1
The French Revolution
Syllabus
French Revolution:
(a) The Ancient Regime and its crises
(b) The social forces that led to the revolution
(c) The different revolutionary groups and ideas of the time
(d) The legacy
Facts that Matter
1. In 1774, Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of France. Upon
his accession he found an empty treasury. It posed problems before the new king.
2. The state was forced to increase taxes to meet its regular expenses, such as the cost of
maintaining an army, the court, running government offices, etc.
3. In the 18th century, the French society was divided into three estates. The clergy
and nobility which formed the first two estates were the privileged classes. They were
exempted from payment of state taxes. The third estate formed the majority of the
population and was the unprivileged class. It bore the burden of taxes with no political
rights and social status.
4. The population of France increased drastically during the period 1715-1789. This led to a
rapid increase in the demand for foodgrains. But the production of grains didn’t increase.
5. Peasants and workers were highly dissatisfied. They revolted every now and then against
increasing taxes and food scarcity. They wanted to bring about a change in the country’s
social and economic order.
6. During the 18th century, social groups, also known as the middle class, emerged. They
were educated and believed that no group in society should be privileged by birth.
7. Philosophers like John Locke, Montesquieu and Rousseau enlightened the middle class
people with their revolutionary ideas. They set them on path of revolution.
8. Louis XVI planned to increase further taxes. He called together an assembly of the States
General on May 5, 1789 for this purpose.
9. The members of the third estate participated in the assembly but walked out of it when
their demand of voting rights was rejected by the king.
10. On June 20, 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 king.
11. The rest of France was seething with turmoil. On July 14, they stormed and destroyed
the Bastille.
14
12. Their agitation proved to be fruitful. Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the
National Assembly and accepted the principle that his powers would from now on
be checked by constitution.
13. On August 14, 1789 the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system of
obligations and taxes. Members of the clergy too were forced to give up their privileges.
14. The National Assembly completed the draft of the Constitution in 1791. Its main object
was to limit the powers of the monarch.
15. The Constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in the National Assembly, which
was indirectly elected.
16. 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.
17. Louis XVI, no doubt had signed the Constitution, but he entered into secret negotiations
with the King of Prussia.
18. The National Assembly acted swiftly. It declared war against Prussia and Austria.
Thousands of volunteers thronged from the provinces to join the army.
19. The revolutionary wars brought losses and economic difficulties to the people of France.
In spite of that large sections of population wanted to carry the revolution further.
20. Political clubs came into limelight. The most successful of these clubs was that of the
Jacobins. The members of the Jacobin club belonged mainly to the less prosperous
sections of society.
21. Maximillian Robespierre was the leader of the Jacobin club.
22. On August 10, 1792 the Jacobins stormed the palace of the Tuileries, massacred the
king’s guards and held the king himself as hostage for several hours. Later the Assembly
voted to imprison the royal family. Elections were held.
23. The newly elected assembly was called the Convention. On September 21, 1792 it
abolished the monarchy and declared France, a republic.
24. Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason. On January 21,
1793 he was executed publicly at the Place de la Concorde. The queen Marie Antoinette
met the same fate shortly after.
25. Robespierre remained the centre image from 1793 to 1794. This period is referred to
as the Reign of Terror. During this period, he followed a policy of severe control and
punishment.
26. Soon he became unpopular. Even his supporters began to demand moderation. Finally,
he was arrested and executed in July 1794.
27. After the fall of the Jacobin government, the wealthier middle classes seized power. A new
constitution was introduced which denied the vote to non-propertied sections of society.
It provided for two elected legislative councils.
28. These legislative councils appointed a Directory, an executive made up of five members.
29. However, the directors often clashed with the legislative councils. As a result, political
instability took place which paved the way for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was
a military dictator.
30. In 1804, he crowned himself the emperor of France. In the beginning, people saw him
as a liberator who would bring freedom for them. But soon the Napoleonic armies came
The French Revolution
15
to be viewed everywhere as an invading force. He was finally defeated at Waterloo in
1815.
31. Many of his measures that carried the revolutionary ideas of liberty and modern laws to
other parts of Europe had an impact on people long after Napoleon had left.
32. 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 19th century.
Words that Matter
1. Old Regime: This term is usually used to describe the society and institutions of France
before 1789.
2. Livre: Unit of currency in France, discontinued in 1794.
3. Clergy: Group of persons invested with special functions in the church.
4. Tithe: A tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce.
5. Taille: Tax to be paid directly to the state.
6. Subsistence crisis: An extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are
endangered.
7. Anonymous: One whose name remains unknown.
8. Chateau: Castle or stately residence belonging to a king or a nobleman.
9. Manor: An estate consisting of the lord’s lands and his mansion.
10. Marseillaise: A patriotic song sung for the first time by volunteers from Marseilles as
they marched into Paris. It is now the national anthem of France.
11. Sans-culottes: Literally meaning ‘those without knee breeches’.
12. Treason: Betryal of one’s country or government.
13. Guillotine: A device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded.
14. Pain d’égalite: A French word meaning, ‘equality bread’.
15. Citoyen: French men are called Citoyen.
16. Citoyenne: French women are called Citoyenne.
17. Negroes: A term used for the indigenous people of Africa, south of the Sahara.
18. Emancipation: The act of freeing.
Dateline
1. 1774
Louis XVI becomes king of France, faces empty treasury and growing
discontent within society of the Old Regime.
2. 1789
– Convocation of Estates General, Third Estate forms National Assembly,
the Bastille is stormed, peasants revolts in the countryside.
3. 1791
– A Constitution is framed to limit the powers of the king and to guarantee
basic rights to all human beings.
4. 1792-93– France becomes a republic, the king is beheaded. Overthrow of the
Jacobin republic, a Directory rules France.
5. 1804
– Napoleon becomes emperor of France, annexes large parts of Europe.
6. 1815
–Napoleon defeated at Waterloo.
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Social Science—IX
NCERT IN-TEXT QUESTIONS SOLVED
Q1. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 5.
