The French Revolution

History

Chapter 1 SST Class 9

The outbreak of the French Revolution

Changes after Revolution

Classes of French Societies

Facts about Napoleon, the former emperor of France.

The French Society during the Late 18 th Century-

The French Society comprised :

1 st Estate: Clergy

2 nd Estate: Nobility

3 rd Estate: Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, peasants, artisans, landless laborers,
servants, etc.

Some within the Third Estate were rich and some were poor.

The burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was borne by the Third Estate alone.

The Struggle for Survival: Population of France grew and so did the demand for grains. The gap
between the rich and poor widened. This led to subsistence crises.

The Growing Middle Class: This estate was educated and believed that no group in society
should be privileged by birth. These ideas were put forward by philosophers such as Locke the

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 English philosopher and Rousseau the French philosopher. The American Constitution and its
guarantee of individual rights was an important example of political theories of France. These
ideas were discussed intensively in salons and coffee houses and spread among people through
books and newspapers. These were even read aloud.

The Outbreak of the Revolution

The French Revolution went through various stages. When Louis XVI became the king of France
in 1774, he inherited a treasury which was empty. There was growing discontent within the
society of the Old Regime.

1789: Convocation of Estates General. The Third Estate forms National Assembly, Tennis Court
Oath the Bastille is stormed, peasant revolts in the countryside, Assembly issues Declaration of
the Rights of Man.

1791: A constitution is framed to lim it the powers of the king and to guarantee the basic right to
all human beings.

1792-93: Convention abolishes Monarchy; France becomes a republic. The Jacobin Republic
overthrown, a Directory rules France.

1795: New Constitution is adopted. A new Convent ion appointed a five-man Directorate to run
the state from 26 th October 1795. Churches reopened.

1799: The Revolution ends with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleon’s coup abolishes
Directory and establishes Consulate.

Time Line: The French Revolution

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 1770s-1780s: Economic decline: French Government in deep debt. In 1774, Louis XVI ascends to
the throne.

1788-1789: Bad harvest, high prices, food riots.

1789, May 5: Estates-General convened, demands reforms.

1789, July 14: National Assembly formed. Bastille stormed on July 14. French Revolution starts.

1789, August 4: Night of August 4 ends the rights of the aristocracy, the surrender of feudal
rights.

1789, August 26: Declaration of the Rights of Man

1790: Civil Constitution of the Clergy nationalizes the Church.

1791: Dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly.

1792: Constitution of 1791 converts absolute monarchy into a constitutional monarchy with
limited powers.

1792: Austria and Prussia attack revolutionary France, Robespierre, elected the first Deputy for
Paris to the National convention.

1793: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed.

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 1792-1794: In 1793, the Reign of Terror starts. Austria, Britain, the Netherlands, Prussia, and
Spain are at war with France.

Robespierre’s Committee of Public Safety repels back foreign invaders.

Executes many ‘enemies of the people’ in France itself.

1794: Robespierre is executed. France is governed by a Directory, a committee of five men. The
Reign of Terror ends.

1795: National convention dissolved.

1799: Napoleon Bonaparte becomes the leader of the French Revolution ends.

Women’s Revolution

From the very beginning, women were active participants in the events which brought about so
many changes in French society.

Most of the women of the third estate had to work for a living.

Their wages were lower than those of men.

They demanded equal pay for equal work.

In order to discuss and voice their interests, women started their own political clubs and
newspapers.

One of their main demands was that women must enjoy the same political rights as men.

Some laws were introduced to improve the position of women.

Their struggle still continues in several parts of the world.

It was finally in 1946 that women in France won the rig ht to vote.

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 The Abolition of Slavery

There was a triangular slave trade among Europe, Africa, and America.

In the 18 th century, there was little criticism of slavery in France.

No laws were passed against it.

It was in 1794 that the convention made free to all slaves.

But 10 years later slavery was reintroduced by Napoleon.

It was finally in 1848 that slavery was abolished in the French colonies.

The Revolution and Everyday Life

The years following 1789 in France saw many changes in the lives of men, wome n, 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 was the abolition of censorship.

The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the French
Revolution. These spread from France to the rest of Europe during the 19 th century.

Napoleon

In 1804, Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France.

He set out to conquer neighboring Europe an countries, dispossessing dynasties and creating
kingdoms where he placed members of his family.

He saw his role as a modernizer of Europe.

He was finally, defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

The French Revolution Class 9 Important Questions Social Science History Chapter 1

Important Questions

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 The French Revolution Class 9 Important Questions Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.

Who was the ruler of France during the revolution?

Answer:

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

Question 2.

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

Answer:

The First Estate — Clergy

The Second Estate — Nobility

The Third Estate — Common people.

