Page 5 - Understanding NCERT Histroy 09th

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French Revolution
INTRODUCTION
l The French Revolution started in 1789, and dethroned the then-existing political institutions,
removed the French Monarchy, and establisheda just, responsible government.

l The siege of the Bastille on 14 July 1789 led to the French Revolution.
Features of this DIGI SMART Book. . . (Page no. 8)

• The commander of the Bastille was killed in the armed fight, and the prisoners were
Activity
released.
Q. Representatives of the Third Estate take the oath raising their arms in the direction of
• People hated the Bastille as it stood for the despotic power of the king.
Based on the NCERT Textbook
Bailly, the President of the Assembly, standing on a table in the centre. Do you think

• People protested against the high price of bread.
Goyal Brothers Prakashan
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 the way he has
• A new chain of events began, which led to the execution of the King in France.
done?
1. FRENCH SOCIETY DURING THE LATE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
Ans. No, during the actual event, Bailly would not have stood with his back to the assembled
deputies.
l In 1774, Louis XVI ascended to the throne of France.
The artist was actually trying to show that the constitution framed in 1791, after the
• France treasury was empty because of the war.
revolution of 1789, had “turned its back” on the desires and aspirations of the peasants,
workers and women, instead of meeting them. Despite the Declaration of Rights of Man
• France, under Louis XVI, helped the thirteen American colonies gain their independence
and Citizen, the right to vote and contest in elections remained with the rich and propertied
from their common enemy,Britain.
class, known as active citizens. The others were considered just as passive citizens.
• Taxes were increased to meet regular expenses, such as the cost of maintaining an army,
the court, and running government offices or universities.
Study Notes 2.1 France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy

• The society of France was divided into three estates.
on each topic/ l In 1791, the National Assembly completed the draft of the Constitution, and its main
• The feudal system was part of the society of estates dating back to the middle ages.
object was to limit the powers of the monarch.
subtopic/activity/
• 90 percent of the French population were peasants, but only a small number of them
Source published • France became a constitutional monarchy.
owned the land they cultivated.
in the NCERT • These powers were now separated and assigned to different institutions – the legislature,
• 60 percent was owned by nobles, the church, and other richer members of the third
executive and judiciary.
textbook along with Activity • Citizens voted for a group of electors, who in turn chose the Assembly.
estate. The clergy and the nobility, members of the first two estates, enjoyed privileges
(Page no. 13)
given by birth.
separate VIDEO 1. Identify the symbols in Box 1 which stand for liberty, equality and fraternity.

• Men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage

• These groups of members were exempted from paying taxes and enjoyed feudal privileges.
EXPLANATION Ans. Liberty: The broken chain and the Red Phrygian cap.
were entitled to vote. The remaining men and all women did not have the right to vote

for each item Equality: The winged women and the Law tablet.
• All members of the third estate had to pay taxes to the state, which included a direct
and were grouped as passive citizens.
BOX - 5
(Page no. 46)
tax, called taille.

Writing about the Russian Revolution in India • The Constitution began with a Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
Fraternity: The bundle of rods or fasces and Blue-white-red.

• Peasants used to pay a tax called tithes to the church.

Among those the Russian Revolution inspired were many Indians. Several attended the
• Rights such as the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, and equality
2. Explain the meaning of the painting of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen

Communist University. By the mid-1920s the Communist Party was formed in India. Its members
before the law were established as ‘natural and inalienable’ rights.
• Number of indirect taxes, which were levied on articles of everyday consumption like
(Fig. 8) by reading only the symbols.
kept in touch with the Soviet Communist Party. Important Indian political and cultural figures
salt or tobacco.
Source B
Ans. The figure on the right represents France. The figure on the left is the symbol the law.
took an interest in the Soviet experiment and visited Russia, among them Jawaharlal Nehru and (Page no. 11)
Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote about Soviet Socialism. In India, writings gave impressions
The revolutionary journalist Jean-Paul Marat commented in his newspaper L’Ami
The winged woman symbolizes the right to liberty, property, equality, etc written in the
du peuple (The friend of the people) on the Constitution drafted by the National
of Soviet Russia. In Hindi, R.S. Avasthi wrote in 1920-21 Russian Revolution, Lenin, His
new Constitution of France. The figure on the right symbolizes the law. The law tablet
Assembly: ‘The task of representing the people has been given to the rich …
Life and His Thoughts, and later The Red Revolution. S.D. Vidyalankar wrote The Rebirth of
signifies equality before the law for all French citizens. The bundle of rods depicts strength
History Class IX
the lot of the poor and oppressed will never be improved by peaceful means
Russia and The Soviet State of Russia. There was much that was written in Bengali, Marathi, 1
lies in unity. The broken chains signify freedom.
alone. Here we have absolute proof of how wealth influences the law. Yet laws
Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. 3. Which groups of French society would have gained from the Constitution of 1791?
will last only as long as the people agree to obey them. And when they have
managed to cast off the yoke of the aristocrats, they will do the same to the does
Which groups would have had reason to be dissatisfied? What developments
Marat (Source B) anticipate in the future?
(Page no. 47)
other owners of wealth.’ Source: An extract from the newspaper L’Ami du peuple.
Source F
Ans. Only some members of the Third Estate, who were rich and propertied, would have
An Indian arrives in Soviet Russia in 1920 Source C (Page no. 11)
gained from this Constitution. Members of the First and Second Estates would have been
‘For the first time in our lives, we were seeing Europeans mixing freely with Asians. On seeing
The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen
dissatisfied as their privileges were taken away and they had to pay taxes.
the Russians mingling freely with the rest of the people of the country we were convinced
1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.