See fig. 3. Textbook page 5. Then
explain why the artist has portrayed
the nobleman as the spider and the
peasant as the fly.
Ans. The figure clearly depicts the vicious
social set up that existed in France
during the 18th century. A spider
feeds on the fly. Just like the spider,
the nobles in the 18th century France
lived on the labour of the peasants.
Ans. The peasants had to pay feudal dues
to these nobles. They also rendered
all kinds of services to them.
Q2. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 6.
Fill in the blank boxes in fig. 4.
given on textbook page 6 with
appropriate terms from among the
following: Food riots, scarcity of
grain, increased number of deaths,
rising food prices, weaker bodies.
Bad → Scarcity of → Rising food →
harvest
grain
prices
The poorest can no
longer buy bread


↓
↓
Increased
←
Disease
→ Weaker
Food
number
epidemics
bodies riots
of deaths
↑—————————————————————————
Q3. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 7.
What message is Young trying to
convey in source A? Whom does he
mean when he speaks of ‘slaves’?
Who is he criticising? What dangers
does he sense in the situation of
1787?
Ans. A social set up which is based on
inequalities and injustice is bound
to collapse soon or later. When
Young speaks of ‘slaves’ he means
the unprivileged class of people. He
is criticising those who belonged to
privileged class i.e. clergy and nobles.
He senses dangers of violence or riot.
Q4. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 8.
Representatives of the Third Estate
take the oath raising their arms in
the direction of Bailly, the President of
the Assembly, standing on a table in
the centre. Do you think that during
the actual event Bailly would have
stood with his back to the assembled
deputies? What could have been
David’s intention in placing Bailly
(fig. 5) the way he has done?
Ans. No, I don’t think that Bailly would
have stood with his back to the
assembled deputies during the actual
event.
David, through his painting, wants
to make it clear that the Constitution
of 1791 did nothing in the favour
of the common mass. Inspite of the
Declaration of Rights of Man and
Citizen, the right to vote was not given
to the common people of France. They
were still the passive citizens. The
wealthy class of people continued to
avail all the privileges.
Q5. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 13.
(i) Identify the symbols in Box 1 (page
12) which stand for liberty, equality
and fraternity.
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17
Ans. Symbols stand for liberty –
• The broken chain stands for the act
of becoming free.
• Red Phrygian cap was worn by a
slave on becoming free.
Symbols stand for equality –
• T h e w i n g e d w o m a n i s t h e
personification of the law.
• The Law Tablet refers to the fact that
the law is the same for all and all
are equal before it.
Symbols stand for fraternity –
• The bundle of rods or fasces refers to
the fact that strength lies in unity.
(ii) Explain the meaning of the painting
of the Declaration of Rights of Man
and Citizen (fig. 8, page 11) by
reading only the symbols.
Ans.
• The figure on the right represents
France.
• The figure on the left represents the
law.
• The Law Tablet symbolizes equality
before law.
(iii) Compare the political rights which
the Constitution of 1791 gave to
the citizens with articles 1 and 6 of
the Declaration (Source C, page 11).
Are the two documents consistent?
Do the two documents convey the
same idea?
Ans. Yes, the two documents are definitely
consistent. They convey the same
idea, i.e. human beings are born equal
and all citizens are equal before the
law.
(iv) Which groups of French society
would have gained from the
Constitution of 1791? Which
groups would have had reason to
be dissatisfied? What developments
does Marat (Source B, page 11)
anticipate in the future?
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Social Science—IX
Ans. T he propertied class of French
society would have gained from the
Constitution of 1791. Peasants,
workers and women would have
had reason to be dissatisfied. Marat
anticipated that the common mass of
France would show its dissatisfaction
by taking retaliatory action in future.
Q6. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 15.
Look carefully at the painting (fig.
10, page 15) and identify the objects
which are political symbols you saw
in Box 1, page 12 (broken chain,
red cap, fasces, Chapter of the
Declaration of Rights). The pyramid
stands for equality, often represented
by a triangle. Use the symbols to
interpret the painting. Describe your
impressions of the female figure of
liberty.
Ans. The scroll that the woman is holding in
her hand is probably the declaration
of rights of women and citizens. The
female figure of liberty signifies that
women are equal to men. Hence, they
should enjoy the same rights.
Q7. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 16.
Compare the views of Desmoulins
and Robespierre. How does each one
understand the use of state force?
What does Robespierre mean by ‘the
war of liberty against tyranny’? How
does Desmoulins perceive liberty?
Ans. Robespierre justifies his reign of terror.
He believes in the policy of severe
control and punishment. He poses
himself as the saviour of the ideals
of the revolution and the republic by
adopting severity. Desmoulins on the
other hand views liberty as freedom
to do anything which does not harm
anyone. He believes in the principles
of reason, equality and justice.
Q8.Refer to Activity, Textbook page 18.
Describe the persons represented
in fig. 12, page 18 – their actions,
their postures, the objects they
are carrying. Look carefully to see
whether all of them come from the
same social group. What symbols has
the artist included in the image? What
do they stand for? Do the actions of
the women reflect traditional ideas of
how women were effected to behave in
public? What do you think: does the
artist sympathise with the women’s
activities or is he critical of them?
Ans. The persons represented in the figure
are Parisian women. Their actions and
the objects they are carrying all show
that they are in violent and aggressive
mood. All of them come from the same
social group with the same objective.
The artist has used the symbols like
pitchforks as weapons. The drum
indicates proclamation of war. The
balanced scale on top signifies that
both men and women are equal. No,
the activities of the women do not
reflect traditional ideas about them.
The artist, so far I think, sympathises
with the women and their cause.
Q9. Refer to Activity, Textbook page 20.
Compare the manifesto drafted by
Olympia de Gouges (Source F, page
20) with the Declaration of Rights of
Man and Citizen (Source C, page 11).
Ans. The manifesto drafted by Olympic de
Gouges talks about women and their
rights to be treated equally with men.
On the other hand, the Declaration of
Rights of Man and Citizen talks about
men only.
N CERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS SOLVED
Activities
Q1. Find out more about any one of the
revolutionary figures you have read
about in this chapter. Write a short
biography of this person.
Ans. Olympic de Gouge was born to working
class parents but was regarded
as one of the most-talked about
French intellectuals who contributed
significantly to the French Revolution.
She was a well-known playwright at
the time of the French Revolution.
She strongly advocated the rights of
French women. After the publication
of the Declaration of the Rights of Man
and Citizen she wrote Declaration of
the Rights of Woman and Citizen. She
also wrote Social Contract immediately
after coming through Rousseau’s
Social Contract. In her book, she
proposed gender equality in marriage.
She supported the French Revolution
and wrote more than 30 political
pamphlets to further its cause.
Her act of moral courage cost her
dearly. She was ultimately guillotined.
Q2.The French Revolution saw the
rise of newspapers describing the
events of each day and week. Collect
information and pictures on any one
event and write a newspaper article.
You could also conduct an imaginary
interview with important personages
such as Murabeau, Olympic de
Gouges or Robespierre. Work in
groups of two or three. Each group
could then put up their articles on a
board to produce a wallpaper on the
French Revolution.
Ans. Students are suggested to do this
activity themselves.
Questions
Q1. Describe the circumstances leading
to the outbreak of revolutionary
protest in France.
Ans. The following circumstances led to the
outbreak of the revolutionary protest
in France:
(i) Louis XVI was an autocratic ruler
who could not compromise with his
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19
luxurious life. He also lacked farsightedness.
(ii) Upon his accession the royal treasury
of France was empty. 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.
(iii) Under Louis XVI, France helped the
thirteen American colonies to gain
their independence from Britain. The
war added more than a billion livres
to a debt that had already risen to
more than 2 billion livres. Leaders
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.
(iv) The state finally increased taxes to
meet its regular expenses such as the
cost of maintaining an army, running
government offices or universities.
(v) The French society was divided into
three estates but only members of
the third estate (peasants, artisans,
workers, etc.) had to pay taxes. The
members of the first two estates,
i.e. the clergy and the nobility, were
exempted to pay state taxes. They
belonged to privileged class. Thus,
the burden of financing activities of
the state through taxes was borne
by the third estate alone.
(vi) The middle class that emerged in the
18th century France was educated
and enlightened. They refuted the
theory of divine right of kings and
absolute monarchy. They believed
that a person’s social position
must depend on his merit. They
had access to the various ideas of
equality and freedom proposed by the
philosophers like John Locke, Jean
Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, etc.
Their ideas got popularised among
the common mass as a result of
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Social Science—IX
intensive discussions and debates
in salons and coffee houses and
through books and newspapers.
(vii) The French administration was
extremely corrupt. It didn’t give
weightage to the French common
mass.
All the above circumstances paved
the way for revolutionary protest in
France.
Q2.Which groups of French society
benefitted from the revolution?
Which groups were forced to
relinquish power? Which sections
of society would have been
disappointed with the outcomes of
the revolution?
Ans.
(i) The wealthy class of the third estate
which came to be known as the new
middle class of France benefitted the
most from the revolution. This group
was comprised of big businessmen,
petty-officers, lawyers, teachers,
doctors and traders. Previously these
people had to pay state taxes and
they did not enjoy equal status. But
after the revolution they began to
be treated equally with the upper
sections of the society.
(ii) With the abolition of feudal system
of obligations and taxes the clergy
and the nobility came on the same
level with the middle class. They were
forced to give up their privileges.
Their executive powers were also
taken away from them.
(iii) The poorer sections of the society, i.e.
small peasants, landless labourers,
servants, daily wage earners would
have been disappointed with the
outcome of the revolution. Women
also would have been highly
discontented.
Q3. Describe the legacy of the French
Revolution for the peoples of the
world during the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries.
Ans. The French Revolution proved to
be the most important event in the
history of the world.
(i) The ideas of liberty and democratic
rights were the most important legacy
of the French Revolution. These
ideas became an inspiring force for
the political movements in the world
in the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
(ii) The French Revolutionary ideas of
liberty, equality and fraternity spread
from France to the rest of Europe,
where feudal systems were finally
abolished.
(iii) Colonised peoples reworked the idea
of freedom from bondage into their
movements to create a sovereign
nation state.
(iv) The idea of nationalism that emerged
after the French Revolution started
mass movements all over the world.
Now, people began to question the
absolute power.
(v) The impact of the French Revolution
could be seen on India too. Tipu
Sultan and Raja Ram Mohan Roy
got deeply influenced by the ideas
of the revolution.
In nutshell, we can say that for the
first time after the French Revolution,
people all over the world became
aware of their rights.
Q4. Draw up a list of democratic rights
we enjoy today whose origins could
be traced to the French Revolution.
Ans. The list of democratic rights that we
enjoy today is given below:
(i) Right to equality
(ii) Right to freedom of speech and
expression
(iii) Right against exploitation
(iv) Right to religious freedom
(v) Cultural and educational rights
(vi) Right to vote
(vii) Right to live
(viii) Right to get education
Q5. Would you agree with the view that
the message of universal rights was
beset with contradictions? Explain.
Ans.
(i) The message of universal rights was
definitely beset with contradictions.
Many ideals in the ‘Declaration of
Rights of Man and Citizen’ were
not at all clear. They had dubious
meanings.
(ii) The French Revolution could not bring
economic equality and it is a fact that
unless there is economic equality,
real equality cannot be received at
any sphere. The Declaration of Rights
of Man and Citizen laid stress on
equality but a large section of the
society was denied to it. The right to
vote and elect their representatives
did not solve the poor man’s problem.
(iii) Women were still regarded as
passive citizens. They did not have
any political rights such as right to
vote and hold political offices like
men. Hence, their struggle for equal
political rights continued.
(iv) France continued to hold and
expand colonies. Thus, its image as
a liberator could not last for a long
time.
(v) Slavery existed in France till the first
half of the nineteenth century.
Q6. How would you explain the rise of
Napoleon?
Ans.
