Class 9 Social Science Notes Chapter 1 (The French revolution) – India and the Contemporary World-I Book

Alright class, let's get straight into one of the most pivotal events in world history – The French Revolution. Understanding this chapter is crucial, not just for your exams, but also for grasping the origins of modern democratic ideas like liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Here are detailed notes focusing on key aspects for government exam preparation, based on your NCERT Chapter 1:

The French Revolution (Chapter 1 - NCERT Class 9 History)

1. French Society During the Late 18th Century (Context & Causes)

• The Old Regime: The term used to describe the society and institutions of France before 1789.
• Social Structure - The Three Estates:
  • First Estate (Clergy): Owned about 10% of the land. Enjoyed privileges, including exemption from paying state taxes (like the taille). Collected religious taxes called tithes from peasants.
  • Second Estate (Nobility): Controlled about 25% of the land. Held top positions in the army, government, and courts. Enjoyed feudal privileges, including exemption from most taxes and the right to extract feudal dues from peasants.
  • Third Estate (Commoners): Comprised about 90% of the population. Internally diverse:
    • Big businessmen, merchants, court officials, lawyers, etc. (Educated, prosperous middle class or bourgeoisie).
    • Peasants and artisans. (Majority of the population).
    • Small peasants, landless labour, servants.
  • Burden: The Third Estate bore the entire burden of state taxes (taille - direct tax, plus numerous indirect taxes on everyday goods like salt and tobacco) and obligations to clergy and nobility.
• Economic Causes:
  • Long Wars & Debt: Louis XVI inherited an empty treasury due to costly wars (like helping American colonies gain independence) and extravagant spending by the monarchy (Palace of Versailles).
  • Unfair Taxation: The tax system was regressive, placing the burden entirely on the Third Estate.
  • Subsistence Crisis: Rapid population growth (from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789) led to increased demand for food grains. Poor harvests often caused prices to soar, leading to widespread hunger and hardship, especially for the poor (Subsistence Crisis: an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered).
• Political Causes:
  • Absolute Monarchy: King Louis XVI ruled with absolute power, believed in the Divine Right of Kings.
  • Ineffective Leadership: Louis XVI was indecisive and influenced by his wife, Marie Antoinette (often criticised for her extravagance and Austrian origins).
• Intellectual Causes (Role of Philosophers):
  • Enlightenment thinkers challenged the divine right theory and privileges of the Old Regime.
  • John Locke: In his Two Treatises of Government, refuted the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch. Advocated for natural rights (life, liberty, property).
  • Jean Jacques Rousseau: In The Social Contract, proposed a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives. Advocated for popular sovereignty.
  • Montesquieu: In The Spirit of the Laws, proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches (Separation of Powers).
  • Impact: Their ideas were discussed widely in salons, coffee-houses, and spread through books and newspapers, inspiring people to question the existing order.

2. The Outbreak of the Revolution

• Meeting of the Estates-General (May 5, 1789): Louis XVI called this assembly (which hadn't met since 1614) to propose new taxes.
  • Voting Issue: Traditionally, voting was by Estate (each Estate had one vote). The Third Estate demanded voting by head (each member gets one vote), reflecting their larger numbers. The King rejected this.
• Formation of the National Assembly (June 20, 1789): Representatives of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly, representing the whole nation.
  • Tennis Court Oath: Locked out of their meeting hall, they assembled in an indoor tennis court and swore not to disperse until they had drafted a constitution for France limiting the monarch's powers. Key figures: Mirabeau (noble) and Abbé Sieyès (priest).
• Storming of the Bastille (July 14, 1789):
  • Rumours spread that the King ordered troops into Paris. An agitated crowd stormed the Bastille fortress-prison, hoping to find hoarded ammunition.
  • The Bastille symbolised the despotic power of the King. Its fall is considered the start of the Revolution and is celebrated as France's National Day.
• The Great Fear (Summer 1789): Rumours spread in the countryside that lords hired bandits to destroy crops. Peasants attacked chateaux, looted grain, and burned documents containing records of manorial dues.

3. France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy

• August Decrees (August 4, 1789): The National Assembly abolished the feudal system, tithes, and privileges of the nobility and clergy.
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (August 1789):
  • Declared fundamental rights like the right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, equality before the law.
  • Established that sovereignty resides in the nation.
  • Became the basis for the new constitution.
• Constitution of 1791:
  • Limited the powers of the monarch and established a constitutional monarchy.
  • Separated powers: Legislative (National Assembly), Executive (King), Judiciary.
  • Limited Suffrage: Only 'active citizens' (men above 25 who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer's wage) could vote. 'Passive citizens' (remaining men and all women) had no voting rights.

4. France Abolishes Monarchy and Becomes a Republic

• Political Clubs: Jacobins (led by Maximilien Robespierre) became the most influential club, drawing members mainly from less prosperous sections (shopkeepers, artisans, etc.). They wore long striped trousers (sans-culottes) to distinguish themselves from the knee-breeches of the nobility.
• War with Prussia and Austria (1792): European monarchs feared the revolution spreading. France declared war. This radicalised the revolution.
• Storming of the Tuileries Palace (August 10, 1792): Angered by shortages and high prices, Jacobins led an insurrection, imprisoned the royal family.
• The Convention (September 1792): A new assembly, the National Convention, was elected. All men of 21 years and above, regardless of wealth, got the right to vote.
• Abolition of Monarchy (September 21, 1792): The Convention declared France a Republic.
• Execution of Louis XVI (January 21, 1793): Convicted of treason by the Convention, Louis XVI was publicly executed by guillotine. Marie Antoinette met the same fate later.

