INDIAN SCHOOL –AL AIN

E learning Notes

Grade 9 4/6/20

Subject: History Chapter 1 The French Revolution

Q1. Fill in the blanks.
                          i.        On the morning of 14 July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of
alarm.
                         ii.        The Marseillaise is the national anthem of France composed by the
poet Roget de L’Isle.
                        iii.        Louis XVI was executed publicly at the Place de la Concorde.
                        iv.        Olympe de Gouges wrote a Declaration of the Rights of Woman
and Citizen.
                         v.        The slave trade began in the seventeenth century.
                        vi.        The burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was
borne by the third estate alone.
         vii.        Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason.
         viii.        Rousseau proposed a form of government based on a social contract
between people and their representatives.
                       ix.        Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right
of the Monarch.
                        x.        Jacobins came to be known as the sans-culottes.
 
Q2. When did France become constitutional monarchy?
Ans. 1791
 
Q3. What form of government was in practice in France in 1789?
Ans. Monarchy
 
Q4. When did the French Revolution break?
Ans. 14 July 1789
 
Q5. Which term was used in France for newly elected assembly in 1791?
Ans. National Assembly
 
Q6. Write the name of any prominent revolutionary woman of France.
Ans. Olympe de Gouges
 
Q7. Who followed the policy of severe control and punishment in France?
Ans. Robespierre
 
Q8. Name the tax which was paid directly to the state in France.
Ans. Taille
 
Q9. In which year slavery was finally abolished in France?
Ans. Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.
 
Q10. Who wrote the book two treatises of government?
Ans. John Locke wrote the book ‘Two Treatises of Government’.
 
Q11. On which date the agitated crowd of France stormed and destroyed the
Bastille.
Or
When did the agitated crowd of France destroy the Bastille?
Ans. 14th July, 1789
 
Q12. What was the main object of national assembly in France while drafting the
constitution in 1791?
Ans. Its main object was to limit the powers of the monarch.
 
Q13. Who was the ruler of France in 1789?
Ans. Louis XVI was the ruler of France in 1789.
 
Q14. What does a sceptre stand for?
Ans. Sceptre stands for symbol of royal power.
 
Q15. What sort of clothes were worn by the Jacobins?
Ans. long striped trousers and red cap
 
Q16. Who wrote the book ‘The Social Contract’?
Ans. Rousseau wrote the book ‘The Social Contract’.
 
Q17. In which book Rousseau mention the idea of one person, one vote?
Ans. The social contract
 
Q18. Who was defeated in the battle of waterloo?
Ans. Napoleon Bonaparte
 
Q19. Who wrote the spirit of the laws?
Ans. Montesquieu wrote ‘The Spirit of the Laws’.
 
Q20. Which period is referred to as the reign of terror?
Ans. The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror.
 
Q21. In which year French women got the right to vote?
Ans. It was finally in 1946 that women in France won the right to vote.
 
Q22. Between which three countries was triangular slave trade held?
Ans. Triangular slave trade was held between Europe, Africa and the America.
 
Q23. Which was the most revolutionary social reform of the Jacobin regime?
Ans. One of the most revolutionary social reforms of the Jacobin regime was the
abolition of slavery in the French colonies.

Q24. Against whom did France declare a war in 1792?

Ans. The National Assembly voted in April 1792 to declare war against Prussia
and Austria.
 
Q25. Why was bastille hated by all in France?
Ans. Bastille was hated by all, because it stood for the despotic power of the king.
 
Q26. When was French declared as republic?
Ans. On 21 September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a
republic.
 
Q27. When did Louis XVI call together an assembly of the Estates General to pass
proposals for new taxes?
Ans. On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates
General to pass proposals for new taxes.
 
Q28. What is ‘guillotine’ and who invented it?
Ans. The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a
person is beheaded. It was named after Dr Guillotin who invented it.
 
Q29. Who stormed the bastille the fortress prison during the last years of 18th
century?
Ans. A group of several hundred people marched towards the eastern part of the
city and stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille.
 
Q30. Which section of society in France got political rights by the constitution of
1791?
Ans. Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of
society.
 
Q31. Who enjoyed certain privileges by birth in French society during the late
eighteenth century?
Ans. The members of the first two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility,
enjoyed certain privileges by birth.
 
Q32. Name the political body to which the three estates of French society sent their
representatives.
Ans. The Estates General was a political body to which the three estates sent their
representatives.
 
Q33. Highlight the three laws enforced by Napoleon to modernize France.
Or
Mention any three laws enforced by Napoleon to modernize France.
Ans. He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a
uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.
 