(i) The political instability of the
Directory paved the way for the rise
of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon had
achieved glorious victories in wars.
This made France realize that only a
military dictator like Napoleon would
restore a stable government.
(ii) In 1804, he crowned himself as
the emperor of France. He set out
to conquer neighbouring European
countries, dispossessing dynasties
and creating kingdoms where he
placed members of his family.
Napoleon viewed himself as a
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21
moderniser of Europe. He introduced
many laws such as the protection
of private property and a uniform
system of weight and measures
provided by the decimal system.
But his rise did not last for a long
time. He was finally defeated at
Waterloo in 1815.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS SOLVED
I.MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Choose the correct option:
1. Who was the king of France at the
time of the French Revolution?
(a) Napoleon Bonaparte
(b) Louis XVI
(c) Louis XV
(d) Nicholas I
2. What was livre?
(a) A unit of currency in France
(b) A tax levied by the church
(c) A group of priviledged people
(d) A tax to be paid directly to the
state
3. What was taille known as?
(a) Indirect tax
(b)Direct tax
(c) Agricultural produce
(d) Extreme poverty
4. Who is the author of Two Treatises
of Government?
(a) Jean Jacques Rousseau
(b) Montesquieu
(c)Mirabeau
(d) John Locke
5. For what purpose did Louis XVI call
together an assembly of the Estates
General on 5 May 1789?
(a) To pass proposals for new taxes
(b) To pass proposals for abolishing
the feudal system
(c) To pass proposals for new price
index
(d) To give the poor their due rights
6. Who constituted the third estate?
(a) Philosophers and authors
(b) Clergy and nobility
(c) Peasants and artisans
(d) Illiterate men and women
7. Whose name is associated with the
pamphlet called ‘What is the third
estate?’
(a)Mirabeau
(b) John Locke
(c) Montesquieu (d) Abbé Sieyès
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Social Science—IX
8. What did Bastille symbolise as?
(a) Military strength of France
(b) Humanity
(c) Despotic rule of Louis XVI
(d) Louis XVI’s cowardice act
9. When was Bastille destroyed?
(a) 14 July 1789 (b) 14 July 1798
(c) 2 July 1789
(d) 5 August 1879
10. What was the main objective of the
Constitution of 1791?
(a)To dethrone the king
(b)To limit the powers of the clergy
and the nobility
(c)To limit the powers of the king
(d) To make the king more powerful
11. Who were ‘active citizens’?
(a) They were entitled to vote.
(b) They were not entitled to vote.
(c) They were entitled to protest.
(d) They were entitled to accumulate
wealth.
12. What was ‘Sceptre’?
(a) Symbol of strength
(b) Symbol of eternity
(c) Symbol of deep knowledge
(d) Symbol of royal power
13. What are the national colours of
France?
(a) White-red-purple
(b) Blue-red-black
(c) Blue-white-red
(d) Red-yellow-green
14. By whom was phrygian cap worn
and on what occasion?
(a) By a man on becoming a slave
(b) By a slave on becoming free
(c) By a slave on becoming victorious
(d) By a soldier on accepting defeat
15. What was the Marseillaise?
(a) A slogan
(b) A type of hat
(c) A patriotic song
(d) A romantic song
16. When was France declared a republic?
(a) On 21 September 1792
(b) On 21 May 1792
(c) On 21 September 1793
(d) On 5 August 1793
17. Whose name is associated with ‘the
reign of terror’?
(a) Robespierre
(b)Mirabeau
(c) Napoleon Bonaparte
(d) Dr Guillotin
18. Which right was given to the French
women in 1946?
(a) Right to hold political offices
(b) Right to get education
(c) Right to divorce
(d) Right to vote
19. Which among the following was not
introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte?
(a) A uniform system of weight and
measures
(b) A law for the protection of private
property
(c) Decimal system
(d)Slavery
Ans. 1—(b)2—(a)3—(b)
4—(d)5—(a)6—(c)
7—(d)8—(c)9—(a)
10—(c)11—(a)12—(d)
13—(c)14—(b)15—(c)
16—(a)17—(a)18—(d)
19—(d)
II.V E RY S H O R T A N S W E R T Y P E
QUESTIONS
Q1. Upon his accession in 1774, Louis
XVI found an empty treasure.
What were the reasons behind the
financial crisis in France? Mention
one reason.
Ans. Long years of war had drained the
financial resources of France.
Q2.French society in the eighteenth
century was divided into three
estates. Name them.
Ans.
(i) First Estate (clergy).
(ii) Second Estate (nobility)
(iii) Third Estate (big businessmen,
merchants, peasants, artisans,
landless labour etc.)
Q3. The members of which estate had
to pay taxes?
Ans. The members of the third estate had
to pay taxes to the state.
Q4.What was tithe?
Ans. Tithe was a tax levied by the
church, comprising one-tenth of the
agricultural produce.
Q5. What led to a rapid increase in the
demand for foodgrains in 1789?
Ans. 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
foodgrains.
Q6. Mention two characteristics of the
middle class who emerged in the
eighteenth century.
Ans.
(i) They were educated.
(ii) They believed that no group in society
should be privileged by birth.
Q7.Who wrote Two Treatises of
Government? How did the author
express himself in this book?
Ans. John Locke wrote Two Treatises
of Government. In his book, Locke
sought to refute the doctrine of the
divine and absolute right of the
monarch.
Q8. Who wrote The Spirit of the Laws?
What did the author propose in
this book?
Ans. Montesquieu wrote The Spirit of the
Laws. In his book, he proposed
a division of power within the
government between the legislature,
the executive and the judiciary.
Q9.What was the Estates General?
Ans. The Estates General was a political
body and was controlled by the
French monarch.
Q10.Who were denied entry to the
assembly of the Estates General,
called by Louis XVI on 5 May
1789?
Ans. Peasants, artisans and women were
denied entry to the assemly of the
Estates General.
The French Revolution
23
Q11.What did the representatives of
the third estate demand in the
assembly of the Estates General?
