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 Chapter 1: The French Revolution
Today we regard liberty and equality as our birthright. But
these ideas and ideals were not there in the past. People
had to snatch these rights from the hands of the monarchs
and dictators. The French revolution is counted among the
first such uprising where the people took back what was
rightfully theirs. CBSE Class 9 Social Science History
Chapter 1 is all about how the French Revolution started,
what happened during the revolution and what people
got after the revolution came to an end.

The Pre-Revolution Period

Revolutions don’t happen suddenly. After years of
suffering, lack of freedom, poverty and unemployment,
people become desperate to see some light at the end of
the tunnel. This is how revolutions are born. And the
French Revolution was no different.
● Before the French revolution altered the political
system of France, the country had, what historians
call, an Ancient Regime. Generally, ancient regimes
are characterised by a feudal system, despotic rulers,

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 too much power of the clergy and the aristocrats.
France had a similar political system.
● Prior to the revolution the Valois dynasty ( 1328 -
1589 ) and the Bourbon dynasty ( 1589 onwards)
were in power. At that time, there was a political
doctrine in power called the ‘Divine Right of Kings.’
People had no right to criticise the king. Any dissent
and they would be thrown into prisons. There was a
special fortress named Bastille where the king would
lock the political prisoners.
● The only sign of democracy was the existence of a
representative assembly known as the Estates-
General. But after 1614, it was never convened.
● France as a country was divided too. If you were to
transport a product from one place to another place
in France, you would have to pay taxes. The units of
measure varied from place to place.
● The French society was divided into three Estates -
The clergy, the nobility and the rest made up the Third
Estate. The first two estates owned most of the land
in France and yet they paid little to no tax. Since they

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 were close to the monarchs and their ministers, they
got special favours from them.
● The people of the Third Estate had to pay a variety of
taxes. When the people of the first two estates were
leading a luxurious life, the people of the Third Estate
had to lead a life of poverty and suffering.
● Apart from the poor peasants, the Third Estate also
had people who were merchants, traders, lawyers,
administrative officials etc. They earned a significant
amount of money from their professions. These
people made up a new societal class - the Middle
class. They were dissatisfied with the monarchical
rule and the powers of the aristocracy.

The Initial Events

The Bourbon kings were showmen. They spent their lives
in luxury, built expensive buildings, went to war and came
back defeated.
● When King Louis XVI sat on the throne, the financial
condition of France was horrible. First, the out of the
world lifestyle of the previous kings, the

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 overpopulation and then France’s assistance to the
American revolution severely affected the financial
condition of France.
● Upon the advice of his Finance Minister, Necker, the
king decided to convene the Estates-General. The aim
was to impose more taxes upon the citizens.
● The votes during previous assemblies of Estate
General used to happen on a per Estate basis. As the
two first two estates always colluded with each other,
they could easily outvote the Third Estate.
● Now the people of the Third Estate - the readers of
Locke and Rousseau - demanded that the votes
happen on a per head basis. The representatives of
the Third Estate outnumbered the representatives of
the first two Estates combined.
● The King did not agree with such a revolutionary
proposal. The representatives of the Third Estate
walked out of the assembly.

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The Tennis Court Oath
Now that the members of the Third Estate found no place
in the Estates-General, they decided to meet in a Tennis
Court nearby.
The representatives of the Third Estate formed the
National Assembly. Their aim was to prepare a draft
constitution that would limit the powers of the monarchy.
Many members of the clergy had already decided to
switch sides and joined them. The king ultimately
conceded to the National Assembly. France was to be
transformed into a constitutional monarchy where the
king had to abide by the rules of the constitution. The
legislative powers shifted from the king to the National
Assembly.

The Razing Of The Bastille

● Since it was Necker’s idea to convene the meeting of
the Estates-General, the king blamed the debacle on
Necker and fired him.

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● It was rumoured that the king was asking for foreign
help to undermine the power of the National
Assembly. He gathered troops in Versailles and Paris.
● These two things angered the people of France and
they went out into the streets to protest and fight
against the forces of the king
● Ultimately on 14th July 1789, the protesters tore
down the Bastille fortress - the most vivid symbol of
monarchy and despotism.
● The king had to recall the troops and reinstate
Necker.
● The National Assembly ( also known as the National
Convention) finally framed a constitution and created
a legislative assembly.
● As the National Assembly curtailed the powers of the
king and the Church, the king tried to flee France with
his family. But he was captured and brought back.

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The Entry Of The Jacobins
The newly created Legislative Assembly was divided into
various political groups.
● The Constitutionalists supported the newly created
constitution and wanted France to remain as a
Constitutional monarchy.
● There were the Republicans. Among them
a. The Girondins were moderate and wanted
France to be a republic.
b. There were the Jacobins who were ready to take
extreme steps to create and preserve the
republic.