Q34. Who in France was given the status of active citizens?
Ans. 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.
 
Q35. Name the philosopher who proposed a division of power between the
legislature, the executive and the judiciary.
Ans. In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power within
the government between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary.
 
Q36. When was the bastille prison attacked by the people and why?
Ans. On the morning of 14 July 1789, 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 hoarded ammunition.
 
Q37. Describe the status of nobles in France before the Revolution.
Ans. The nobles enjoyed certain privileges by birth. The most important of these
was exemption from paying taxes to the state. The nobles further enjoyed feudal
privileges. These included feudal dues, which they extracted from the peasants.
 
Q38. Why were women disappointed by the constitution of 1791 in France?
Ans. One of women’s main demands was that women enjoy the same political
rights as men. Women were disappointed that the Constitution of 1791 reduced
 them to passive citizens. They demanded the right to vote, to be elected to the
Assembly and to hold political office.

Q39. Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups
were forced to relinquish power? Which sections of society would have been
disappointed with the outcome of the revolution?
Ans. It was the richer members of the third estate who mostly benefited from the
revolution. The clergy and nobility were forced to relinquish their power. The poor
class of the third estate and women would have been disappointed with the
outcome of the revolution.
 
Q40. Define the following: Livre, Clergy, Tithe and Taille
Ans. Livre - Unit of currency in France, discontinued in 1794
Clergy - Group of persons invested with special functions in the church
Tithe - A tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural
produce
Taille - Tax to be paid directly to the state
 
Q41. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be
traced to the French Revolution.
Ans. Some of the democratic rights that we enjoy today whose origins could be
traced to the French Revolution are as follows:
                       i.        Right to Equality
                      ii.        Right to freedom of speech and expression
                     iii.        Right against exploitation
                     iv.        Right to constitutional remedies
 
Q42. Why were the representatives of third estate disappointed with the pattern of
voting in the Estate General?
Ans. 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 be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have
one vote.
  
Q43. Analyze the three main social causes leading to outbreak of the revolutionary
protest in France.
Or
Describe the social conditions that led to the outbreak of French Revolution.
Ans. Social causes
             i.  French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates, and
only members of the third estate paid taxes.
              ii.  About 60 per cent of the land was owned by nobles, the Church and other
richer members of the third estate.
              iii.   The nobles further enjoyed feudal privileges. These included feudal dues,
which they extracted from the peasants.
 
Q44. “Robespierre’s rule in France was known as the Reign of terror.” Justify the
statement.
Or
Explain the policy of severe control and punishment followed by Robespierre in
France.
Ans. 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 guilty they were guillotined.
 
Q45. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world
during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Or
Analyze the impact of the French Revolution over Europe and other parts of the
world.
Or
What was the impact of the French Revolution on the world? Name two Indians
who were very much influenced by the revolutionary France.
Ans. 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
nineteenth century, where feudal systems were abolished. Colonised peoples
reworked the idea of freedom from bondage into their movements to create a
 sovereign nation state. Tipu Sultan and Rammohan Roy are two examples of
individuals who responded to the ideas coming from revolutionary France.
 
Q46. Explain the composition of the French society during late 18th century.
Or
How was the system of Estates in France society organized?
Or
How was the system of Estates in French Society organized? Who constituted the
middle class in the French Society in the 18th century?
Ans. French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates:
First Estate: Clergy (Clergy were the group of persons invested with special
functions in the church)
Second Estate: Nobility
Third Estate: It was further divided into three categories.
                       i.        Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers etc.
                      ii.        Peasants and artisans
                     iii.        Small peasants, landless labour, servants
 
Q47. Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset
with contradictions? Explain.
Ans. The message of universal rights was beset with contradictions. 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. To qualify as an elector and then as a member of the
Assembly, a man had to belong to the highest bracket of taxpayer

Q48. Explain the conditions which led to the rise of Jacobins.

Ans. The revolutionary wars brought losses and economic difficulties to the
people.
Large sections of the population were convinced that the revolution had to be
carried further, as the Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer
sections of society.
Political clubs became an important rallying point for people who wished to
discuss government policies and plan their own forms of action. The most
 successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins, which got its name from the
former convent of St Jacob in Paris.
 
Q49. How was the church responsible for the French Revolution?
Or
Why was church responsible for French Revolution?
Ans. The church was responsible for the French Revolution in the following ways:
              i. The Church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes from the peasants.
             ii. The members of the church, clergy belonged to the First Estate. The clergy
enjoyed certain privileges by birth. The most important of these was exemption
from paying taxes to the state.
             iii. About 60 per cent of the land was owned by nobles, the Church and other
richer members of the third estate.
 
