RBSE Class 9 Social Science Important Questions History Chapter 1 The French Revolution

Rajasthan Board RBSE Class 9 Social Science Important Questions History Chapter 1 The French Revolution  Important Questions and Answers. 

RBSE Class 9 Social Science Important Questions History Chapter 1 The French Revolution

Multiple Choice Questions:

Question 1.
When did the fall of Bastille take place?
(a) On 5 May, 1789
(b) On 20 June, 1789
(c) On 14 July, 1789
(d) On 4 August, 1789
Answer:
(c) On 14 July, 1789

Question 2.
Who was the ruler of France during the Revolution of 1789?
(a) Louis XIV
(b) Louis XV
(c) Louis XVI
(d) Louis XVII
Answer:
(c) Louis XVI

Question 3.
Tax paid directly to the state was
(a) Tithe
(b) Taille
(c) Tight
(d) Right
Answer:
(b) Taille

Question 4.
Who sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch?
(a) Locke
(b) Rousseau
(c) Montesquieu 
(d) Louis XVI
Answer:
(a) Locke

Question 5.
The authorof the book'The spirit of the laws' is
(a) Jean Rousseau 
(b) John Locke
(c) Cicero
(d) Montesquieu
Answer:
(d) Montesquieu

Question 6.
The name of the book written by Rousseau is
(a) The Social contract
(b) The spirit of the laws
(c) Two treatises of Government
(d) Das Kapital
Answer:
(a) The Social contract

Or

The author of the book named 'The social contract' is
(a) Jean Rousseau 
(b) John Locke
(c) Cicero
(d) Montesquieu
Answer:
(a) Jean Rousseau 

Question 7.
At the time of the French Revolution of 1789, the population of peasants was—
(a) 90%
(b) 60%
(c) 40%
(d) 10%
Answer:
(a) 90%

Question 8.
At the time of the French Revolution, what percent of the land was owned by nobles, the church and other richer members of the third estate?
(a) 20%
(b) 40%
(c) 60%
(d) 90%
Answer:
(c) 60%

Question 9.
What is called as an old Regime?
(a) France after 1774
(b) France before 1774
(c) Time Period of Louis XVI
(d) Reign of Terror
Answer:
(b) France before 1774

Question 10.
Name the area from where the ‘French Revolution’ started
(a) Nantes
(b) Paris
(c) Chateaux
(d) Bordeaux All 
Answer:
(b) Paris

Question 11.
What did the French Revolution of 1789 stand for
(a) Liberty
(b) Equality
(c) Fraternity
(d) the above 5 
Answer:
(d) the above 5 

Question 12.
How was the society divided before the French Revolution?
(a) 2 Estates
(b) 3 Estates
(c) 4 Estates
(d) Estates 
Answer:
(b) 3 Estates

Question 13.
Which estate enjoyed the feudal privileges?
(a) 1st estate
(b) 2nd estate
(c) 3rd estate
(d) None of these
Answer:
(b) 2nd estate

Question 14.
Which social group emerged in France in the 18th Century?
(a) Lower Class
(b) Upper Class
(c) Middle Class
(d) Labourer’s
Answer:
(c) Middle Class

Question 15.
When did French Revolution break?
(a) 14 July 1789
(b) 15 July 1947
(c) 5 Aug. 1774
(d) 25 Sep. 1885
Answer:
(a) 14 July 1789

Question 16.
Which form of government was in practice in France in 1789?
(a) Monarchy
(b) Directory
(c) Democratic
(d) Non-democratic
Answer:
(a) Monarchy

Question 17.
Who composed ‘Marseillaise’, the patriotic song of France?
(a) Lenin
(b) J. Rousseau
(c) John Locke
(d) Roget de L’Isle
Answer:
(d) Roget de L’Isle

Question 18.
In which year Louis XVI was sentenced to death?
(a) January 1793
(b) July 1789 
(c) July 1947
(d) January 1756
Answer:
(a) January 1793

Question 19.
What does ‘Emancipation’ Mean
(a) The act of learning
(b) The act of freeing
(c) Strength in unity
(d) Slave becoming free
Answer:
(a) The act of learning

Question 20.
Where was Nepoleon defeated?
(a) Germany 
(b) Paris 
(c)Waterloo 
(d) Polang
Answer:
(c)Waterloo 

Fill in the blanks:

Question 1.
Women in France got voting right in the year
Answer:
 1946

Question 2.
'Two treatises of Government' was written by
Answer:
John Locke 

Question 3.
Lords XVI became the king of France in the year
Answer:
1774

Question 4.
Was the tax levied by church.
Answer:
Tithe 

Question 5.
Was prominent club during 'French Revolution'.
Answer:
Jacobin club

Question 6.
The national assembly of France declared war againstandin April 1792.
Answer:
Prussia, Austria

True or False:

 Question 1.
Tithe is a tax levied by the church which comprises of one-tenth of the agricultural produce.
Answer:
True

Question 2.
Nepoleon becomes emperor of France in 1815.
Answer:
false

Question 3.
In 1815, Nepoleon was defeated at Waterloo.
Answer:
True

Question 4.
Symbol of a broken chain stands for the act of becoming free.
Answer:
True

Question 5.
The period from 1793 to 1794 is referred to Reign of Terror. 
Answer:
True

Match the Column:

Column A	Column B
1. Wife of Louis XVI	(a) Marseillaise
2. National anthem of France	(b) Red caps
3. Symbol of liberty	(c) Marie Antoinette
4. Women of France got right to	(d) 1946

Answer:

Column A	Column B
1. Wife of Louis XVI	(c) Marie Antoinette
2. National anthem of France	(a) Marseillaise
3. Symbol of liberty	(b) Red caps
4. Women of France got right to	(d) 1946

 

Very Short Answer Type Questions:

Question 1. 
Why did everyone hate the prison of Bastille?
Answer:
Prison of Bastille was symbolic of the tyrannical power of the king.

Question 2. 
What was the reason of People’s protest in Paris?
Answer:
People were raising their voice against the high price of bread.

Question 3. 
When did Louis XVT annexe the throne?
Answer:
Louis XVI annexed the throne in 1774 when he was 20 years old.

Question 4. 
Who all were the part of first estate and second estate? Did they pay taxes?
Answer:
The clergies were the part of first estate and the nobles constituted the second estate. People of both these estates didn’t have to pay taxes.

Question 5. 
Who all were included in the third estate?
Answer:
Businessmen, peasants ,artisans .lawyers .merchants and court officials were the part of the third estate.

Question 6. 
Did the church also levy taxes? If yes, then on whom? What was the tax called?
Answer:
The church levied taxes on the peasants. The tax was called tithes.

Question 7. 
What is Old Regime?
Answer:
Old Regime is the term used to describe the society and institutions of France before 1789.

Question 8. 
What does the term “Subsistence Crisis” means?
Answer:
Subsistence Crisis is an extreme condition where the basic means of livelihood are endangered.

Question 9. 
Why was an assembly of the Estates General called by Louis XVI on May 5,1789?
Answer:
It was called to pass proposals for new taxes.

Question 10. 
What is a “Chateaux”?
Answer:
It is a castle or a residence belonging to a king or a nobleman.

Question 11. 
On what charges was Louis XVI of France sentenced to death?
Answer:
Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court on the charge of Treason. On 21st January 1793, he was executed publicly at the Place de-La-Concorde. 

Question 12. 
Based on the French Constitution of 1791, who were known as ‘active citizens’?
Answer:
Those who were entitled to vote. (According to the Constitution of 1791, ‘active citizens’ were the men who were above 25 years and paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourer’s wage.)

Question 13. 
Which rights were established as natural and inalienable rights by the constitution of 1791 in France?
Answer:
Right to life, Equality before Law and Freedom of speech and opinion were established as the natural and inalienable rights by the constitution of France in 1791.

Question 14. 
Name the most revolutionary social reform of the Jacobin regime.
Answer:
One of the most revolutionary social reforms of the Jacobin regime was the abolition of slavery in the French colonies.

Question 15. 
To which section of the society did the members of the Jacobin Club belong?
Answer:
Less prosperous section of the society.

Question 16. 
Name the continents between which triangular slavery was prevalent in 17th century?
Answer:
Europe, Africa and America. The triangular slave trade began in the 17th century when the Europeans were reluctant to go and work in distant and unfamiliar lands.

Question 17. 
Which philosopher had forwarded the principle of voting by the assembly as a whole, where each member should have one vote, during the rule of Louis XVI?
Answer:
The principal of voting by the assembly as a whole, where each member would have one vote was forwarded by Rousseau in his book “The Social Contract’.

Question 18. 
What does a ‘Seeptre’ stand for?
Answer:
Seeptre stands for a symbol of royal power.

Question 19.
Who formed the National Assembly in France in 1789?
Answer:
The Third Estate.