Marat anticipates another revolution in which the poor will rebel against the rich section
that we had come to a land of real equality. We saw freedom in its true light. In spite of their Comprehensive
2. The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and inalienable
of the Third Estate and overthrow them, just like they had done with the nobles and
poverty, imposed by the counter-revolutionaries and the imperialists, the people were more Explanation of
clergy.
rights of man; these are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.
jovial and satisfied than ever before. The revolution had instilled confidence and fearlessness each and every

3. The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation; no group or individual may exercise
in them. The real brotherhood of mankind would be seen here among these people of fifty
authority that does not come from the people.
different nationalities. No barriers of caste or religion hindered them from mixing freely with Intext Question and
3. FRANCE ABOLISHES MONARCHY AND BECOMES A REPUBLIC
one another. Every soul was transformed into an orator. One could see a worker, a peasant or Questions given

a soldier haranguing like a professional lecturer.’ in the exercise in 5
l In Ap
History Class IXril 1792, the National Assembly voted for a war against Prussia and Austria.
TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
Marseillaise became the national anthem of France.
Shaukat Usmani, Historic Trips of a Revolutionary.
• The revolutionary wars brought economic difficulties and huge losses. the book published
1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France? by NCERT with
(Page no. 47)
Source G

• Women took care of their families.
Ans. The following circumstances led to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France: separate VIDEO
Rabindranath Tagore wrote from Russia in 1930

• Large sections of the population demanded that the revolution had to be carried further,
‘Moscow appears much less clean than the other European capitals. None of those hurrying EXPLANATION for
(i) Louis XVI was an autocratic ruler who could not compromise with his luxurious life.
as the Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of society.
He also lacked farsightedness.
along the streets look smart. The whole place belongs to the workers … Here the masses have

• Political clubs were formed, and among them, Jacobins became the most famous.
not in the least been put in the shade by the gentlemen … those who lived in the background each question
(ii) When he ascended the throne the royal treasury was empty. Long years of war had

• Members of the Jacobin club included small shopkeepers, artisans such as shoemakers,
drained the financial resources of France. And the cost of maintaining an extravagant
for ages have come forward in the open today … I thought of the peasants and workers in
court at the immense palace of Versailles.
pastry cooks, watch-makers, printers, as well as servants and daily-wage workers.
my own country. It all seemed like the work of the Genii in the Arabian Nights. [here] only
a decade ago they were as illiterate, helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their
(iii) Under Louis XVI France
• Jacobin members started wearing long striped trousers similar to those worn by dockworkers.
helpless and hungry as our own masses … Who could
independence from Britain the war added more than a billion livres to a debt. Credit,
be more astonished than an unfortunate Indian like myself to see how they had removed the

• These Jacobins were called the sans-culottes, literally meaning ‘those without knee
now began to charge 10% interest on loans. So the French government was obliged to
mountain of ignorance and helplessness in these few years’.
breeches’. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre.
spend an increasing percentage of its budget on interest payments alone.
Activity • On August 10 1792, Jacobins stormed the Palace of the Tuileries and held the king
(iv) The state finally increased taxes to meet its regular expenses such as the cost of
hostage for several hours. The Assembly voted to imprison the royal family.
maintaining an army, running government offices and universities. (Page no. 47)

• Elections were held, and all men of 21 years and above regardless of wealth, got the
Q. Compare the passages written by Shaukat Usmani and Rabindranath Tagore. Read
(v) The French society was divided into three estates but the members of the first two
right to vote.
them in relation to Sources C, D and E.
estates i.e, the clergy and the nobles were exempted to pay taxes. They belonged to
• The monarchy was abolished on 21 September 1792, and France was declared a republic.
burden of financing activities of the state through taxes was
privileged class. Thus the
 What did Indians find impressive about the USSR?
borne by the third estate only.

 What did the writers fail to notice?
• Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of treason. He was executed
Ans. (a) What did Indians find impressive about the USSR?
(vi) The middle class that emerged in the 18th century France was educated and enlightened
on 21 January 1793, followed shortly by the queen.
one. They refuted the theory of divine rights of the kings and absolute monarchy. They
At that time when these passages were written by Shaukat Usmani and Rabindranath,
believed that a person’s social position must depend on his merit. They had access to the
India was ruled by the British. Caste and class differences were followed by the Indians 7
History Class IX
various ideas of equality and freedom proposed by philosophers like John Locke, Jean
and the Indians were ignorant and backward also. They were impressed by the fact that
Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu etc. Their ideas became popular among the common
all persons in Russia were treated equally. In spite of them not being very prosperous,
mass as a result of intensive discussions and debates in saloons and coffee houses and
through books and newspapers.
History Class IX 37
(vii) The French administration was extremely corrupt. It did not give weightage to the
French Common man.
2. Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups were forced to
relinquish power? Which sections of society would have been disappointed with the outcome of
the revolution?
Ans. French society was divided into three estates. The third estate benefitted the most from the
revolution. The third estate consisted of Peasants, artisans, Small peasants, landless labour,
servants, big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, women etc.
The groups that were forced to relinquish power were the people belonging to the First and
second estate. These people had enjoyed certain privileges by birth.
With the revolution, the people in First and Second estate lost their privileges. Because inequality
was one of the root causes of the revolution, the revolution tried to bring equality to the society.
3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the nineteenth
and the 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 umpiring force for the political movements in the
world in the 19th and 20th centuries.
(ii) The ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity spread from France to the rest of Europe,
and the feudal system was also finally abolished.
(iii) Colonised people reworked on the idea of freedom from bondage into their movements
to create a sovereign nation-state.
History Class IX 13