Ans. They demanded that voting be
conducted by the assembly as a
whole, where each member would
have one vote.
Q12.What happened when Louis XVI
rejected the proposal of the third
estate?
Ans. When Louis XVI rejected their
proposal, members of the third
estate walked out of the assembly
on protest.
Q13.What was the main objective of
the National Assembly?
Ans. Its main objective was to limit the
powers of the monarch.
Q14.Who were entitled to vote under
the Constitution of 1791?
Ans. Only men above 25 years of age who
paid taxes equal to at least 3 days
of a labourer’s wage were entitled to
vote.
Q15. Why were images and symbols used
in the eighteenth century France?
Ans. The majority of men and women in
the eighteenth century France could
not read or write. So images and
symbols were frequently used instead
of printed words to communicate
important ideas.
Q16.What idea did the Law Tablet
convey?
Ans. It conveyed the idea that the law is
the same for all, and all are equal
before it.
Q17.Who were the members of the
Jacobin Club?
Ans. Shopkeepers, artisans—such as
shoe-makers, pastry cooks, watchmakers, printers as well as servants
and dailywage workers were the
members of the Jacobin club.
Q18. Who was the leader of the Jacobin
Club?
Ans. Maximilian Robespierre was the
leader of the Jacobin Club.
24
Social Science—IX
Q19.What happened in France on 21
September 1792?
Ans. O n 2 1 S e p t e m b e r 1 7 9 2 , t h e
newly elected assembly, called
the convention, and abolished the
monarchy and then declared France
a republic.
Q20.What consequences did Louis XVI
and his queen face after France
became a republic in 1792?
Ans. Louis XVI was sentenced to death by
a court on the charge of treason. On
21 January 1793 he was executed
publicly at the Place de la Concorde.
The queen Marie Antoinette met with
the same fate shortly after it.
Q21. Mention the period that is referred
to as the Reign of Terror in France.
Ans. The period from 1793 to 1794 is
referred to as the Reign of Terror in
France.
Q22.What is a guillotine?
Ans. The guillotine is a device consisting
of two poles and a blade with which
a person is beheaded. It was invented
by Dr. Guillotin.
Q23. What did Robespierre’s government
do to bring equality in France?
Mention any two points.
Ans. (i) The use of more expensive white
flour was forbidden, all citizens were
required to eat the pain d’égalite
(equality bread), a loaf made of whole
wheat.
(ii) All French men and women were
now Citoyen and Citoyenne (citizen)
respectively.
Q24.W h a t w a s o n e o f t h e m o s t
revolutionary social reforms 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.
Q25. When was slavery finally abolished
in French colonies?
Ans. Slavery was finally abolished in
French colonies in 1848.
Q26.What did the Declaration of
the Rights of Man and Citizen
proclaim?
Ans. The Declaration of the Right of Man
and Citizen proclaimed freedom of
speech or expression to be a natural
right.
Q27. When was censorship abolished in
France? What was its immediate
effect?
Ans. Censorship was abolished in 1789.
Soon afterwards, the newspapers,
pamphlets, books and printed
pictures flooded the towns of France
from where they travelled rapidly into
the countryside.
Q28.How did people initially view
Napoleon Bonaparte? Why did their
opinion change soon afterwards?
Ans. I n i t i a l l y , m a n y p e o p l e v i e w e d
Napoleon as a liberator who would
bring freedom for them. But soon
their opinion changed because his
armies emerged into an invading
force.
Q29. What was the impact of the French
Revolution on the colonised people
in different countries of the world?
Ans. They reworked the idea of freedom
from bondage into their movements
to create a sovereign nation-state.
I II. SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1.How can you hold Louis XVI
responsible for preparing
the background of the French
Revolution?
Ans.
(i) Louis XVI ascended the throne of
France in 1774. He was just twenty
years old at that time and was quite
unaware of the problems of the
common mass.
(ii) Upon his accession, the royal treasury
was empty. Instead of curtailing his
own extravaganza, he increased taxes.
This brought severe dissatisfaction
among the French people. Being
pleasure-loving, he misused money
on wasteful festivities.
(iii) His wife Marie Antoinette constantly
interferred in the administration
but the king never objected her.
He lacked far-sightedness. This
drawback of his personality made
him a quite unpopular king.
(iv) He never took heed to the common
man’s demands. As a result, the
French Revolution occurred and he
and his wife were guillotined.
Q2. Describe all the three estates into
which French society was divided
in the 18th century.
Ans.
(i) The French society was divided into
three estates in the 18th century:
the first estate was comprised of
the clergy, the second estate was
comprised of the nobility and the
third estate was comprised of the
common mass, i.e. big businessmen,
merchants, lawyers, peasants,
artisans, landless labour, etc. The
members of the first two estates
enjoyed certain privileges by birth.
They were exempted from paying
taxes to the state. The nobles further
enjoyed feudal privileges. These
included feudal dues, which they
extracted from the peasants. Then
came the third estate which was
very far from any such privileges.
The members of this estate had to
pay taxes to the state. They also had
no political rights and social status.
Q3. Give a brief description of the third
estate.
Ans.
(i) The third estate was on the last rung
of the French society. This estate
was constituted of big businessmen,
merchants, court officials, lawyers,
peasants, artisans, landless labour
and servants.
(ii) However, peasants made up about
90 per cent of the population and
only a small number of them owned
the land they cultivated.
The French Revolution
25
(iii) The members of this estate had no
political rights and social status.
They were always under the burden
of taxes. Here, it is worth mentioning
that within this state one could see
gross disparities. Some were very
rich while others were very poor.
(iv) The rich, i.e. big businessmen,
merchants, professionals, etc. had
access to education but the poor were
always worried about their existence.
They were victims of food scarcity.
Q4. What role did the philosophers play
in the French Revolution? HOTS
Or
Describe the role of the French
philosophers in the French
Revolution.
Ans.
(i) The philosophers played an important
role in the French Revolution. They
inspired the common mass of France
with their revolutionary ideas and
prepared them to fight against
injustices.
