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BAL BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL

PITAMPURA, DELHI – 110034
Class-IX
TERM I (NOTES)
UNIT TEST I

FRENCH REVOLUTION

Q.1) Explain the following terms:-

a) Guillotine
Ans) The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is
beheaded. It was named after Dr .Guillotine who invented it.

b) Subsistence crisis
Ans) the population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 2 8million 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. Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops whose
owners fixed their wages. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices so the gap
between poor and rich widened .Things became worse whenever drought or hail reduced
the harvest. This led to subsistence crisis:- an extreme situation where the basic means of
livelihood is endangered.

c) Declaration of the rights of man and citizen

Ans) The Constitution of 1791 began with the declaration of the rights of man and
citizen. Rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality
before the law, were established as 'natural and inalienable' rights, that is, they belonged
to each human being by birth and couldn’t be taken away. it was the duty of the state to
protect each citizen's natural rights.

d) Directory
Ans) The fall of Jacobin govt. allowed the wealthier middle classes to seize power. A
new constitution was introduced which denied the vote to non prosperous sections of the
society.it provided for two elected legislative councils. These then appointed a directory
an executive made up of five members. This was meant as a safeguard against the
concentration of power in a one man executive as under the Jacobins.

Q.2) Explain the ideas put forward by the following philosophers in their books?
Ans) (a) Jean Jacques Rousseau- Rousseau proposed a form of government based on a
social contract between people and their representatives in his book 'The Social Contract'.

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(b) Montesquieu-in the 'Spirit of the laws, Montesquieu proposed a division of power
within the govt between the legislative, the executive and the judiciary. This model of
government was put into force in the USA after the thirteen colonies declared their
independence from Britain.

(C) John Locke- In his 'Two Treatises of government', Locke sought to refute the
doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.

Q-3) What were the taxes that the middle class had to pay during the Old Regime?
Ans) The two types of taxes were:-
1. Tithes: - A tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce.
2. Taille: - All the members of 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 tobacco or salt.

Q.4) Write a short note on 'Reign of Terror'?

Ans) The period from 1793-94 is referred to as the Reign of Terror. Robespierre followed
a policy of severe control and punishment.
All those whom he saw being the 'enemies' of the republic-ex nobles and clergy,
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.

The govt. 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 the prices fixed by
the government. The use of more expensive white flour was forbidden ,all citizens had to
eat plain d'egalite.
Instead of Monsieur(sir) and Madame(madam)all French men and women were
henceforth citoyen and citoyenne. Churches were shut down and their buildings were
converted into barracks or offices.

Q.5) Describe the legacy of French Revolution for the people of the world during 19th
and 20th century?
Ans) The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of French
revolution.
These spread from France to the rest of Europe during the nineteenth century, where
feudal systems were abolished. Colonised people reworked the idea of freedom from
bondage into their movements to create a sovereign nation state.

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Q.6) Who were allowed to vote for the formation of the National Assembly?
Ans)Only men above 25years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourers
wage were given the status of active citizens, that is they were entitled to vote. The
remaining men and women were classified as passive citizens. The active citizens voted
for a group of electors ,who in turn choose the assembly.
To qualify as an elector and then as a member of the assembly, a man had to belong to
the highest bracket of tax payers.

Q.7) What was the immediate cause of French Revolution?

Ans) The population of France rose from about 23million in 1715 to 28million in
1789.This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains. Products of grains could
not keep pace with the demand, so the price of bread which was a staple diet of the
majority rose rapidly. Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops whose
owner fixed their wages.
But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices .So the gap between rich and poor
widened. Things became poorer whenever drought or hail reduced the harvest. This led to
subsistence crisis.

Q.8) What were the main objectives of the constitution of 1791 of France?
Ans) The main objectives of the constitution of 1791 were:-
1.It vested the powers to make laws in the National Assembly which was indirectly
elected. That is, citizens voted for a group of electors who chose the assembly, only
ACTIVE CITIZENS:-Men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days
of a labourers wage could vote. The others PASSIVE CITIZENS-Remaining men and all
women couldn’t vote.
2. The constitution began with a Declaration of rights Man and Citizens. Rights such as
right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before the law, were
established as natural and inalienable right, that is , they belonged to each human being
by birth and couldn't be taken away. It was the duty of state to protect each citizen's
natural rights.

Q.9) Describe the causes leading to the French Revolution?

Ans) POLITICAL CAUSE:- =>In 1774,Louis XVI of the Bourbourn family of kings
ascended the throne of France. Upon his accession he found an empty treasury. Long
years of war had drained the financial resources of France.
=) Added to this was the cost of maintaining an extravagant court at the immense palace
of Versailles.

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=)Under Louis XVI ,France helped the 13 American colonies to gain independence from
Britain. The war added more than a billion livers to a debt that had already risen to
2billion lives.
=) To meet its regular expenses-cost of maintaining an army, the court, running
government offices, universities, the state was forced to increase the taxes.

SOCIAL CAUSES:-
=) French society in the 18th century was divided into three estates, and only the
members of the third estate had to pay taxes.
=)In France about 60%of land was owned by nobles, the church and other rich members
of the third estate while very little land was owned by peasants who made up about
90%of the population.
=) The members of the first two estates i.e.: the clergy and nobility, enjoyed certain
privileges by birth like exemption from paying taxes to the state.