**Q50. How did political system work in France under the constitution of 1791?
Or
Highlight any five features of the constitution of 1791 in France.
Ans. The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791.
Its main object was to limit the powers of the monarch.
These powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person, were now
separated and assigned to different institutions the legislature, executive and
judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy. 
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.
The constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of man and citizens.
 
Q51. What was the condition of women in France before the revolution?
Or
Describe the condition of women in France in 18 th century.
Or
Evaluate the status of women in France before the revolution.
Ans. Status of women in France before the revolution
           i.  Most women of the third estate had to work for a living. They worked as
seamstresses or laundresses, sold flowers, fruits and vegetables at the market, or
were employed as domestic servants.
            ii.  Most women did not have access to education or job training. Only daughters
of nobles or wealthier members of the third estate could study at a convent.
           iii.  Working women had also to care for their families. Their wages were lower
than those of men.
 
Q52. What does subsistence crisis mean? What led to subsistence crisis in France?
Ans. Subsistence crisis is an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood
are endangered.
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. 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.
 
Q53. What was the significance of ‘Tennis Court Oath’ in French Revolution?
Or
What was the ‘Tennis Court Oath’ and why was it so important?
Ans. The representatives of the third estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for
the whole French nation. On 20 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.
Importance
The Tennis Court Oath was significant because it showed the growing unrest
against Louis XVI and laid the foundation for later events, including: the
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the storming of the
Bastille.
 
Q54. Evaluate the countryside condition during French Revolution.
Ans. The countryside condition during French Revolution
             i.  In the countryside, rumours spread from village to village that the lords of the
manor had hired bands of brigands who were on their way to destroy the ripe
crops.
           ii. Caught in a frenzy of fear, peasants in several districts seized hoes and
pitchforks and attacked chateaux.
           iii. They looted hoarded grain and burnt down documents containing records of
manorial dues.
          iv. A large number of nobles fled from their homes, many of them migrating to
neighbouring countries.
 
**Q55. What compelled Louis XVI to raise taxes in France?
Or
Explain the circumstances which compelled Louis XVI to raise taxes in France.
Ans. The following reasons compelled Louis XVI to raise taxes in France.
     1.   Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France.
     2.   Added to this was the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the immense
palace of Versailles.
     3.   Under Louis XVI, France helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their
independence from the common enemy, Britain.
     4.   Lenders, who gave the state credit, now began to charge 10 per cent interest on
loans.
     5.   Regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army, the court, running
government offices or universities could not be avoided.

Q56. How did peasants contribute to the outbreak of French Revolution?

Ans. Peasants' contribution to the outbreak of French Revolution
         i.   A severe winter had meant a bad harvest; the price of bread rose, often bakers
exploited the situation and hoarded supplies. On 14 July, the agitated crowd
stormed and destroyed the Bastille.
         ii.  In the countryside, rumours spread from village to village that the lords of the
manor had hired bands of brigands who were on their way to destroy the ripe
crops.
             iii. Caught in a frenzy of fear, peasants in several districts seized hoes and
pitchforks and attacked chateaux. They looted hoarded grain and burnt down
documents containing records of manorial dues.
 
Q57. Describe the incident which took place in the morning of 14 July 1789.
Ans. On the morning of 14 July 1789, the city of Paris was in a state of alarm. The
king had commanded troops to move into the city.
Rumours spread that he would soon order the army to open fire upon the citizens.
Some 7,000 men and women gathered in front of the town hall and decided to form
a people’s militia.
They broke into a number of government buildings in search of arms. Finally, a
group of several hundred people marched towards the eastern part of the city and
stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille.
In the armed fight that followed, the commander of the Bastille was killed and the
prisoners released though there were only seven of them.
 
Q58. Why was Robespierre guillotined?
Ans. 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.
The use of more expensive white flour was forbidden. 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.
Robespierre pursued his policies so relentlessly that even his supporters began to
demand moderation.
Finally, he was convicted by a court in July 1794, arrested and on the next day sent
to the guillotine.
 
 
Q60. What was the condition of peasants in French society?
Or
Describe the conditions of the peasants that led to the French revolution.
Or
Describe the condition of the peasants before the French revolution.
 Ans. Condition of peasants in French society
          i.  Peasants made up about 90 per cent of the population. However, only a small
number of them owned the land they cultivated.
          ii. They had to pay feudal dues, direct tax (called taille), and a number of indirect
taxes which were levied on articles of everyday consumption like salt or tobacco.
            iii. They were obliged to render services to the lord to work in his house and
fields to serve in the army or to participate in building roads.
             iv. The Church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes from the peasants.
 
