SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS [3 MARKS]
Q.1. what was the subsistence crisis? Why did
it occur in France during the Old Regime?
Ans. 1- The population of France was on the rise. It rose from 23
million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789.This led to increase in the demand for
food grains.
2-The
production of food grains could not keep pace with the demand and the price of
bread which was thestaple diet of the majority Rose rapidly.
3- The wages also did not keep pace with the
rise in prices. The gap between the Rich and the poor widened. This led to the
subsistence crisis.
Q.2.What was the system of voting in the
Estates General? What change did the Third Estate want in this system?
Ans. Voting in the Estates General in the past had been
conducted
1.
According
to the principle that each estate had one vote.
2.
Members of the Third Estate demanded that
voting must now be conducted by the assembly as a whole, where each member
would have one vote.
3.
This
was according to the democratic principles put forward by philosophers like
Rousseau in his book, The Social Contract.
Q.3. Describe the incidents that led to the
storming of the Bastille.
Ans. 1- National Assembly was busy at Versailles drafting a
constitution; the rest of France was seething with turmoil.
2- A
severe winter had meant a bad harvest, the price of bread rose. Often bakers
exploited the situation and hoarded supplies.
3- After spending hours in long queues at the
bakery, crowds of angry women stormed into the shops.
4- At the same time, the king ordered troops
to move into Paris. On 14 July, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed
Bastille.
Q.4. Describe how the new political system of
constitutional monarchy worked in France.
Ans The constitution of 1791 vested the power to make laws in
the National Assembly, which was indirectly elected. That is,
1.
Citizens
voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly. Not all
citizens, however, had the right to vote.
2.
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.
3.
The
remaining men and all women were classed as passive citizens.
4.
To
qualify as an elector and then as a member of the Assembly, a man had to belong
to the highest bracket of taxpayers.
Q.5.What was ‘natural and inalienable
rights’?
Ans1-.The constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights
of Man and Citizens
2- Rights such as the right to life, freedom
of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before law were established as ‘natural and inalienable
rights’, i.e., they belonged to each human being by birth and could not be
taken away
3-It was the duty of the state to protect
each citizen’s natural right.
Q.6Why did slavery begin and why was it
abolished in French colonies?
Ans1-.The slave trade began in the 17th century. The colonies
in the Caribbean – Martinique, Guadeloupe and San Domingo – were important
Suppliers of commodities.
2- But the reluctance of Europeans to go and
work in distant and unfamiliar lands meant a shortage of labour on the
plantations.
3- Throughout the eighteenth century there
was little criticism of slavery in France. The National Assembly did not pass any laws, fearing
opposition from businessmen whose incomes depended on the slave trade
4- It was the Convention which in 1794
legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions. This,
however, turned out to be a short-term measure. Napoleon reintroduced slavery.
5- Slavery was finally abolished in French
colonies in 1848.
Q.7. Explain what a revolution is. In what way did
the French Revolution mean different things to different people?
Ans It is an attempt by a large number of people
to change the government of a country, especially by violent action.
1.
The
Third Estate comprising the common men benefitted from the Revolution. The
clergy and nobility had to relinquish their power.
2. Their land was confiscated. Their
privileges were finished. The people of lower middle class also benefitted.
3.
Position of artisans and workers improved.
4.
Clergy,
feudal lords, nobles and even women were disappointed. The revolution did not
bring real equality as everyone was not given the right to vote meaning women
who got it finally in 1946.
Q.8. Who was the people who comprised the
Third Estate? Who paid the taxes and to whom?
Ans1-The people who comprised the Third Estate were big
businessmen, merchants, lawyers, peasants, artisans, small peasants, landless
labourers and servants.
2- These were 95 per cent of the population.
They had to pay taxes to the state. Taxes included taille, tithes and a number
of indirect taxes.
Q.9Who formed the National Assembly? On what
date is ‘Bastille Day’ celebrated and why?
Ans.1-The representatives of the Third Estate assembled at
Versailles on 20 June and declared themselves a National Assembly
2-The Bastille Day is celebrated on 14th July
every year because on this day the unruly Paris mob stormed and attacked the
prison of Bastille which was considered a symbol of terror and despotism.
Q.10 Name three famous writers and philosophers
who influenced the French- Revolution. What were their ideas?
Ans.1. Jean Jacques Rousseau – a French Swiss philosopher. His
main idea was – man is naturally good and that society of civilisation makes
man anxious and unhappy.
2.
Mirabeau – he brought about a journal and delivered powerful speeches to
the crowds at Versailles.
3.
Voltaire – A famous French writer. He exposed the evils prevailing in
the Church and administration. The numbers of the first two estates were the
(i) Clergy and (ii) Nobility respectively.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS ( 5
MARKS ):
Q.1. Explain the importance of the following
events on the course of the French Revolution:
(a) Storming of the Bastille (c) The passing of the
Civil Constitution of the clergy
Ans. (a) On July 14, 1789, a mob of Paris stormed the fortress –
the prison of Bastille – considered a symbol of oppression and despotism. The
Swiss guards were killed and prisoners set free. The mob stole arms and
ammunition. To this day, France celebrates ‘Bastille Day’ on 14thJuly every
year.
(c) In 1790, the Civil Constitution nationalised
the church. The clergy or group of persons who enjoyed special powers in the
church were also forced to relinquish power. Tithes were abolished and lands
owned by the church were confiscated.