ECONOMIC CAUSES:-
=)Only the members of the third estate paid taxes. The church extracted its share of taxes
called Tithes from the peasants comprising one-tenth of the agriculture produced. Also,
all members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state. These included a direct tax
called Taille, a number of indirect taxes levied on articles of everyday consumption like
salt or tobacco.
=)The members of the 1st two estates i.e.-the clergy and nobility enjoyed certain
privileges by birth. The most important of these was exemption from paying tax to the
state. The nobles further enjoyed feudal privileges including feudal dues, which they
extracted from peasants. Peasants were obliged to render services to the lord-work in his
house, fields-serve in army.

GROWING MIDDLE CLASS AND PHILOSOPHERS:-

=)The 18th century witnessed the emergence of social groups termed middle class, who
earned their wealth by expanding their overseas trade and manufacturing goods.
=) The third estate included professionals-lawyers, or administrative officials .All of
these were educated and believed that no group in the society should be privileged by
birth.
=)There were ideas put forward by philosophers .In his' Two Treaties of Government'
John Locke sought to refute the doctrine of divine and absolute right of monarch.
=) Jean Jacques Rousseau carried the idea forward, proposing a form of govt. based on
social contract between people and their representatives.
=) In 'The Spirit of the Laws' Montesquieu proposed a division of power within the
government between legislative, executive and judiciary.

IMMEDIATE CAUSE:-
=)The population of France rose from 23million in 1715 to 28million in 1789.This led to
a rapid increase in demand for food grains .Production of grains couldn't keep pace with
demand. So the price of bread, the staple diet of majority rose rapidly.
=) Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops whose owners fixed their
wages. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices.

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=) So the gap between the poor and rich widened. Things became worse whenever a
drought or hail occurred which reduce the harvest. This led to subsistence crisis.

Q.10) Describe the role of middle class in the French Revolution?

Ans) The 18th century witnessed the emergence of social group termed the middle class,
who earned their wealth by expanding overseas trade and from manufacture of goods like
woolen and silk textiles that were either imported or brought by the richer members of
the society.
The third estate also included professionals such as lawyers, administrative officials,
merchants and manufacturers. They were educated and believed that no group in society
should be privileged by birth. Rather, a person's social position must depend upon hi
merit.

Q.11) Who were Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes?

Ans)=)The representatives of the third estate declared themselves a National Assembly
and swore not to disperse till they have drafted a constitution for France that would limit
the powers of the monarch. They were led by Mirabeau and Abbe' Sieyes.
=) Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to do away with a
society of feudal privilege. He bought out a journal and delivered powerful speeches to
the crowd assembled Versailles.
=)Abbe Sieyes, originally a priest, wrote an influential pamphlet called' What is the Third
Estate'.

Q.12) What is Marseillaise?

Ans)=) The National Assembly voted in April 1792 to declare war against Prussia and
Austria. Thousands of volunteers thronged from the provinces to join the army.
They saw this as a war of the people against kings and aristocrats all over Europe.
=) Among the patriotic songs the song was the Marseillaise composed by Roget de
L'Isle. It was sung for the first time by volunteers from Marseilles as they marched into
Paris.
=)Marseillaise is now the national anthem of France.

Q.13) Desribe the role of women in the French Revolution?

Ans)=)In order to discuss and voice their interests women started their own clubs and
newspapers.
=) About sixty women's clubs came up in different French cities. The society of
Revolutionary and republican women was the most famous of them.

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=) One of their main demands was that women enjoy the some 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 Assembly and to hold political
office. Only then, they felt, would their interests be represented in ,the new govt.
=) Women's movements for voting rights and equal wages continued through the next
200 years. It was finally in 1946 that women in France won the right to vote.

Q.14) What did the third estate women do for their living? Briefly describe the laws
introduced to improve their lives?
Ans) =)Most women of the third estate had to work for living. They worked as
seamstresses, old flowers, fruits &vegetables in market or were employed as domestic
servants in the houses of prosperous servants.
=) Most women didn't have access to education, job training. Only wealthier members
sent their daughters to convent after which they were married.
=) Working women also had to care for their families, cook, fetch water, queue up for
bread. Their wages were lower that of men.
=) With the creation of state schools. Schooling was , made compulsory for all the girls.
=) Their fathers could no longer force them into marriage which was made a contract
entered into freely and registered under civil laws.
=) Divorce was legal. Women could be trained for jobs, become artists or run small
business.

Q.15) Name one important law that came into effect soon after the storming of Bastille
in the summer of 1789?
Ans ) The Abolition of censorship.

Q.16 ) How would you explain the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte?

Ans) In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself as an emperor of France. He set out
to conquer the neighbouring European countries, dispossessing dynasties & creating
kingdoms where he placed members of his family.
=) He saw his role as a moderniser of Europe. He introduced many laws such as the
protection of private property & a uniform system of weights and measures provided by
decimal system.
=) Initially many saw him as a liberator but soon his armies came to be viewed as an
invading force.
=) He was finally defeated at Waterloo in 1815.Many of his measures had an impact on
people long after Napoleon had left.

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