**Q61. Explain the events that led to the formation of National Assembly.
Or
State the events that led to the formation of National Assembly in France.
Or
What led to the formation of the National Assembly?
Or
Identify the reasons that led to the formation of the National Assembly.
Or
Why was the National Assembly formed by the third Estate?
Ans. 
i.On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates General to
pass proposals for new taxes. 
ii.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.
iii. But members of the third estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the
assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote. 
iv. When the king rejected this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of
the assembly in protest. The representatives of the third estate viewed themselves
as spokesmen for the whole French nation.
v. On 20 June they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of
Versailles and declared themselves a National Assembly.
 Q62. Give the reason for the walk out from the Assembly of Estate General by the
members of Third Estate on 5th May 1789. What were the two steps taken by the
members of Third Estate after walk out?
Ans. 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 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.
The representatives of the third estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for the
whole French nation.
On 20 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.
 
Q63. How did philosophers influence the thinking of the people of France?
Or
What role did philosophers play in bringing about the French Revolution?
Or
Describe the contribution of the French philosophers in the outbreak of the
Revolution of 1789.
Or
Explain the role of philosophers in the French Revolution.
Or
Describe the ideology of any three philosophers who influenced the French
Revolution.
Or
Name any two philosophers who inspired the educated people of Third Estate.
Also mention the ideas forth by them. 
Ans. Role of philosophers in French Revolution
                         i.        In his Two Treatises of Government, Locke sought to refute the
doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
                       ii.        Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government
based on a social contract between people and their representatives.
                      iii.        In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of
power within the government between the legislative, the executive and the
judiciary.
                      iv.        The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons
and coffee-houses and spread among people through books and newspapers. These
were frequently read aloud in groups for the benefit of those who could not read
and write.
 
Q64. Who were entitled to vote in France as per Constitution of 1791, framed by
National Assembly? State any three rights given to the people by this constitution.
Ans. 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. To
qualify as an elector and then as a member of the Assembly, a man had to belong
to the highest bracket of taxpayers.
The Constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of 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, that is, they
belonged to each human being by birth and could not be taken away. It was the
duty of the state to protect each citizen’s natural rights.
 
Q65. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
Or
Describe the rise of Napoleon.
Or
Who was Napoleon? Describe the rise of Napoleon.
Or
What reforms did Napoleon introduced in France?
Ans. Rise of Napoleon
1. The political instability of the Directory paved the way for the rise of a military
dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte.
2. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France. He set out to
conquer neighbouring European countries, dispossessing dynasties and creating
kingdoms where he placed members of his family.
3.Napoleon saw his role as a moderniser of Europe.
 4. He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a
uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.
5. Initially, many saw Napoleon as a liberator who would bring freedom for the
people. But soon the Napoleonic armies came to be viewed everywhere as an
invading force.
 
Q66. Evaluate the importance of the following years in concern with French
Revolution, 1774, 1789, 1791, 1792-93, 1804 and 1815.
Ans. Some important dates
1774 - Louis XVI becomes king of France, faces empty treasury and growing
discontent within society of the Old Regime.
1789 - Convocation of Estates General, Third Estate forms National Assembly, the
Bastille is stormed, peasant revolts in the countryside.
1791 - A constitution is framed to limit the powers of the king and to guarantee
basic rights to all human beings.
1792-93 - France becomes a republic, the king is beheaded. Overthrow of the
Jacobin republic, a Directory rules France.
1804 - Napoleon becomes emperor of France, annexes large parts of Europe.
1815 - Napoleon defeated at Waterloo.
 
Q67. Describe how abolition of slavery became possible in France.
Or
How did abolition of slavery become possible in France? Explain.
Ans. Abolition of slavery
           i.  Throughout the eighteenth century there was little criticism of slavery in France.
            ii. The National Assembly held long debates about whether the rights of man
should be extended to all French subjects including those in the colonies.
            iii.  It was finally the Convention which in 1794 legislated to free all slaves in the
French overseas possessions.
            iv.  This, however, turned out to be a short-term measure: ten years later,
Napoleon reintroduced slavery.
           v.  Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848
 Q68. Describe the triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa and America.
Or
Give a brief account of slave trade in France.
Or
Explain triangular slave trade carried on in 18th and 19th centuries.
Ans. The colonies in the Caribbean were important suppliers of commodities such
as tobacco, indigo, sugar and coffee.
But the reluctance of Europeans to go and work in distant and unfamiliar lands
meant a shortage of labour on the plantations. So this was met by a triangular slave
trade between Europe, Africa and the Americas.
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.
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.
 
