📘 Chapter 1: The French Revolution
The French Society during the Late 18th Century
French society was divided into three estates.
1st Estate: Clergy
2nd Estate: Nobility
3rd Estate: Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, peasants, artisans, landless labourers and servants.
The First and Second Estates enjoyed privileges by birth.
They did not pay taxes to the state.
The Third Estate paid all taxes including direct and indirect taxes.
The Third Estate included both rich and poor people.
The rich included merchants and businessmen.
The poor included peasants and labourers.
The Struggle for Survival
The population of France increased rapidly.
The demand for food grains increased.
Production of food grains could not keep pace.
The price of bread increased sharply.
Poor people spent most of their income on bread.
They faced hunger and starvation.
This situation is known as subsistence crisis.
The Growing Middle Class
The middle class emerged within the Third Estate.
It included merchants, lawyers and teachers.
They were educated and believed in equality.
They opposed privileges based on birth.
John Locke believed in natural rights such as life, liberty and property.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that power lies with the people.
These ideas spread through books, newspapers, salons and coffee houses.
The Outbreak of the Revolution
In 1774, Louis XVI became the king of France.
He found the treasury empty.
France was in heavy debt due to wars and royal expenses.
The king increased taxes which burdened the Third Estate.
In 1789, the Estates-General was convened.
The Third Estate demanded equal voting rights.
When their demands were rejected, they formed the National Assembly.
On 14 July 1789, the Bastille was stormed.
This marked the beginning of the French Revolution.
Important Events and Developments
1789: National Assembly formed, Bastille stormed.
1791: Constitution framed to limit the powers of the king.
1792: France became a republic.
1793: King Louis XVI and the queen were executed.
1794: Reign of Terror ended.
1795: Directory government established.
1799: Napoleon came to power.
Women’s Role in the Revolution
Women played an active role in the revolution.
Most women worked for a living.
Their wages were lower than men.
They formed political clubs and newspapers.
They demanded equal political rights.
Women in France got the right to vote in 1946.
The Abolition of Slavery
There was a triangular slave trade between Europe, Africa and America.
In 1794, slavery was abolished.
Napoleon reintroduced slavery later.
Slavery was finally abolished in 1848.
The Revolution and Everyday Life
After 1789, many changes took place.
Censorship was abolished.
Freedom of speech and expression was introduced.
The ideas of liberty and equality spread across Europe.
Napoleon
In 1804, Napoleon became the emperor of France.
He introduced many reforms and laws.
He conquered many European countries.
He was defeated at Waterloo in 1815.
Topic-wise Practice Questions
French Society
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Name the three estates of French society.
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Which estate paid taxes?
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Who were included in the Third Estate?
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Why was the Third Estate dissatisfied?
Subsistence Crisis
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What is a subsistence crisis?
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Why did the price of bread increase?
Middle Class and Philosophers
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Who was John Locke?
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What were the ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
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How did revolutionary ideas spread?
Outbreak of Revolution
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Who was the king of France in 1774?
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What was the Estates-General?
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Why was the Bastille stormed?
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What was the National Assembly?
Important Events
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When was the Constitution of France framed?
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When did France become a republic?
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When was Louis XVI executed?
Women’s Role
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What demands did women make?
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When did women get voting rights in France?
Slavery
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What is triangular slave trade?
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When was slavery finally abolished in France?
Napoleon
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When did Napoleon become emperor?
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Where was Napoleon defeated?
Long Answer Questions
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Explain the causes of the French Revolution.
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Describe the role of women in the French Revolution.
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Explain the impact of the French Revolution.
Objective Questions (MCQs) with Answers
1. French Society
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French society was divided into how many estates?
a) Two
b) Three
c) Four
d) Five
Answer: b) Three -
Which estate paid all taxes?
a) First Estate
b) Second Estate
c) Third Estate
d) None
Answer: c) Third Estate -
Who belonged to the First Estate?
a) Peasants
b) Clergy
c) Merchants
d) Labourers
Answer: b) Clergy
2. Subsistence Crisis
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What caused subsistence crisis?
a) Low population
b) High food production
c) Increase in population and food shortage
d) Low taxes
Answer: c) Increase in population and food shortage -
What was the main food of the people of France?
a) Rice
b) Wheat
c) Bread
d) Meat
Answer: c) Bread
3. Philosophers
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Who gave the idea of natural rights?
a) John Locke
b) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
c) Voltaire
d) Montesquieu
Answer: a) John Locke -
Who believed in the idea of general will?
a) John Locke
b) Rousseau
c) Voltaire
d) Newton
Answer: b) Rousseau
4. Outbreak of Revolution
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Who was the king of France in 1789?
a) Louis XIV
b) Louis XV
c) Louis XVI
d) Napoleon
Answer: c) Louis XVI -
When was the Bastille stormed?
a) 4 August 1789
b) 14 July 1789
c) 26 August 1789
d) 5 May 1789
Answer: b) 14 July 1789 -
What was the Bastille?
a) A palace
b) A prison
c) A school
d) A church
Answer: b) A prison
5. Important Events
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When did France become a republic?
a) 1789
b) 1791
c) 1792
d) 1795
Answer: c) 1792 -
Who was executed in 1793?
a) Napoleon
b) Louis XVI
c) Robespierre
d) Rousseau
Answer: b) Louis XVI
6. Women
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When did women get voting rights in France?
a) 1789
b) 1791
c) 1848
d) 1946
Answer: d) 1946
7. Slavery
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When was slavery finally abolished in French colonies?
a) 1794
b) 1804
c) 1848
d) 1815
Answer: c) 1848
8. Napoleon
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When did Napoleon become emperor?
a) 1799
b) 1804
c) 1815
d) 1789
Answer: b) 1804 -
Where was Napoleon defeated?
a) Paris
b) London
c) Waterloo
d) Vienna
Answer: c) WaterlooNCERT Solutions
1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
France was facing an economic crisis and heavy debt.
Food prices increased and people suffered from hunger.
The Third Estate paid all taxes and was dissatisfied.
Ideas of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau inspired people.
The king rejected their demands, leading to revolt.2. Which groups benefited, lost power, and were disappointed?
The Third Estate benefited the most.
Peasants and middle class gained rights.Clergy and nobility lost their privileges.
Women and poor people were disappointed as they did not get equal rights.
3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution.
It spread ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity.
It ended monarchy and promoted democracy.
It inspired revolutions in other countries.4. List democratic rights we enjoy today.
Right to equality
Right to freedom
Right to vote
Right to liberty
Right to form associations5. Was the message of universal rights full of contradictions?
Yes, it had contradictions.
Women were not given equal rights.
Slavery continued for some time.
Poor people still suffered.6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
The Directory government was weak.
Napoleon was a successful military leader.
People supported him for stability.
He became ruler in 1799 and emperor in 1804.
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