5. The Reign of Terror (1793-1794)

• Context: France faced threats from foreign powers and internal counter-revolutionaries.
• Committee of Public Safety: Led by Robespierre, it implemented policies of severe control and punishment.
• Robespierre's Policies:
  • Anyone deemed an "enemy" of the Republic (nobles, clergy, members of other political parties, even members of his own party who disagreed) was arrested, tried by a revolutionary tribunal, and often guillotined.
  • Maximum ceiling on wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed.
  • Peasants forced to sell grain at fixed prices.
  • Use of more expensive white flour forbidden; all citizens required to eat the pain d’égalité (equality bread).
  • Equality in forms of speech and address (Citoyen and Citoyenne instead of Monsieur and Madame).
  • Churches shut down, buildings converted to barracks or offices.
• End of Terror: Robespierre's methods became excessive. He was convicted and guillotined in July 1794.

6. A Directory Rules France (1795-1799)

• Fall of Jacobins allowed wealthier middle classes to seize power.
• A new constitution denied the vote to non-propertied sections.
• Established two legislative councils and a Directory (an executive body of five members).
• Instability: Directors often clashed with the legislative councils, leading to political instability. This paved the way for the rise of a military dictator.

7. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

• Napoleon, a successful military general, seized power through a coup d'état in 1799, ending the Directory.
• He initially ruled as First Consul, later declared himself Emperor of France in 1804.
• He conquered large parts of Europe, spreading revolutionary ideas but also establishing authoritarian rule.
• Defeated at Waterloo in 1815.

8. Role of Women in the Revolution

• Active participants: Formed political clubs (e.g., Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women), published newspapers.
• Demanded equal political rights (right to vote, hold office).
• Key figure: Olympe de Gouges – wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and Citizen (1791). Criticised the Jacobin government, executed during the Reign of Terror.
• Some gains: Laws allowing divorce, creating state schools (compulsory for girls).
• Limited success: Women denied voting rights throughout the revolution and for a long time after (achieved only in 1946 in France).

9. The Abolition of Slavery

• Slave trade was crucial to the prosperity of French port cities like Bordeaux and Nantes.
• National Assembly debated rights, but feared opposition from businessmen dependent on the slave trade.
• Convention (1794): Abolished slavery in French colonies.
• Napoleon (1802): Reintroduced slavery.
• Final Abolition: Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

10. Legacy of the French Revolution

• End of Feudalism and Absolute Monarchy: Established the principle of popular sovereignty.
• Spread of Ideas: Ideals of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity inspired democratic movements across Europe and the world in the 19th and 20th centuries.
• Foundation for Human Rights: The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was a landmark document.
• Rise of Nationalism: Fostered a sense of national identity among the French people.
• Impact on India: Ideas of liberty and equality influenced Indian reformers like Raja Rammohan Roy and Tipu Sultan.

Key Terms:

• Livre: Unit of currency in France, discontinued in 1794.
• Clergy: Group of persons invested with special functions in the church.
• Tithe: A tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of agricultural produce.
• Taille: Tax to be paid directly to the state.
• Bastille: Fortress-prison in Paris, symbol of royal despotism.
• Chateau: Castle or stately residence belonging to a king or nobleman.
• Manor: An estate consisting of the lord’s lands and his mansion.
• Sans-culottes: Literally 'those without knee breeches', referred to Jacobins/revolutionaries.
• Guillotine: Device for beheading, named after Dr. Guillotin.
• Republic: A form of government where the people elect the government, including the head of state.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

1. On what date did the Storming of the Bastille, marking the beginning of the French Revolution, occur?
   a) 5 May 1789
   b) 20 June 1789
   c) 14 July 1789
   d) 4 August 1789
   Answer: (c)

2. Which group belonged to the Third Estate in French society?
   a) Clergy and Nobility
   b) Nobility and Peasants
   c) Merchants, Lawyers, Peasants, Artisans
   d) King and Royal Family
   Answer: (c)

3. Who wrote the influential pamphlet 'What is the Third Estate?'?
   a) Montesquieu
   b) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
   c) Abbé Sieyès
   d) Mirabeau
   Answer: (c)

4. The 'Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen' proclaimed:
   a) The right to vote for all adults
   b) The abolition of the monarchy
   c) Natural and inalienable rights like liberty, property, security
   d) The establishment of the Reign of Terror
   Answer: (c)

5. The period from 1793 to 1794, known for Robespierre's harsh policies, is referred to as:
   a) The Great Fear
   b) The Directory
   c) The Reign of Terror
   d) The Constitutional Monarchy
   Answer: (c)

6. What was the 'Tithe' in the context of pre-revolutionary France?
   a) A direct tax paid to the state
   b) A tax levied by the Church
   c) Feudal dues paid to the nobility
   d) An indirect tax on salt
   Answer: (b)

7. Which political club was primarily associated with the radical phase of the revolution and the sans-culottes?
   a) Girondins
   b) Jacobins
   c) Royalists
   d) Feuillants
   Answer: (b)

8. The Constitution of 1791 established which form of government in France?
   a) Absolute Monarchy
   b) Republic
   c) Constitutional Monarchy
   d) Directory
   Answer: (c)

9. Who proposed the idea of separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judiciary in his book 'The Spirit of the Laws'?
   a) John Locke
   b) Rousseau
   c) Voltaire
   d) Montesquieu
   Answer: (d)

10. Which event led to the formation of the National Convention and the declaration of France as a Republic?
    a) Tennis Court Oath
    b) Storming of the Bastille
    c) Insurrection of August 10, 1792 (Storming of Tuileries)
    d) Execution of Louis XVI
    Answer: (c)

Make sure you revise these points thoroughly. Focus on the causes, the sequence of key events, important figures, and the long-term impact of the revolution. Good luck with your preparation!