Q69. Name the most important and famous society founded by women in France.
What was their main demand and how did the revolutionary government help them
to improve their lives?
Or
Describe the law introduced in France by Revolutionary Government to improve
the lives of women.
Ans. The Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women was the most famous
of them. One of their main demands was that women enjoy the same political
rights as men.
In the early years, the revolutionary government did introduce laws that helped
improve the lives of women.
                        i.        Schooling was made compulsory for all girls.
                       ii.        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.
                      iii.        Divorce was made legal, and could be applied for by both women
and men.
                      iv.        Women could now train for jobs, could become artists or run small
businesses.
  
Q70. Explain any five economic condition of France that led to revolution.
Or
What were the economic causes of the French Revolution?
Ans. The economic conditions that led to the French Revolution were as follows:
    1.   Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France.
    2.   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.
    3.   French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates, and only
members of the third estate paid taxes.
    4.   The population of France rose rapidly which 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 rose rapidly.
    5.   Wages of the workers did not keep pace with the rise in prices. This led to a
subsistence crisis.
 
Q71. How was the taxation responsible for the French revolution?
Or
Elaborate on how the taxation policy was responsible for the French revolution.
Ans. 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. 
French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates, and only
members of the third estate paid taxes. 
The members of the first two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility, enjoyed
certain privileges by birth. The most important of these was exemption from
paying taxes to the state. 
The Church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes from the peasants, and
finally, all members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state.
These included a direct tax, called taille, and a number of indirect taxes which
were levied on articles of everyday consumption like salt or tobacco. The burden
of financing activities of the state through taxes was borne by the third estate
alone. This is how the taxation policy was responsible for the French revolution.
 
 Q72. State any 5 causes for the empty treasury of France under Louis XVI.
Or
What were the causes for the empty treasury of France under Louis XVI?
Or
What was the financial position of France at the time of Louis XVI?
Or
What were reasons behind an empty treasury upon the accession of Louis XVI in
1774?
Ans. Reasons behind an empty treasury upon the accession of Louis XVI in 1774
were:
     1.   Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France.
     2.   Added to this was the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the immense
palace of Versailles.
     3.   Under Louis XVI, France helped the thirteen American 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.
     4.   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.
     5.   French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates, and
only members of the third estate paid taxes.
 
Q73. Who constituted the middle class in French society? How did they participate
in French Revolution?
Or
‘The eighteenth century France witnessed the emergence of the middle class’. Who
were they and what were their ideas?
Ans.
                       i.        The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of social groups,
termed the middle class, who earned their wealth through an expanding overseas
trade and from the manufacture of goods. It also included professions such as
lawyers or administrative officials.
                      ii.        All of these were educated and believed that no group in society
should be privileged by birth. Rather, a person’s social position must depend on his
merit.
                     iii.        These ideas envisaging a society based on freedom and equal laws
and opportunities for all, were put forward by philosophers such as John Locke and
Jean Jacques Rousseau.
Q74. Mention the political symbols and their significance which came up during
the French Revolution.
Ans. The broken chain: Chains were used to fetter slaves. A broken chain stands
for the act of becoming free.
The bundle of rods or fasces: One rod can be easily broken, but not an entire
bundle. Strength lies in unity.
The eye within a triangle radiating light: The all seeing eye stands for knowledge.
The rays of the sun will drive away the clouds of ignorance.
Sceptre: Symbol of royal power.
Snake biting its tail to form a ring: Symbol of Eternity. A ring has neither
beginning nor end.
Red Phrygian cap: Cap worn by a slave upon becoming free.
Blue-white-red: The national colours of France.
The winged woman: Personification of the law.
The Law Tablet: The law is the same for all, and all are equal before it.
 
Q75. Explain the role played by women in France during the revolutionary years.
Ans. Role played by women in France during the revolutionary years
                        i.        From the very beginning women were active participants in the
events which brought about so many important changes in French society.
                       ii.        In order to discuss and voice their interests women started their own
political clubs and newspapers.    The Society of Revolutionary and Republican
Women was the most famous of them.
                      iii.        One of their main demands was that women enjoy the same political
rights as men. Women’s struggle for equal political rights, however, continued.
                      i v.        During the Reign of Terror, the new government issued laws
ordering closure of women’s clubs and banning their political activities.
                      v.        Many prominent women were arrested and a number of them
executed. It was finally in 1946 that women in France won the right to vote.
 
