Q.1 When did the French Revolution occur?

Q.2 When did the Storming of the Bastille take place and Why?

Q.3 How was the French society during the Late Eighteenth Century?

Q.4 Name the tax which the third estate had to pay to the state.

Q.5 Which type of tax the Church used to take from the third Estate?

Q.6 What is Subsistence crises?

Q.7 Explain the main reasons which led to the French Revolution.

Q.8 How did the educated Middle class contributed to the French uprising?

Q.9 Who wrote the book ‘Two Treatises of Government’ ?

Q.10 Who is the author of the book ‘The Social Contract Theory’?

Q.11 What idea was proposed by Montesquieu in his book ‘The Spirit of the Laws’?

Q.12 Who was Georges Danton?

Q.13 Who was Arthur Young and what message was he trying to convey in his writings?

Q.14 Why did the third estate leave the Estate General meeting and formed National Assembly?

Q.15 When and where did the representative of the third Estate assemble after leaving the meeting of Estate General?

Q.16 Who wrote the influential pamphlet ‘What is the Third Estate’?

Q.17 Who was Mirabeau and what was his role during Revolution?

Q.18 Define Manor.

1. The French Revolution began in 1789.

2. It took place on 14th July 1789. People stormed the Bastille to take weapons and free prisoners. It symbolized the end of royal oppression.

3. French society was divided into three estates. The First Estate (Clergy) and the Second Estate (Nobility) enjoyed privileges. The Third Estate (common people) paid taxes and had no political rights.

4. The Third Estate paid a tax called Taille to the state.

5. The Church collected a tax called Tithe, usually a part of the peasants’ produce.

6. A subsistence crisis happens when food becomes scarce, and prices rise sharply, leading to hunger and starvation.

7. The French Revolution started in 1789 due to a mix of social, political, economic, and intellectual reasons. These are the main causes:

i) Social Inequality: French society was divided into three estates. The First Estate (Clergy) and the Second Estate (Nobility) enjoyed many privileges, such as not paying taxes and having special rights. The Third Estate, which included peasants, workers, and the middle class, made up 90% of the population but had no rights or power and paid heavy taxes.

ii) Economic Crisis: France was facing a severe financial crisis. The government had spent too much on wars and royal luxuries, especially helping in the American War of Independence. This caused huge debt. To reduce the burden, the king increased taxes, mostly on the Third Estate.

iii) Food Shortage and Rising Prices: Bad harvests in the years before the revolution led to crop failure and a shortage of food. The price of bread, which was the main food of the poor, rose sharply. This created a subsistence crisis and widespread hunger and anger.

iv) Absolute Monarchy and Weak Leadership: King Louis XVI ruled as an absolute monarch. He was indecisive and failed to solve the problems of the country. His wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, was also unpopular for her lavish lifestyle. People lost faith in the royal family.

v) Spread of Enlightenment Ideas: Thinkers like John Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu spread ideas of liberty, equality, and democracy. They encouraged people to question the old system and demand change. These ideas gave hope and courage to the common people.

8. The educated middle class spread ideas of equality and democracy. They challenged royal power through books, speeches, and political discussions.

9. John Locke wrote the book.

10. Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the author of the book.

11. Montesquieu proposed the separation of powers among the legislative, executive, and judiciary.

12. Georges Danton was a key leader in the French Revolution and the first head of the Committee of Public Safety.

13. Arthur Young was an English writer and traveller. He warned that unfair taxes and poverty in France could lead to a revolution.

14. The Third Estate left because the king refused to give them equal voting rights, so they formed the National Assembly to represent the people.

15. They assembled on 20th June 1789 at a tennis court in Versailles and took the Tennis Court Oath.

16. Abbé Sieyès wrote the pamphlet.

17. Mirabeau was a nobleman who supported the revolution. He spoke in favour of the National Assembly and helped draft the constitution.

18. A manor was a large estate owned by nobles where peasants lived and worked under their control.