French Revolution

Class IX
Q1 Discuss the economic causes of the French revolution?
Ans.-the French revolution took place in July 1789 but the roots were much deeper
a) Empty treasury-When king Louis XVI ascended the throne, he found an empty treasury .Long years of
war had drained the resources of France. it led to a very heavy burden of debt on France
b) Unfair distribution of wealth-The land in France was distributed very unfairly 60% of the land was
owned by 10% of the population of the first two estates. This led to the wealth being concentrated in a
few handS only.
c) Taxation system-The system of taxation was very unfair. The peasants had to pay direct and indirect
taxes to the first two estates like tithes and tailles.The rich nobles and clergy were exempted from
paying taxes..
d) Corrupt administration-The system in France was highly corrupt and the inefficient. Most of the high
posts were occupied by the first two estates. weights, measures and taxes were not uniform, adding
to the confusion
Q2 Discuss the social causes of the French revolution or how did inequality in the society led to French
revolution
Ans.
a) privileged nobles- The French society was divided into 3 estates. The first and the second
estate enjoyed many privileges and rights like hunting rights, right to collect taxes, Right to get free
labour from the third estate etc.The third estate also consisted of the majority of the educated
people like lawyers,Doctors,Teachers and even they had to suffer humiliation at the hands of the
first two estates
b) Clergy- the higher clergy like Bishops and lower class clergy belonged to the first and second estate.
The owned huge lands and did not have to pay taxes. They charged Tithes from third estate and
lived in luxury
c) The Middle Class- Due to increase in trade and industry, a New middle class which was rich,
appeared. Even they had to suffer humiliation at the hands of the first two estates.
Q3 Discuss the political causes of the French revolution? OR Discuss how the king was responsible
for the revolution to a large extent.
Ans.
a) Autocratic rules –King Louis XVI did not allow any political and democratic rights to his people
.The people did not play any role in the administration and the king believed in ‘divine rights’
theory.
b) Lavish court –the king and the queen maintained a lavish court .the queen lacked wisdom and a
proper sense of judgment. She gave expensive gifts to her friends and did not understand the
plight of the people. The burden of maintaining this court was on third estate only
c) Administration and army not responsible-Administration and army not responsible- The
administration and the army were not responsive to the needs of the people. High posts were
often auctioned or not sold. The high officials were from the first two estates. Corruption and
indiscipline was common. All these causes led to a lot of discontent among the people. They
picked up ideas from the philosophers and American Revolution and were ready to struggle for
their rights.
d) No political equality –Voting in the Estate General in the past had been conducted according to
the principle that each estate had one vote whereas people were demanding one member one vote policy.
e)Long Wars-Long years of wars had drained the financial resources of France. France under Louis xvi
helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence from common enemy ,Britain.

Q4 What was the immediate cause of the French revolution?

Ans. The bad financial situation with an empty treasury turned out to be the immediate cause of the
revolution.
a) The king Louis XVI had to summon the estate general meeting in 1789 to impose new taxes as the
debt-burden was rising and the financial situation was very bad.
b) In this meeting the third estate demanded one vote per person instead of one vote per estate the
first two estate refused to sit with the third estate ,which was demanded by the third estate
c) The third estate walked out and declared itself the constituent assembly starting the French
revolution
Q5 Discuss the events of the fall of the Bastille prison.
Ans. on the 14th of July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm (turmoil) as the rumors spread that
the King ordered his troops to fire upon protesting citizens.
a) Some 7000 men and women gathered in front of the town hall and decided to form the people
militia (army). They broke into a number of government buildings in search of arms.
b) A group of several hundred people marched towards The Eastern part of the city and stormed the
fortress-prison, The Bastille, where they hoped to find ammunition.
c) The commander of the Bastille was killed and the prisoners were released.
d) Bastille was hated by all because it stood for the despotic power of the king.
e) The days that followed saw more of rioting in Paris and the countryside. People were dissatisfied
and were protesting against the high prices of bread.
This is considered as the beginning of a chain of events that led to the French Revolution.
Q6 Write a note on a few philosophers during the French revolution. How did they influence the
revolution?
Ans. some of the philosophers of the France were influenced the events of the French revolution are-
1) John Locke –
a )He envisaged(thought of) a society based on freedom and equal laws and opportunities for all .He
wrote ‘The Two Treaties of Government’
b)Locke wanted to refute the doctrine of the divine and the absolute right of the monarch.