 Q76. 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. There was too much of inequality in French society.
                        i.        French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three
estates, and only members of the third estate paid taxes.
                       ii.        Peasants made up about 90 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.
                      iii.        The members of the first two estates, that is, the clergy and the
nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by birth. The most important of these was
exemption from paying taxes to the state. The nobles further enjoyed feudal
privileges.
Thus the members of the Third Estate groaned under heavy taxation with no
privileges. This led to a deep sense of resentment among the members of the Third
Estate and the people revolted against the cruel regime of monarchy.
 
Q77. How was revolution brought about in everyday life of French people?
Explain.
Or
Explain how freedom of speech and expression under revolutionary government in
France promote the ideas of liberty and equality in everyday practice.
Ans. A revolution brought about in everyday life of French people in the following
ways:
                        i.        One important law that came into effect soon after the storming of
the Bastille in the summer of 1789 was the abolition of censorship.
                       ii.        Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed freedom
of speech and expression to be a natural right.
                      iii.        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.
                      iv.        Freedom of the press also meant that opposing views of events
could be expressed.
                      v.        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.
 
Q78. Which was the important law that came into effect soon after the storming of
the Bastille in the summer of 1789? How did it change the lives of common
people? Explain.
Ans. One important law that came into effect soon after the storming of the Bastille
in the summer of 1789 was the abolition of 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.
This law changed the lives of common people in the following ways:
                        i.        The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen proclaimed
freedom of speech and expression to be a natural right.
                       ii.        Newspapers, pamphlets, books and printed pictures flooded the
towns of France from where they travelled rapidly into the countryside.
                      iii.        They all described and discussed the events and changes taking
place in France.
                      iv.        Freedom of the press also meant that opposing views of events
could be expressed.
                       v.        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.

Q79. What measures had been taken by Robespierre to remove discrimination in

French society?
Or
Describe any 5 efforts made by Robespierre to bring equality in French Society.
Or
Who was Robespierre? Describe any four steps taken by him to bring equality?
Ans. Maximilian Robespierre was the leader of Jacobin club.
Measures taken
                       i.        Robespierre’s government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling
on wages and prices.
                      ii.        Meat and bread were rationed. Peasants were forced to transport
their grain to the cities and sell it at prices fixed by the government.
                     iii.        The use of more expensive white flour was forbidden; all citizens
were required to eat the equality bread a loaf made of whole wheat.
                     iv.    Equality was also sought to be practiced through forms of speech and
address.        Instead of Sir and Madam all French men and women were
henceforth Citizen.
                     vi.        Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into
barracks or offices.
 
Q80. Which section of society did belong to the Jacobin club?
Or
What was the role of Jacobins during the French Revolution? What were they
known as?
Or
What was Jacobins Club? Who were its members? How did Jacobins contribute to
carrying the French Revolution further?
Or
Describe the main features of Jacobins Club in France during the French
Revolution.
Ans. Role of Jacobins during the French Revolution
                        i.        The most successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobin
club.  The members of the Jacobin club belonged mainly to the less prosperous
sections of society      .      Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre.
                      ii.        A large group among the Jacobins decided to start wearing long
striped trousers to set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of society,
especially nobles, who wore knee breeches.
                       iii.        These Jacobins came to be known as the sans-culottes, literally
meaning those without knee breeches. Sansculottes men wore in addition the red
cap that symbolised liberty.
                      Iv.        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.
         v.        Elections were held. The newly elected assembly was called the Convention.
On 21 September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.
 
Q81. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in
France.
Or
Describe any social and political factors that led to the outbreak of the
revolutionary protest in France.
Ans. The circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France:
Social Inequality - French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three
estates, and only members of the third estate paid taxes. The members of the first
two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by birth.
The most important of these was exemption from paying taxes to the state.
Political Causes - Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France.
The war added more than a billion livres to a debt that had already risen to more
than 2 billion livres. 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.
Economic Problems - 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
rose rapidly. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices. This led to a
subsistence crisis.
Emergence of middle class - The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of
social groups, termed the middle class. All of these were educated and believed
that no group in society should be privileged by birth. Rather, a person’s social
position must depend on his merit. These ideas envisaging a society based on
freedom and equal laws and opportunities for all.
Other causes - On 5 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. But members of the third estate demanded that voting now 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.