The Rise of The Jacobins: The Reign of Terror

The Girondins wanted countries like Austria and Prussia to
attack France., This would cause resentment amongst the
public against the king. And that would enable the
Girondins to further their cause of making France a
Republic.

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The war happened but it wreaked havoc on France. The
Girondins lost power and the Jacobins under the
leadership of Robespierre became strong. France was
declared a Republic. But very soon the Republic of France
degenerated when Robespierre in his urge to protect the
Republic became a tyrant. The Jacobins killed anybody
who was or seemingly were against the republican
system. It was a period of murder and terror ( 1793-1794).
Ultimately, in 1794, Robespierre was killed.

The Rise of The Middle Class

● After Robespierre was killed, the middle class became
powerful in the National Convention.
● The National Convention created a new Republican
constitution.
● As per the constitution, the Legislative Assembly
became bicameral.
● The executive work was done by five Directors.
● The National Convention passed two decrees
whereby it was declared that two-third of the
members of the Legislative Assembly would be
elected from the convention.

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 ● This did not go down well with the public and they
attacked the National Convention. (1795).
● Napoleon Bonaparte stopped the attack. Later he
became the commander in chief of the French army.
His victories against Italy gained him popularity
among the French masses. On the other hand, the
Directory grew unpopular.
● In 1799, Napoleon overthrew the Directory and
became the First Consul. He became the supreme
leader of France.
The rise of Napoleon is considered to be the end of the
French Revolution.

Important Question and Answers

Q1. List all the important dates or years related to the
French Revolution?
Ans. The important years that marked the significant
events associated with the French Revolution are -
a. 1774 - Louis XVI became the King.

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 b. 5th May 1789 - The king calls the Estates-General.
c. 20th June 1789 - Tennis Court Oath.
d. 14th July 1789 - The razing of Bastille and the official
start of the French Revolution.
e. 1791 - The National Assembly completes the draft of
the new constitution where France is regarded as a
constitutional monarchy.
f. 1792 - The National Convention declared France a
Republic.
g. 1793-1794 - The Reign of Terror
h. 1794 - Robespierre is killed and the Directory system
is introduced.
i. 1799 - Napoleon Bonaparte becomes the first consul.

Q2. Why were women disappointed with the French

Revolution?
Ans. The French Revolution was basically a revolution of
men. Yes, during the revolution many women joined
political clubs and started newspapers. During the initial

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years, schools were made compulsory for girls to go to
school. The women got more freedom when it came to
marriage or divorce. They could start small businesses and
train for jobs.
However, the revolution disappointed women when the
newly made constitution considered women as passive
citizens. The Declaration of the Rights of Man ignored the
rights of women. During the reign of terror, the political
clubs of women were banned.

Q3. Can you list some of the democratic rights that we

enjoy today that have their origins rooted in the French
Revolution?
Ans. Following are some of the presently enjoyed
democratic rights that have their origin in the French
Revolution:
a. Today we have the right to elect the leaders of our
country. This right to democratically elect the
members of the assembly was the offshoot of the
French Revolution.

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 b. Today everybody is equal in front of the law no matter
the stature. This idea of equality was first seen during
the French Revolution.
c. Everybody's free to do anything with the legal
framework of the country. You can criticise the
government and won’t have to go to jail for that. This
idea of liberty was also the gift of the French
Revolution.

Q4. How was the message of the Universal Rights

contradictory in nature?
Ans. The Declaration of Rights was a revolutionary
declaration. It was announced that all men were equal in
the eyes of law. The king had no divine right to rule. He
had to take the permission of the governed to rule. The
declaration supported the election.
However, Universal Rights completely sidelined women.
On the other hand, the right to vote was granted only to
those men who could pay taxes equal to three days’
wages. Women and non-tax-paying men were deemed
inactive citizens. Only those men who could vote were

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considered as active citizens. There was a large chunk of
the population that came into the category of inactive
citizens. So in a way, the Universal Rights were not
universal in nature.

Q5. What was the contribution of the French

Philosophers to the French Revolution?
Ans. Contrary to the popular belief, the French
philosophers actually did not contribute much to the
French Revolution. As Alpha History informs, many of
these philosophers did not care much about the common
people. Some of them Montesquieu even considered that
poor people do not have the intellectual prowess to
discuss politics.
We still remember these philosophers because they did
come up with some revolutionary ideas that were hitherto
not talked about. For example, Locke in his Two Treatises
of Government rejected the idea that the kings were
divinely blessed. Rousseau in his Social Contract said that
the monarchy can only govern with the consent of the

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governed. These ideas planted the seeds of revolutionary
ideals into the minds of the people.

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 Thank You
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