Q.2. Describe the Reign of Terror and role
played by Robespierre in it.
Ans.The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign
of Terror.
1. Maximilian Robespierre, leader of the
Jacobins, followed the policy of severe control and punishment.
2. All those he saw as enemies of the Republic —
ex-nobles, clergy, political opponents — were arrested, tried and guillotined
if found guilty.
3. He
issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices.
4. Meat and bread were rationed.
5. Use of expensive white flour was forbidden.
Robespierre followed his policies so relentlessly that
even his supporters began to demand moderation. Finally, he was convicted,
arrested and guillotined in July 1794.
Q.3What did the following symbols convey in
the Declaration of Rights?
(i) The broken chain (ii) The bundle of rods or fasces (iii)Sceptre
(iv)Snake biting its tail to form a ring (v) Red Phrygian cap (vi)The law tablet
Ans. (i) the broken chains: Chains were used to fetter
slaves. A broken chain stands for the act of becoming free.
(ii) The bundle of rods or fasces: One rod can be easily broken, but not an
entire bundle.Strength lies in unity.
(iii) Sceptre: Symbol of royal power.
(iv)Snake biting its tail to form a ring: Symbol of eternity. A ring has neither
beginning nor end.
(v) Red Phrygian cap: Cap worn by a slave upon becoming free.
(vi)The law tablet: The law is the same for all, and all are
equal before it.
Q.4.write short note on Jacobins?
Ans.1- They got their name from the former convent of St.
Jacob in Paris.
2-They belonged to the less prosperous sections of the
society.
3-They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as
shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and daily
wage earners.
4-Their leader was Maximilian
Robespierre.
5-A large group among the Jacobin decided to wear long
striped trousers similar to those worn by dock workers.
6-This was to set themselves apart from the
fashionable sections of society especially the nobles who wore knee breeches.
Q.5. Discuss the participation of women in
political clubs, their activities and demands.
Ans.From the very beginning, women were active participants
in the events which brought about so many important changes in French society.
1.
They
hoped that their involvement would pressurise the revolutionary government to
introduce measures to improve their lives.
2.
Most
women 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 prosperous people.
3.
Most
women did not have access to education or job training. Their wages were lower
than those of men.
4.
One
of their main demands was that women should be given the same political rights
as men.
5.
Women
were disappointed that the constitution of 1791 reduced them to passive
citizens.
Q.7. Describe the causes for the fall of
Jacobin government in France.
Ans. (i) The Jacobin government in France was based on extreme
measures. The period from 1793-1794 is referred to as the reign of terror.
Robespierre followed a policy of severe Control and punishment.
(ii)All those he saw as being ‘enemies’ of
the republic nobles and clergy, members of other political parties, even
members of his own party who did not agree with his methods–were arrested,
imprisoned and guillotined. This led to chaos and resentment among the people.
(iii)Robespierre’s government ordered shutting
down of churches and converting church buildings into barricades or offices.
Thus the clergy turned against the Jacobin regime and hastened its fall.
(iv) Robespierre pursued his policies so
relentlessly that even his supporters turned against him. They began to demand
moderation and a middle path. Finally, he himself was tried by a court in July
1794, arrested and guillotined.
HOTS
Q.1What landmark decisions were
taken by the National Assembly led by the Third Estate on 4th August, 1789
Ans.1- Louis XVI finally accorded recognition to the National
Assembly and accepted theprinciple that his powers would be checked by a
constitution.
2- On 4 August 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
.3- Tithes were abolished and lands owned by
the church were confiscated. As a result, the government acquired assets worth
at least 2, billion lives.ORMATIVE
ASSESSMENT
Q.2. Describe the importance of Declaration
of the Right of Man in France.
Ans 1-The Declaration of the Right of Man in France
was a landmark decision in the history of France.
2- 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
.3- It was the duty of the state to protect
each citizen's natural rights. The declaration of the Right of Man and Citizens
influenced revolutionary movements elsewhere too.
Q.3. Discuss the participation of women in
political clubs, their activities and demands.
Ans. 1-Women played
important role regarding various activities. In order to discuss and voice their interests
women started their own political clubs and newspapers. About sixty women’s
clubs came up in different French cities.
2.The Society of Revolutionary and
Republican Women was the most famous of them, their main demands were that
(a) Women should be given the same political
rights as men.
(b) They demanded the right to vote, to be
elected to the Assembly and to hold political office.
3- In the early years, the revolutionary
government did introduce laws that helped improve the lives of women. Together
with the creation of state schools, schooling was made compulsory for all
girls. Their fathers could no longer force them into marriage against their
will. Marriage was made into a contract entered into freely and registered
under civil law. Divorce was made legal, and could be applied for by both women
and men. Women could now train for jobs, could become artists or run small
businesses.
4- Women’s struggle for equal political rights,
however, continued. During the Reign of Terror, the new government issued laws
ordering closure of women’s clubs, and banning their political activities.
Women’s movements for voting rights and equal wages continued through the next
two hundred years in many countries of the world. It was finally in 1946 that
women in France won the right to vote.
VALUE BASED QUESTIONS:
Q.1.Which single event turned the revolution
into a Reign of Terror? Describe the role of
Robespierre in it.
Q.2. Describe the role of the Bourbon kings
in the French Revolution.
Q.3. How was French Society organised? What
privileges did certain sections of society enjoy?
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