1. Why was King Louis XIV known as the Sun King?

Ans: Because he liked to think of himself partly as a sun god and partly a Roman
emperor.

2. Give three points which show King Louis XIV’s achievements and cleverness as a
ruler.

• He had brilliant ministers, often men from poor families.

• His ambitions were to make France the strongest and richest nation in Europe and
himself the most powerful monarch.

• To protect the frontiers of France, and to bring the country under his control.

3. What did King Louis XIV advise his son not to do before his death?

Ans: To not follow the same policies as him.

4. How did King Louis XIV’s army become the finest fighting force in Europe?

• He kept a very large permanent army of about 200,000 people.

• The officers were chosen personally by the king, usually for their ability, not their
wealth.

• The soldiers were highly trained and disciplined, and equipped with the latest
weapons- flintlock guns with bayonets, and grenades.

6. What did the royal army wear?

Ans: Same uniform.

7. Beforehand, how did each commander dress his men?

Ans: In what clothes he liked.

8. What did every parish have to supply?

Ans: Fifty men aged 20-40 to serve in the army for two years.

9. How were the men for the army chosen?

Ans: By a lottery.

10. Why were huge fortresses of a completely new design built round France’s
frontiers?

Ans: Because France was surrounded by enemies.

11. Who designed these fortresses?

Ans: A brilliant architect, Vauban.

12. By whom is this fortress designed by? Where is it located?

Ans: It is designed by Vauban. It is at Antibes on the south coast of France.

13. In which directions did Louis want to protect France’s frontiers?

Ans: In the north and east.

14. Why did Louis want to protect France’s frontiers in the north and east?

Ans: Because they were the most dangerous.

15. How did Louis protect France’s frontiers in the north and east?

Ans: By capturing the border regions.

16. The people of this land followed which language and customs?

Ans: Mainly French.

17. The people of this land were part of which country at that time?

Ans: Spain.

18. France fought against Spain and took the southern part of Spain. What is the
present name of this land?

Ans: Belgium.

19. Between 1667 to 1697, which countries in the east did King Louis capture?

Ans: Luxemburg, Strasburg, Lorraine and Franche-Comte.

20. Which River formed the natural barrier between France and the German
states?

Ans: River Rhine.

21. What is the name of the Parliament of France?

Ans: The Estates General.

22. Why didn’t France’s Parliament meet for a long period of time?

Ans: So that it could not present any challenge to the king as England’s Parliament had
done.

23. How were the lives of the great nobles in France?

Ans: Like princes in their own region.

24. King Louis was determined to bring whom under control?

Ans: The great nobles.

25. How many regions were there in France?

Ans: 32 regions.

26. What did King Louis do to bring the great nobles under control?

• The king’s representatives in the 32 regions were given much more power so that they
controlled everything in the area- law, police, taxes and selection for the army.

• Several thousand of the more important ones were brought to live near the great
palace of Versailles under the king’s eye.

27. What did the king’s representatives’ control in their area?

Ans: Everything- law, police, taxes and selection for the army.

28. The representatives were above whom?

Ans: The nobles and the governors.

29. The representatives were directly responsible to whom?

Ans: King Louis XIV himself.

30. How did the representatives enjoying their lavish life?

Ans: They lived largely on royal money, and spent their days hunting, dancing, feasting
and amusing themselves.

31. For what huge sums of money meant to be obtained?

Ans: Louis’s army and wats, and above all the immense cost of life at Versailles.

32. Who taxed people very heavily?

Ans: The financial minister, Colbert.

33. Why did the burden of money fall on the ordinary people?

Ans: Because the nobles and clergy were exempt.

34. What does it mean by, the taxes were farmed?

Ans: It means that one person in a district paid for the right to collect the taxes.

35. Why did farming taxes make the ordinary people’s situation even worse?

Ans: Because he took as much as he could from the people and paid the government
what they had said the areas should pay. He then kept the rest for himself.

36. What did Colbert do to help trade and raise more taxes?

Ans: He lent money to the people to set up industry, and bribed foreigners with special
skills to come to France.
37. What is one of the most famous government industries set up by Colbert?

Ans: The tapestry works at Gobelin.

38. What were built to speed up transport?

Ans: Roads and canals.

39. What were exported in large quantities?

Ans: Luxury goods such as fine porcelain, silks and perfumes.

40. What were high taxes put on?

Ans: On foreign goods coming into France.