Chapter 1: The French Revolution

NCERT Questions & Answers

Q1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
→ The French monarchy faced financial crisis due to long wars and extravagant spending. The treasury was empty and taxation was increased. Society was divided into three estates, where clergy and nobility enjoyed privileges, while the Third Estate bore the tax burden. Rising population, food shortages, and high bread prices created a subsistence crisis. Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Locke spread ideas of equality and liberty. The American Revolution also inspired French people. Thus, social inequality, economic hardship, and new political ideas led to revolutionary protests.

Q2. Which groups of French society benefited from the Revolution? Which groups were forced to relinquish power? Which sections would have been disappointed?
→ Benefited: Peasants, artisans, and the middle class who gained equality before law and end of feudal dues.
Relinquished power: Nobility and clergy lost privileges, taxes, and feudal rights.
Disappointed: Women, who were still denied political rights, and poorer sections, who remained passive citizens under the 1791 Constitution.

Q3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world.
→ The Revolution spread the ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity. It inspired struggles against monarchy and feudalism in Europe. Colonised countries like India drew from its principles to fight colonial rule. Democratic rights such as freedom of speech, equality before law, and sovereignty of the people became universal values. However, contradictions existed, such as denial of rights to women and colonies.

Q4. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the French Revolution.
→ Right to equality before law, right to freedom of speech and expression, right to vote, right to liberty, right against exploitation, and right to property (later modified in India).

Q5. Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions? Explain.
→ Yes. While the Revolution declared universal rights, women were excluded, as were slaves in colonies. Only active male citizens with property could vote initially. Thus, universal rights were limited by class, gender, and race.

Q6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
→ Political instability after the fall of Jacobins, failure of the Directory, and constant wars created conditions for a strong leader. Napoleon, a military general, seized power in 1799 and later crowned himself Emperor. He introduced reforms in law, administration, and modernised Europe. Initially hailed as a liberator, he later became a dictator until his defeat at Waterloo in 1815.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. Explain the social and economic causes of the French Revolution.
The French society in the 18th century was divided into three estates. The first two estates—the clergy and nobility—enjoyed privileges, including exemption from taxes, while the Third Estate bore the entire tax burden. Peasants, artisans, and workers faced exploitation through feudal dues and tithes. Economic hardship worsened as population growth outpaced food supply, leading to a subsistence crisis. Bread prices soared, and wages stagnated. Extravagant expenditure by King Louis XVI and his court deepened the financial crisis. France’s involvement in the American War of Independence added to the debt. These conditions created resentment, and people demanded an end to inequality, paving the way for revolution.

Q2. Discuss the role of philosophers in the French Revolution.
Enlightenment philosophers inspired people with ideas of equality, freedom, and democracy. John Locke refuted the doctrine of divine right of kings and argued for government based on consent. Rousseau’s Social Contract emphasised collective sovereignty and equality. Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws proposed division of power among executive, legislature, and judiciary, influencing democratic structures. Their works spread through salons, newspapers, and coffee houses, reaching even the illiterate. These ideas encouraged the Third Estate to demand reforms and shaped revolutionary demands for a society based on merit and rights rather than birth.

Q3. Explain the Reign of Terror under Robespierre.
The period from 1793–1794 is called the Reign of Terror. Maximilien Robespierre, leader of Jacobins, imposed severe controls to protect the republic. Suspected enemies of the revolution, including nobles, clergy, and even his opponents, were arrested and executed by guillotine. Harsh economic measures like price controls on bread and rationing were introduced. Traditional titles like Monsieur and Madame were replaced by Citizen. Churches were closed. While the aim was equality, fear and repression dominated. Ultimately, Robespierre lost support, was arrested, and executed in 1794, ending the Terror.

Q4. What was the impact of the French Revolution on women?
Women actively participated in protests, marched to Versailles, and formed political clubs. They demanded education, equal wages, and the right to vote. The Constitution of 1791, however, denied them political rights, reducing them to passive citizens. Revolutionary governments introduced some reforms like compulsory schooling for girls, legalised divorce, and civil marriages. Women like Olympe de Gouges demanded political equality, writing the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen. Yet, during the Reign of Terror, women’s clubs were closed, and many activists were punished. Women in France finally gained voting rights only in 1946.

