9th CBSE Notes On the Chapter: French Revolution

  Grade : IX 

History  Chapter : 1 

    French Revolution   

NCERT Questions:

Que: 1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.

The circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France were:

Social causes: 

1. French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates namely The Clergy, The nobility and third estates. 
2. First two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility enjoyed certain privileges by birth. 
3. They were exempt from paying taxes.
4. The Third estate comprises of businessmen, merchants, Peasants and artisans, labours had to pay taxes to the state.

Political Causes: 

1. Long years of war had drained the financial resources of France. 
2. France had a debt of more than 2 billion livres. 
3. 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 which angered the people.

Economic Causes:

1. The population of France also increased from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. 
2. Food grains were now in great demand. 
3. The price of bread shot up. 
4. Wages did not keep pace with rising prices. 
5. This led to subsistence crisis.

Growing Middle Class:

1. A new middle class of educated and wealthy people emerged during the eighteenth century. 
2. They believed that no group in society should be given privileges by birth. 
3. Ideas of equality and freedom were put forward by philosophers.
4. The ideas of these philosophers were discussed intensively in salons and coffee houses and spread among people.

Immediate Causes: 

1. On 5 may, 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of Estates General to pass proposals for new taxes. 
2. Third estates protested against this proposal since each estate have one vote
3. They demanded to have each person of this the king rejected this appeal. 
4. Members of third estate demanded that voting as a whole where each member would have one vote
5. When the king rejected this proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest.

Que: 2. a) Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? 

It was the richer members of the third estate who mostly benefited from the French Revolution.

b) Which groups were forced to relinquish power? 

The clergy and the nobility were forced to relinquish (surrender) their power.

c) Which sections of society would have been disappointed with the outcome of the revolution?

The poor class of third estate and women would have been disappointed with the outcome of the revolution as the promise of equality, discussed during the revolution was not given. The poorer classes had no right to vote.

Que: 3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

• 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.
• The French Revolution inspired the struggling nations of Asia and Africa who were groaning under the oppression of European colonialism
• Tipu Sultan and Rajaram Mohan Roy are two examples of individuals who responded to ideas coming from French revolution.

Que: 4. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the French Revolution.

We can trace the origin of the following democratic rights we enjoy today to the French revolution:

• Right to Equality before law
• Freedom of Speech and expression
• Right against exploitation
• Right to justice

Que: 5. Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions? Explain.

Yes, the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions:
1. Law is the expression of the general will.
2. All citizens have the right to participate in its formation, personally or through their representatives.
3. This created a political vacuum in France.
4. In this line, it is stated that every citizen has the right to participate in the law however only men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage were given voting right.
5. The remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens and were deprived of voting rights.
6. The Constitution is only available for the rich.
7. Women were totally neglected in decision making.
8. Hence, the message of universal rights was not very clear

Que: 6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?

1. After Robespierre’s rule came to an end a directory was formed to avoid concentration of power in one individual.
2. Members of the directory often fought among themselves leading to total chaos and political instability.
3. This created a political vacuum in France.
4. This was a conducive situation and Napoleon Bonaparte took the reign of power as a military dictator.
5. Napoleon saw his role as a moderniser of Europe.
6. He introduced many laws such as:
            a) The protection of private property 
            b) Uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system.