Question 3.

When did the French Revolution occur?

Answer:

14 th July, 1789.

Question 4.

What was tithes?

Answer:

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

Question 5.

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 What was taille?

Answer:

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

Question 6.

Who formed the National Assembly in France in 1789?

Answer:

Third Estate

Question 7.

To whom was the taxes called Tithes payable by the peasants in the eighteenth century France?

Answer:

Church.

Question 8.

Which class of society in France was behind the French Revolution?

Answer:

Middle class.

Question 9.

What was the slogan of the French revolutionaries?

Answer:

Liberty, Fraternity and Equality.

Question 10.

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 On what charges was Louis XVI of France sentenced to death?

Answer:

Treason.

Question 11.

What was feudal system?

Answer:

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

Question 12.

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?

Answer:

Rousseau.

Question 13.

In which book did Rousseau mention the idea of one person, one vote?

Answer:

The Social Contract.

Question 14.

Give the titles of the books written by :

(a) Rousseau

(b) Charles Montesquieu

Answer:

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 (a) The Social Contract,

(b) The Spirit of the Laws.

Question 15.

What was the theme of the book ‘The Spirit of the Laws’ written by Montesquieu?

Answer:

Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the government between the legislature, the
executive and the judiciary.

Question 16.

Which book has proposed a division of power within government?

Answer:

‘The Spirit of the Laws’.

Question 17.

Who proposed a division of power within government?

Answer:

Montesquieu.

Question 18.

Name any four French philosophers who inspired the French people to revolt.

Answer:

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Montesquieu

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 Voltaire

Maximilian Robespierre.

Question 19.

Why was Bastille hated by the French people?

Answer:

Bastille was hated because it stood for the despotic power of the king.

Question 20.

Which Battle sealed the Fate of France in 1815?

Answer:

Battle of Waterloo.

Question 21.

When did France abolish the monarchy and became republic?

Answer:

21 st September, 1792.

Question 22.

Name any one class that did not belong to Jacobin Club?

Answer:

Nobles.

Question 23.

Who was the leader of the Jacobin Club?

Answer:

Maximilian Robespierre.

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 Question 24.

Which period of Famce’s history is known as ‘the Terror’.

Answer:

The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign cn terror.

Question 25.

Name the most popular political club started by the French women.

Answer:

Society of Revolutionary Republican women.

Question 26.

Which law was introduced by revolutionary government in France as help to improve the lives of
women? HOTS

Answer:

Schooling was made compulsory for girls.

Question 27.

Who abolished slavery in France?

Answer:

The Jacobin Clubs.

Question 28.

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

Answer:

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 It vested the power to make laws in the hands of National Assembly,

It limited the powers of the monarch. Now powers were decentralised and assigned to different
institutions.

Question 29.

Who wrote the ‘Two Treatises of Government’?

Answer:

John Locke.

Question 30.

What does the Red Cap worn by Sans-Culottes in France symbolize?

Answer:

Liberty.

Question 31.

Name the political body to which the three estates of the French society sent their
representatives? [HOTS ]

Answer:

The Estates General was a political body to which the three estates sent their representatives.

The French Revolution Class 9 Important Questions Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.

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

Answer:

People of Third Estate demanded a society based on freedom and opportunities to a ll.

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.

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 Censorship was abolished in 1789.

Question 2.

Explain the impact of the French Revolution on the life of people of French.

Answer:

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.

Question 3.

What compelled Louis XVI to raise taxes in France?

Answer:

Wars and Economic Crisis : In 1774, when Louis XVI ascended the throne, he found and empty
treasure. The nation had gone into deep dept because of the fighting in the Seven Years War
(1756-1763) and the Revolutionary War in America under Louis XVI. In this war, France h elped
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.

Question 4.

Describe the status of the nobles in France before the revolution.

Answer:

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 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 middle-class 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.

Question 5.

“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.

Answer:

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, t raders, 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 the state through
taxes was borne by the Third Estate alone creating heavy discontentment.

Question 6.

How did philosophers influence the thinking of the people of France?

Answer:

Philosophers influence the thinking of the people of France as :

Major changes were introduced in the Russian economy and ag riculture 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.

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 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.

Question 7.

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

Answer:

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 go vernment 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.

Question 8.

What measures were taken by Robespierre to bring equality in the French Society? HOTS

Answer:

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 practised through forms of speech and address.

Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices.

Equality was also sought to be practised through forms of speech and address.

Question 9.

How did the peasants contribute to the outbreak of the French Revolution? Explain. HOTS

Answer:

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 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 their to live on grass and roofs and 1,000 peoples
of them died due to starvation. As as whole, the Ad ministration was corrupt.