(ii) They did not believe in the doctrine
of the divine and absolute right of
the monarch. In his Two Treatises
of Government John Locke refuted
this doctrine strongly.
(iii) Rousseau carried the idea forward
proposing a form of government
based on a social contract between
people and their representatives.
(iv)In The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu
proposed a division of power
within the government between the
legislative, the executive and the
judiciary.
(v) The ideas of these philosophers were
discussed intensively in saloons
and coffee-houses and spread
among people through books and
newspapers. These were frequently
read aloud in groups for the benefit
of those who were illiterate. Thus,
the philosophers contributed a lot in
bringing of the French Revolution.
26
Social Science—IX
Q5. What drastic changes were brought
about by the National Assembly in
1789?HOTS
Ans. The following changes were brought
about by the National Assembly:
(i) The powers of Louis XVI were
reduced. He was now king only in
name.
(ii) On the night of 4 August 1789, the
Assembly passed a decree abolishing
the feudal system of obligations and
taxes.
(iii) The members of the clergy were
forced to give up their privileges.
(iv) Taxes were abolished and lands owned
by the church were confiscated.
Q6. What were the main features of the
Constitution of 1791?
Ans. The main features of the constitution
of 1791 are given below:
(i) France became a constitutional
monarchy. The powers of the king
were reduced to a great extent.
(ii) 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.
(iii) The Constitution of 1791 vested the
power to make laws in the National
Assembly, which was indirectly
elected, i.e. citizens voted for a group
of electors, who in turn chose the
Assembly.
(iv) Only men above 25 years of age who
paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of
a labourer’s wage were given the right
to vote. It means they were active
citizens. The remaining men and
all women were classed as passive
citizens.
(v) 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.
(vi) 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 could now
be availed by each human being by
birth.
Q7. Why were images and symbols used
in the eighteenth century France?
What do the following symbols
stand for?
(i) The broken chain
(ii) The eye within a triangle radiating
light
(iii) The Law Tablet
(iv) The bundle of rods or fasces
Ans. Literacy was very low in the 18th
century France. Majority of men and
women could not read or write. So
images and symbols were frequently
used instead of printed words to
communicate the content of the
Declaration of Rights. The following
symbols conveyed different ideas:
(i) The broken chain: Chains were
used to fetter slaves. A broken chain
stands for the act of becoming free.
(ii) 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.
(iii) The Law Tablet: The law is the same
for all and all are equal before it.
(iv) The bundle of rods or fasces: One
rod can be easily broken, but not
an entire bundle. This implies that
strength lies in unity.
Q8.Give a brief description of the
reign of terror led by Maximillian
Robespierre.
Or
Which period is known as the Reign
of Terror in the history of France?
Give reasons.
HOTS
Ans. After the execution of Louis XVI
and his queen Marie Antoinette in
1793 started the reign of terror
which continued till 1794. Its leader
was Maximillian Robespierre. He
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 method were
arrested, imprisoned and then tried
by a revolutionary tribunal. If the
court found them guilty, they were
guillotined. Thus, in Robespierre’s
policies there was no scope of
moderation. Even his supporters got
tired of them in due course. Finally,
he was convicted by a court in July
1794, arrested and on the next day
sent to the guillotine.
Q9. What were the salient features of
Robespierre’s government?
Ans. Robespierre tried his best to bring
equality among French people by all
means. The salient features of his
government are given below:
(i) Robespierre’s government issued
laws placing a maximum ceiling on
wages and prices. Meat and bread
were rationed.
(ii) 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 pain d’ègalite
(equality bread), a loaf made of whole
wheat.
(iv) Equality was also sought to be
practised through forms of speech
and address.
(v)Instead of the traditional Monsieur
(Sir) and Madame (Madam) all French
men and women were henceforth
Citoyen and Citoyenne (citizen).
(vi) Churches were shut down and their
buildings converted into barracks or
offices.
The French Revolution
27
Q10.What happened after the fall of
Robespierre’s government?
Or
Write a short note on the Directory.
Ans. A f t e r t h e f a l l o f R o b e s p i e r r e ’ s
government, the wealthier middle
classes came forward to seize power.
A new constitution was introduced
which denied the vote to nonpropertied 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. However,
the Directors often clashed with
the legislative councils, who then
sought to dismiss them. Thus, the
Directory became the victim of political
instability which paved the way for the
rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Q11. What was the condition of women
in France before the revolution?
Describe briefly.
Ans. Women in France did not avail
respectable status in society. They
were considered much inferior to
men before the Revolution. Most
of them 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 in the houses of wealthy
people. Most women did not have
access to education or job training.
Only daughters of nobles or wealthier
members of the third estate could
get education. Working women had
to take care of their families. They
had to cook, fetch water, queue up
for bread and look after the children.
Their wages were always lower than
those of men.
28
Social Science—IX
Q12.W h a t d i d t h e r e v o l u t i o n a r y
government do to improve the
condition of women in France?
HOTS
Ans. The revolutionary government in the
early years introduced several laws
to improve the condition of women in
France:
(i)State schools were created and
schooling was made compulsory for
all girls.
(ii) Women could no longer be forced to
marry against their wishes.
(iii) Marriage was made into a contract,
entered into freely and registered
under civil law.
(iv)Divorce was made legal and could
be applied for by both women and
men.
(v) Women could now train for jobs,
could become artists or run small
businesses.
Q13. Describe in brief about Napoleon’s
rise and downfall in the history of
France.
Ans. After Napoleon became the emperor of
France in 1804, he set out to conquer
neighbouring European countries,
dispossessing dynasties and creating
kingdoms where he placed members
of his family. He introduced several
laws such as the protection of private
property and a uniform system of
weight and measures provided by the
decimal system. Thus, he began to be
viewed as a liberator in the beginning.
But very soon the Napoleonic armies
lost their trust in people. They came
to be regarded as an invading force
and in 1815 he was finally defeated
at Waterloo.
Q14.What was subsistence crisis?
Mention two factors responsible
for this crisis.
Ans. Subsistence crisis is an extreme
situation where the basic means of
livelihood are endangered.
