African Negroes in pursuit of their economic interests. Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

Q 105 – Describe the conditions of women during the period of French Revolution.

Ans – Conditions of women during the period of French Revolution are:

From the very beginning women were active participants in the events which brought about major changes in the French Society.
Most women of the Third Estate had to work for a living as seamstresses or laundresses.
They even sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the market.
They were employed as domestic servants in the house of prosperous people.
They started their own political clubs and newspapers in order to voice their interests.
They demanded the right to vote to be elected to the Assembly and hold political office.
They did not have access to education or job training. Only daughter wealthier members of the Third Estate could stay at convent.
Working women had also to take care of their families. Their wages were lower than those of men.

Q 106 – Who was Robespierre? Describe any four steps taken by him to bring equality.
Ans – Maximilian Robespierre was the leader of Jacobin Club.

The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror. Robespierre followed a policy of severe control and punishment.
All those whom he saw as being ‘enemies’ of the republic-ex-nobles and clergy, members of other political parties, even members of his own party who did not agree with his methods were arrested, imprisoned and then tried by a revolutionary tribunal. If the court found them ‘guilty1 they were guillotined.
Robespierre’s government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed. Peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at prices fixed by the government.
Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices.

Q 107 – Explain any five features of the Constitution of 1791 framed by the National Assembly in France.

Highlight any five features of the constitution of 1791 in France.

Ans – Features of the Constitution of 1791 :

It declared France a constitutional monarchy.
Powers of the king separated and assigned to the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Laws to be made by the National Assembly.

Only men above 25 years of age, who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage, were entitled to vote.
Many rights were given to the people.
To qualify as an elector and as member of the Assembly, a man had to belong to highest bracket of taxpayers.

Q 108 – Compare the political, economic and social conditions of France before and after the revolution.

Ans –

Before Revolution	After Revolution
Political Conditions :
(i) France was under the rule of a monarch, Louis XVI.	France became a Republic.
(ii) All the political powers were in the hands of the first two Estates.	Political powers were given to the Third Estate.
Economic Conditions :
(i) All the taxes were paid by the people of the Third Estates.	Taxes were levied according to the income and wealth. The right to vote was linked to taxes.
(ii) The government was under heavy debt.	The economic condition of government improved.
Social Conditions :
(i) People of Third Estate were discriminated.	All were given equal rights irrespective of the Estate.
(ii) All the written materials and cultural activities could be published or performed only after an approval from the king.	The censorship on written materials and cultural activities was lifted. Now all were free to write and speak.