Q5. Describe the abolition of slavery during the French Revolution.
Slavery existed in French colonies in the Caribbean, where Africans were forced to work on plantations. The French Revolution initially ignored the issue due to pressure from merchants benefiting from the slave trade. In 1794, the Convention abolished slavery in all French colonies, recognising the rights of slaves as citizens. This was a significant step towards equality. However, Napoleon reintroduced slavery in 1804. Finally, slavery was abolished permanently in 1848. The abolition of slavery highlighted the Revolution’s broader struggle for human rights and influenced anti-slavery movements globally.

MCQs

The storming of Bastille took place on:
(a) 5 May 1789
(b) 14 July 1789
(c) 4 August 1789
(d) 21 September 1792
Answer: (b)
Louis XVI belonged to which dynasty?
(a) Habsburg
(b) Bourbon
(c) Tudor
(d) Stuart
Answer: (b)
The unit of currency in France before 1794 was:
(a) Franc
(b) Livre
(c) Pound
(d) Dollar
Answer: (b)
The tax paid directly to the state was called:
(a) Tithe
(b) Taille
(c) Gabelle
(d) Octroi
Answer: (b)
Tithes were collected by:
(a) Nobles
(b) Church
(c) King
(d) Merchants
Answer: (b)
The middle class in France was also known as:
(a) Clergy
(b) Nobility
(c) Bourgeoisie
(d) Sans-culottes
Answer: (c)
Who wrote The Social Contract?
(a) Montesquieu
(b) Rousseau
(c) Locke
(d) Voltaire
Answer: (b)
Who proposed separation of powers?
(a) Montesquieu
(b) Rousseau
(c) Locke
(d) Danton
Answer: (a)
The slogan of the French Revolution was:
(a) Justice, Equality, Power
(b) Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
(c) Liberty, Justice, Sovereignty
(d) Equality, Rights, Nation
Answer: (b)
Who led the Jacobins?
(a) Napoleon
(b) Robespierre
(c) Danton
(d) Marat
Answer: (b)
Which period is called the Reign of Terror?
(a) 1789–1791
(b) 1791–1792
(c) 1793–1794
(d) 1794–1799
Answer: (c)
Which device was used for executions?
(a) Cannon
(b) Sword
(c) Guillotine
(d) Axe
Answer: (c)
Who wrote Declaration of Rights of Woman and Citizen?
(a) Olympe de Gouges
(b) Rousseau
(c) Montesquieu
(d) Marat
Answer: (a)
Napoleon was finally defeated at:
(a) Paris
(b) Moscow
(c) Leipzig
(d) Waterloo
Answer: (d)
Slavery in French colonies was finally abolished in:
(a) 1794
(b) 1804
(c) 1848
(d) 1815
Answer: (c)
National Anthem of France is:
(a) Vande Mataram
(b) The Marseillaise
(c) La Revolutionnaire
(d) Liberté Song
Answer: (b)
Who criticised monarchy in Two Treatises of Government?
(a) Locke
(b) Rousseau
(c) Montesquieu
(d) Voltaire
Answer: (a)
Which section wore knee breeches?
(a) Sans-culottes
(b) Nobles
(c) Bourgeoisie
(d) Jacobins
Answer: (b)
Which new title was introduced during Revolution?
(a) Sir and Madam
(b) Monsieur and Madame
(c) Citoyen and Citoyenne
(d) Comrade
Answer: (c)
Who crowned himself Emperor in 1804?
(a) Robespierre
(b) Napoleon
(c) Louis XVI
(d) Danton
Answer: (b)

Fill in the Blanks

The French Revolution began in 1789.
The Bastille was a symbol of despotic monarchy.
The tax paid to the state directly was taille.
The tax collected by the church was tithe.
Rousseau wrote The Social Contract.
Montesquieu proposed division of powers.
The slogan of the French Revolution was Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.
The Reign of Terror lasted from 1793–1794.
Olympe de Gouges demanded rights for women.
Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

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