2) Jean Jacques Rousseau-
Rousseau carried the idea forward proposing a form of government based on a social contract
between people and their representatives in his book called ‘The Social contract’.
3) Montesquieu-
a) Montesquieu in ‘The- Spirit of The Laws’ proposed a division of power within the government,
between the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary.
b) The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons and coffee houses and spread
among people through books and newspapers and inspired the people to fight for freedom and
rights .
Q7) Write a note on the Tennis Court Oath OR Discuss the events of the meeting of the state’s
general.
Ans. On 5th May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the estates general to pass proposal for
new taxes
 a) The first and second estate sent 300 representatives who were seated in rows facing each other on
two sides while the 600 members of the estates had to stand at the back
b) The third estate was represented by its more prosperous members. Peasants, artisans and women
were denied entry to assembly.
c) Voting in the estates general was based on one-estate one vote. Ihe members of the third estate
demanded one vote per member. The members of the third estate walked out of the assembly as
these proposals were rejected by the king
d) On 20June, they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court and declared themselves a national
assembly. They took an oath to draft a new constitution for France that would limit the powers of
monarchy
Q8) Write a note on Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes.
Ans. The people of the third estate were led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes.
a) Mirabeau- was born In a Nobel family but he was convinced about doing away with the feudal
system./He brought out a general and delivered powerful speeches to the crowds assembled at
Versailles.
b) Abbe Sieyes-Originally a priest, wrote an influence pamphlet called ‘what is the third estate?’
Q9) Write a note on the work of the constituent assembly of France in 1789?
Ans. The third estate walked out of the state general meeting and declared itself the constituent assembly
in 1789 (20th June)
a) Louis XVI was forced to recognize the national assembly and accepted that his powers would now
be limited.
b) On 4th August 1789, The assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system of obligations and
taxes
c) Members of the clergy were forced to give up their privileges. Tithes were abolished and lands
owned by the Church were confiscated.
d) France was declared a constitutional monarchy with limitations on the powers of the king
Q10) Write a note on the constitution of France?
Ans. The national assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791.Its main aim was to li8mit the
powers of the king
a) The constitution separated the powers to different institutions, i.e the legislature, the executive and
the judiciary.
b) It gave the power to make laws to the national assembly which was indirectly elected by a group of
electors, who in turn chose the assembly.
c) Only men above 25 years of age who paid to taxes equal to 3 days a labourer’s wage were given the
status of active citizens and were allowed to vote .
d) Women, men who were not very rich and all people below 25 years of age were called passive
citizens.
e) To qualify as an elector and as a member of assembly, a man had to be rich.
f) The constitution began with a declaration of the rights of man and citizens.
Q11) What is the declaration of the rights of man and citizen?
Ans.The constitution of 1791 began the declaration of rights of man and citizens.
a) Rights such as the right to life , freedom of speech ,freedom of opinion, equality before law were
established as ‘natural and inalienable rights’ , i.e they belonged to each human being by birth It
was a duty of the state to protect these rights
These rights were-
1) Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.
2) The aim of every political association is the preservation of natural and inalienable rights.
3) The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation.
4) Liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others.
Q12) How did the Jacobins come to power? OR How did France become a republic?
Ans. The members of Jacobin club belonged only to the less prosperous sections of the society
they included small shopkeepers, shoemakers, printers, watchmakers etc. their leader was
Maxmilian Robespierre.
a) In the summer of 1792, the Jacobins planned an insurrection of a large no. of Parisians who
were angered by the short supplies and high prices of food.
b) On the morning of 10th August they stormed the palace of Tuileries massacred the kings
guards and held the king guards as hostage.
c) Fresh elections were held, from now all men of 21 years and above regardless of wealth got
right to vote
d) The newly elected assembly was called the convention. On 21st September 1792, the
assembly abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic. Louis XVI was sentenced
to death by a court on the charge of treason. On 21st January 1793 he was executed at the
place de la Concorde.
Q13) What is the Reign of Terror? Why is it so called?
Ans.