Question 10.

State the events that led to the formation of the National Assembly.

Answer:

The Estates General was a political body of France to which the three estates sent their
representatives. The voting in it had been conduct ed 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 th e
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.

Question 11.

Trace the event which led to the fall of Bastille.

Answer:

On 20 th June the representatives of the Third Estate assembled in the hall.

While the National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a constitution,

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 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.

Question 12.

Write three main features of the French Constitution of 1971.

Answer:

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.

Question 13.

What was the significance of ‘The Tennis Court Oath’ in the French Revolution?

Answer:

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 d isperse 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.

Question 14.

What was the Convention? Describe its role in France.

Answer:

The elected assembly formed in France in 1792 was called Convention.

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 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.
The French Revolution 19

Question 15.

Describe how abolition of slavery became possible in France.

Answer:

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

The salve trade began in the 18 th 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 o verseas possessions. .

However, Napoleon reintroduced slavery. Finally slavery was abolished in 1848.

Question 16.

Discuss the impact of abolition of censorship in France.

Or

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

Answer:

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.

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 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.

Question 17.

Trace rights which we are enjoying today had origin in the French Revolution.

Answer:

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.

The French Revolution Class 9 Important Questions Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.

How was the French society organized? What privileges did certain sections of the societ y
enjoy? Describe.

Or

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

Answer:

(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.

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 (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 peo ple 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.

(iv) 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.

Question 2.

Explain the role of thinkers and philosophers in the French Revolution.

Answer:

(i) Influence of the Philosophers and Writers: There were ma ny 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 criticised 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

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 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 fulfil 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.

Question 3.

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

Answer:

(i) Assembly of the Estates: On 5 th 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 20 th June, they assembled in the hall of
an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles. They d eclared 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 rumour that bands of brigands were on their
way to destroy the ripe crops. Caught in a frenzy of fear, peasants started attacking

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 nobles. Under all these circumstances, Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the
National Assembly.

(iv) Storming the Bastille : On the morning of 14 th 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 Jacobians held the king hostage and declared
to form a new government. The newly elected Assembly was called the Convention.
On 21 st September, 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France as a
republic.

Question 4.

Explain the role of Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s in the French Revolution. HOTS

Answer:

Both Mirabeau and Abbe’ Sieye’s 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’ Sieye’s originally a priest, wrote an influential pamphlet called, ‘What is the Third Estate?’

Question 5.

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

Answer:

The triangular slave trade was carried between Europe, Africa and America.

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 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.

Question 6.

Evaluate the importance of the following years in concern with French Revolut ion, 1774, 1789,
1791, 1804 and 1815.

Answer:

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 an 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.

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 (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 p eople long after Naopleon
had left.

Question 7.

Explain the circumstances under which Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National
Assembly.

Or

What were the main causes of the French Revolution of1789?

(i) Assembly of the Estates: On 5 th 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 ou t of the assembly in
protest.

(ii) National Assembly: The representatives of the Third Estate viewed themselves as
spokesmen for the whole French nation. On 20 th 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.

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 (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 rumour that bands of brigands were on their
way to destroy the ripe crops. Caught in a frenzy of fear, p easants started attacking
nobles. Under all these circumstances, Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the
National Assembly.

(iv) Storming the Bastille: On the morning of 14 th 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 21 st September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France as a
republic.

Question 8.

Explain how the new political system of Constitutional monarchy in France worked. HOTS

Or

Explain any five features of the Constitution drafted in 1791.

Answer:

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.

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 Question 9.

What was the role of Jacobins during the French Revolution?

Or

Explain the role of Jacobins in the French Revolution.

Answer:

(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 symbolised liberty.

(iii) Carrying the Revolution: They were the people who believed that the revolution had
to be carried further, as the Constitution of 1791 ga ve 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

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 called the Convention. On 21 September, 1792 it abolished the monarchy and
declared France a republic.

Question 10.

How was slavery abolished in France?

Answer:

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 shorterm measure : ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced
slavery.

Plantation owners understood their freedom as including the right to enslave Africa n Negroes in
pursuit of their economic interests. Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

Question 11.

Describe the conditions of women during the period of French Revolution.

Answer:

Conditions of women during the period of French Revolu tion are :

From the very beginning women were active participants in the events which brought sfbout
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.

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 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.

Question 12.

Who was Robespierre? Describe any four steps taken by him to bring equality.

Answer:

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.

Question 13.

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

Or

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

Answer:

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.

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 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 h ad to belong to highest

bracket of taxpayers.

Question 14.

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

Answer:

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 the to income and wealth. The right to votewas 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 spe ak.

Regards

Kunal Goswami

Kunal’s RCI

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