The factors responsible for this type
of crises:
(i) 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 foodgrains. 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
owner fixed their wages. But wages
did not keep pace with the rise in
prices. So, the gap between the poor
and the rich widened.
(ii) Things became worse whenever
drought or haul reduced the harvest.
This led to a subsistence crisis.
Q15.Which laws were introduced
by revolutionary government to
improve the condition of women
in France?
Ans. See Q.No. 12 (Short Answer Type
Questions).
Q16.What was the importance of the
‘Tennis Court Swearing’ in the
French Revolution?
Ans. This was an important event in the
French Revolution—
(i) On 20 June, the representatives of
the third estate assembled in the
hall of an indoor tennis court in the
grounds of Versailles.
(ii) These representatives declared
themselves a National Assembly and
swore not to disperse till they had
drafted a constitution for France that
limit the powers of the Monarch.
(iii) The National Assembly completed the
draft of the Constitution in 1791 as a
result of which France finally became
a republic in 1792. Monarchy was
abolished for ever.
Q17. Discuss the effects of the abolition
of censorship in France.
Ans.
(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. They all
described and discussed the events
and changes taking place in France.
(iii) Freedom of press also meant that
opposing view of events could be
expressed. Each side sought to
convince the others of its position
through the medium of print.
Q18.Write three chief characteristic
features of the Constitution of
1791.
Ans. (i) 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.
(ii) Not all citizens 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.
(iii) 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.
Q19.Describe the importance of the
declaration of the Rights of Man
and Citizen in France.
or
Mention any five values which are
associated with Declaration of the
Rights of Man and Citizen.
The French Revolution
29
Ans. T he five values associated with
Declaration of the Rights of Man and
Citizen are:
(i) Right to Life: Everyone has the right
to live in his/her own way. There
would not be any restriction from
the state.
(ii) Freedom of Speech: Every citizen
is entitled to speak whatever he/she
thinks right.
(iii) Freedom of Opinion: Every citizen
is entitled to write or express his/
her own opinion freely.
(iv) Equality before Law: Law is the
expression of the general will. All
citizens have the right to participate
in its formation, personally or
through their representatives. All
citizens are equal before it.
(v) Liberty: It consists of the power to do
whatever is not injurious to others.
IV.LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q1. Why did Louis XVI call together an
assembly of the Estates General
on 5 May 1789? What was its
outcome?HOTS
Ans.
(i) On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called
together an assembly of the Estates
General to pass proposals for new
taxes. The Estates General was a
political body to which the three
estates sent their representatives.
(ii) The first and second estates sent
300 representatives each, who were
seated in rows facing each other on
two sides, while the 600 members
of the third estate had to stand at
the back.
(iii) The third estate was represented by
its more prosperous and educated
members. Peasants, artisans and
women were denied entry to the
assembly.
iv) Louis XVI wanted voting to be
conducted on the old principle
30
Social Science—IX
– each estate having one vote.
But the members of the third
estate demanded that voting now
be conducted by the Assembly as a
whole, where each member would
have one vote.
(v) The king rejected their demand as a
result of which they walked out of
the Assembly in protest.
(vi) The members of the third estate
declared themselves a National
Assembly and began to draft a
Constitution for France which would
limit the powers of the monarch.
(vii) W h i l e t h e N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y
was busy at Versailles drafting a
Constitution, the rest of France
seethed with turmoil. They were
facing acute food scarcity. Finally,
the agitated common mass stormed
and destroyed the Bastille, the
symbol of the king’s despotic and
tyrannic rule on 14 July 1789.
(viii) The condition of the countryside
was also not good. Peasants looted
hoarded grains and burnt down
documents. A large number of nobles
fled from their houses.
(ix) Louis XVI finally accorded the
recognition to the National Assembly
and accepted the principle that
his powers would from now on be
checked by a Constitution.
(x) The feudal system of obligations and
taxes was also abolished. Members
of the clergy were forced to give up
their privileges.
Q2.France abolished monarchy and
became a republic finally. How did
it all happen? Describe in brief.
Ans.
(i) Although Louis XVI signed the
Constitution of 1791, he entered into
secret negotiations with the King of
Prussia. Rulers of other neighbouring
countries too were worried by the
developments in France and made
plans to send troops to suppress the
events that had been taking place
since the summer of 1789.
(ii) But before this could happen, the
National Assembly declared war
against Prussia and Austria in 1792.
Thousands of volunteers came from
the provinces to join the army. They
saw this as a war of the people
against the king and aristocrats all
over Europe.
(iii) The revolutionary war brought losses
and economic difficulties to the
people. Despite that 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.
(iv) As a result, political clubs emerged.
The most successful of these clubs
was that of the Jacobins, who
belonged to the less prosperous
sections of society. Their leader was
Maximillian Robespierre.
(v) In the summer of 1792, the Jacobins
planned an insurrection of a large
number of Parisians who were angry
due to by the short supplies and
high prices of food.
(vi) On August 10, they stormed the
palace of the Tuileries, killed the
king’s guards and held the king
himself as a hostage for several
hours. Later the Assembly voted to
imprison the royal family.
(vii) Elections were held. The newly elected
assembly, called the Convention,
abolished the monarchy and declared
France a republic on 21 September
1792.
(viii) Louis XVI was executed publicly at
Place de la Concorde. The queen
Marie Antoinette met with the same
fate shortly after it.
Q3. How was slavery finally abolished
in France?
or
Describe the triangular slave
trade that was carried on in
the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries.
Ans.
(i)In order to overcome the shortage
of labour on the plantations, a
triangular slave trade between
Europe, Africa and the Americas
began in the 17th century.
(ii) French merchants sailed from the
ports of Bordeaux or Nantes to the
African coast, where they bought
slaves from local chieftains. 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. Thus, slave trade
was deeply rooted in France.