1) The period from 1793-1794 is referred to as there Reign of Terror because Maxmillian
Robespierre of the Jacobin club followed a policy of severe control and punishment
2) Strict policies of Robespierre-All those who were considered as enemies of the republic
were arrested, tried by a revolutionary tribunal and Guillotined if found guilty
3) Economic Control-Maximum ceiling was placed on wages and prices. Meat and bread were
rationed.Peasants were forced to transport their grains to nearby cities and sell it at prices
fixed by the Government
4) Principle of Equality-The use of more expensive White Flour was forbidden. All citizens had
to eat bread made of whole wheat. All French men and women were addressed as Citoyen
and Citoyenne
5) Control over churches-Churches was shut down and their buildings were converted into
barracks. Robespierre perused his policies so strictly that finally, he was convicted by a court
in july1794 and send to the guillotine.
Q14)i) Discuss the role of directory in France. OR ii) Discuss how Napoleon came
to power?
Ans.i) The fall of the Jacobin Government due to the reign of terror in 1794, allowed the
wealthier middle classes to seize power. A new constitution (3 rd) was introduced which allowed
only people with property to vote.
a) It provided for two elected legislative councils. These than appointed a directory made up of
five members which was meant as a safe guard against the concentration of the power
b) However the directors often clashed with the legislative council, who then tried to dismiss
them. The political instability of the directory paved the way for the rise of a military
dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.
ii) In 1804 Napoleon crowned himself the emperor of France. He conquered many European
countries. Napoleon saw his role as a modernizer of Europe.
 He was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1805.

Q15) Define-Titheand Tailles (pg-4); Estate General (pg-8); Subsistence Crisis (pg-5); Old
Regime (pg-4)
Q16) What was the condition of women before revolution in France?
Ans.
a) Most women in France of the third estate had to work for a living. They worked as seamstresses,
Laundry women, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables. They were also employed as domestic help in
houses.
b) Most women did not get educated or job-training. Only daughters of rich studied at the convent.
c) Their families arranged marriage. Women could not apply for a divorce.
d) Women also had to care for their families, cook, and fetch water, queue up for bread and look after
children.
e) Wages of the women were lower than men and they had no political rights
Q17) what changes came about in the status of women after the revolution?
Ans.
a) Women were disappointed that the constitution of 1791 reduced women to passive citizens. They
struggle for political rights.
b) The revolutionary government introduced laws to improve the lives of women.
c) State schools were created and schooling was made compulsory for all girls.
d) Marriage was made into a contract, entered freely and registered under civil law. Fathers could no
longer force the girls into marriage. Divorce was made legal and women also could apply for divorce.
e) Women could take employment. But women continued to fight for political rights till 1946 when they
got the right to vote.
Q18) Discuss the legacy of French revolution on the world?
Ans. The French Revolution was a landmark event
a) The ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity inspired the people in Europe to fight for their right in other
countries
b) It sowed the seed of nationalism and led to the establishment of the nation states in Europe.
c) The declaration of rights of man and citizens inspired the colonies to fight for their independence. It
also gave the ideas democracy to other countries along with the concept the powers should be based
on the will of the people
d) The concept of separation of powers into the legislative, the executive, the judiciary was adopted all
over the by the world to form governments all over.
Q19 Explain triangular slave trade carried on during 18th and 19th century?
Ans. 1 the triangular slave trade was carried between Europe Africa and America.
2 the slave trade began in the 17th century.French Merchants sailed from the ports of bordeaux or Nantes
to the African coast, where they brought slaves from local chieftains.
3 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.
4 The exploitation of slave labour made it possible to meet the growing demand in European markets for
sugar, coffee and Indigo.
5 port cities like bourdeaux and nantes on their economic prosperity to the flourishing slave trade.
Q 20 Analyse the rise of Napoleon?
1 political instability: The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte was also and indirect result of the French Revolution.
As often happens in revolutions, the was political and economic instability in France, there was a struggle
for power.
2 new constitution: After the fall of the jacobian government, a new Constitution was introduced. It
provided for two elective legislative councils, and a directory. However, the directors often clashed with
the legislative councils who sought to dismiss them. This clash was responsible for political instability.
Napoleon took advantage of the situation, and became a dictator with the help of the army.
3 Napoleon as the emperor of France: In 1804,Napoleon declared himself the emperor of France. He was a
brilliant general and used his armies to conquer and dominate all the neighboring countries except Britain
and Russia. However, his success was short lived. Britain, Prussia, Austria and Russia jointly defeated him at
Leipzig and again at Waterloo in 1815.