(iii) Throughout the 18th century there
was little criticism of slavery in
France. The National Assembly held
long debates about whether the
rights of man should be extended
to all French subjects including
those in the colonies. But it did not
pass any laws, fearing opposition
from businessmen whose incomes
depended on the slave trade. It was
finally the Convention which in 1794
legislated to free all slaves in the
French overseas possessions. This,
however, did not last for long. After
a decade, Napoleon re-introduced
slavery in 1804 which was finally
abolished in French colonies in
1848.
Q4.How did the revolution affect
everyday life of the people of
France?HOTS
The French Revolution
31
Ans.
(i) The revolutionary ideas of the French
Revolution, i.e. equality and liberty
changed the clothes people wore, the
language they spoke and the books
they read. Laws were passed to
translate these ideals into everyday
practice.
(ii)One important law that came into
effect soon after the storming of the
Bastille in 1789 was the abolition
of censorship. In the Old Regime
all written material and cultural
activities could be published or
performed only after they had been
approved by the censors of the king.
(iii)Now the ‘Declaration of the Rights
of Man and Citizen’ proclaimed
freedom of speech and expression
to be a natural right. As a result,
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 press also meant that
opposing views of events could be
expressed. Each side sought to
convince the others of its position
through the medium of print.
(v) Plays, songs and festive processions
attracted large numbers of people.
The visual and oral art forms became
very popular among the common
mass which could not read and write
in the 18th century.
(vi)The majority of men and women
could now easily understand the
ideas of equality, liberty and justice.
Thus, the everyday life of the French
people was deeply affected by the
revolution.
V. SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1. Read the following extract (Source
F) taken from NCERT Textbook,
page 20 and answer the questions
that follow:
32
Social Science—IX
Some of the basic rights set forth
in Olympe de Gouges’ Declaration.
1. Woman is born free and remains
equal to man in rights.
2. The goal of all political associations
is the preservation of the natural
rights of woman and man: These
rights are liberty, property,
security, and above all resistance
to oppression.
3. The source of all sovereignty resides
in the nation, which is nothing but
the union of woman and man.
4. The law should be the expression
of the general will; all female
and male citizens should have a
say either personally or by their
representatives in its formulation;
it should be the same for all.
All female and male citizens are
equally entitled to all honours
and public employment according
to their abilities and without any
other distinction than that of their
talents.
5. No woman is an exception; she is
accused, arrested, and detained in
cases determined by law. Women,
like men, obey this rigorous law.
(a) How did Olympe de Gouges, view
women?
(b)What should be the goal of all
political associations according
to her?
(c) What was her opinion about law?
Ans. (a)Olympe de Gouges opined that
woman was born free and, therefore,
she should remain equal to man
in rights. There should not be any
disparity between both the sexes.
(b)According to Olympe de Gouges,
the goal of all political associations
should be the preservation of all
the natural rights (liberty, property,
security and resistance to oppression)
of woman and man.
(c)She was of the opinion that the
law should be the expression of the
general will. All female and male
citizens should have a say either
personally or by their representatives
in its formulation, it should be the
same for all.
being was entitled to.
In 1791, she wrote a Declaration of
the Rights of Woman and Citizen,
which she addressed to the Queen
and to the members of the National
Assembly, demanding that they act
upon it.
V I. PICTURE-BASED QUESTIONS
V II. VALUE-BASED QUESTIONS
Q1.Try to recognise the picture
given below taken from NCERT
Textbook, page 19 and answer the
following questions:
(i) Who has been shown in the given
picture?
(ii) How did she contribute to the nation
and woman’s rights?
Q1.I n T h e S p i r i t o f t h e L a w s ,
Montesquieu proposed a division
of power within the government
between the legislative, the
executive and the judiciary. Give
any three values which can be
reflected from this proposal.
Ans. The three values which can be
reflected from this proposal are—
(i) Power sharing: This arrangement
would refute the doctrine of the
divine and absolute right of the
monarch.
(ii) Equality: The enforcement of equality
would bring all the people of France
on the same platform. There would
be no special privileges for the clergy
or the nobility. Everyone would enjoy
equal status.
(iii) Expansion of peace and prosperity:
A good administration is always a
harbinger of peace and prosperity.
In France if the government valued
Montesquien’s proposal, there would
be peace everywhere. People would
prosper day by day.
Ans.
(i) The above picture is of Olympe de
Gouges, one of the most important
of the politically active women in
revolutionary France.
(ii) She protested against the Constitution
and the Declaration of Rights of Man
and Citizen as women were excluded
from basic rights that each human
Q2. Analyse the given table. Which values you think were disturbing the balance
of a country like France.
Active Citizens
Entitled to vote. About 4 million of a population of 28 million.
Passive Citizens
No voting rights. About 3 million men, women, children
and youth below 25.
Ans. A large section of the people in France was not entitled to vote in elections.
Such an arrangement would definitely make the country weak and imbalanced.
When people are marginalised, there occur hopelessness and dissatisfaction on
a large scale. This is a highly negative point for a country.
The French Revolution
33
Q3.The following is an extract for
Robespierre’s speech at the
conversation on 7th February
1794.
“To establish and consolidate
democracy, to achieve the peaceful
rule of constitutional laws, we must
first finish the war of liberty against
tyranny ….. We must annihilate the
enemies of the republic at home and
abroad, or else we shall perish. In
time of Revolution, a democratic
government may rely on terror. Terror
is nothing but justice, swift, severe
and inflexible; …. and is used to
meet the most urgent needs of the
fatherland. To curb the enemies of
liberty through terror is the right of
the founder of the Republic.”
Now give any three values which
can be reflected from the speech.
Ans. The three values reflected from the
speech are:
(i) Nationalism
(ii) Patriotism
(iii) National integration
Robespierre believed in the policy of
severe control and punishment to
establish the above values firmly in
the society.
TEST YOUR SKILLS
1. How was the system of estates in French society organised? Give a brief description.
2. Describe the emergence of the middle class in the 18th century French society.
3. Who was Mirabeau? How did he oppose the feudal system in France?
4. Describe some of the features of the Constitution of 1791.
5. What role did the women play in bringing about important changes in French
society?
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Social Science—IX