Question 20. 
Which class of society in France was behind the French Revolution?
Answer:
Middle class. (In the 18th century, the emergence of a social group called the middle class included peasants, workers and traders. They participated in the French Revolution.)

Question 21. 
To whom did the peasants pay taxes/tithes, in the eighteenth century in France?
Answer:
To the state. (The church extracted its share of taxes called Tithes from peasants to be paid to the state.)

Question 22. 
Which event marked the beginning of the French Revolution?
Answer:
Storming of the Bastille. French Revolution began when a group of several people marched towards the eastern part of Paris and stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille.

Question 23. 
Who was the leader of the Jacobin Club?
Answer:
Maximilian Robespierre. 

Question 24. 
When and where did the people of the third estate declared themselves a National Assembly?
Or
In the context of France, when did the ‘Tennis Court Oath’ take place? Answer:On 20th June 1789; Tennis court in Versailles, Third estate declared themselves a National Assembly.

Question 25. 
Which two ideas were the most important Legacy of the French Revolution? Answer:Liberty and democratic rights are the most important Legacy of the French Revolution.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Question 1. 
Describe the events that took place on 14th July,1789 in France.
Answer:
The following events took place in France in 1789.
(i) The king had commanded troops to move into city and rumours spread that he would soon order the army to open fire upon the citizens.

(ii) Around 7,000 men and women gathered in front of town hall and decided to form a people’s militia and broke into government buildings in search
of arms.

(iii)Then the fortress prison of Bastille was stormed with the hope to find hoarded ammunition. Bastille was destroyed completely.

Question 2. 
Why was treasury empty, when Louis XVI ascended the throne of France?
Answer:
The causes of empty treasury at the time of Louis XVI accession were as follows:

1. Due to the long years of war the financial resources were drained. This war also added to the debt on France.
2. Maintaining an extravagant court at the palace of Versailles also added to the financial drain.
3. France had helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence from Britain.
4. Lenders who gave the state credit had begun to charge 10% on loan.

Question 3. 
How was the system of Estates in French Society organised?
Or
Describe the divisions of the French society before the French Revolution.
Answer:
The French society was organised in the system of estates as given below:

1. The first estate: It comprised of clergy. They enjoyed many privileges. by birth. They were free from paying taxes.
2. The second estate: It comprised of the nobility. They enjoyed feudal privileges by birth. They were also free from paying taxes.
3. The third estate: It comprised of peasants, doctors, lawyers, traders etc. They had to pay taxes.

Question 4.
 Define subsistence crisis? Enlist the causes responsible for this in France.
Answer:
An Extreme situation where the basic mean of livelihood are endangered. Causes:

1. The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 
2. 1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grain.
3. Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand.
4. Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops and their wages were 
5. fixed. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices.
6. Gap between poor and rich widened, drought or hail reduced the harvest which led subsistence crisis

Question 5.
Name any two philosophers who inspired the educated people of the third estate. Also mention the ideas put forward by them.
Answer:
The two philosophers who inspired the educated people of the third state were John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. They both envisaged a society based on freedom and equal laws and opportunities for all.
(i) John Locke: In his Two Treatises of Government, Locke sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the Monarch.

(ii) Jean-Jacques Rousseau: He carried the idea forward, proposing a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives.

Question 6. 
What was the ‘Tennis Court Oath’?
Answer:
The third estate representatives viewed themselves as spokesmen for the whole French nation. They assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles on 20 June, 1789. They declared themselves as a National Assembly. They swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch. They were led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes. Mirabeau brought out a journal and delivered powerful speech to the crowd assembled at Versailles.

Question 7. 
Highlight the contribution of Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes.
Answer:

1. The representatives ofthe Third Estate who formed the National Assembly and drafted a new constitution for France were led by Mirabeau and Abbe Sieyes.
2. They both were political thinkers.
3. Mirabeau was born in a noble family but was convinced of the need to do away with a society of feudal privilege.
4. He brought out a journal and delivered powerful speeches to the crowd assembled at Versailles.
5. Abbe Sieyes, Originally a priest, wrote an influential pamphlet called ‘What is the Third Estate’.

Question 8. 
How was the National Assembly recognised by Louis XVI?
Answer:
Faced with the power of his revolting public, Louis XVI finally recognised the National Assembly and accepted that power would from then on be checked by the constitution.National Assembly started exercising its power in the following ways. 

(i) On the night of 4 August, 1789, the assembly passed the law for abolishing system of obligations and taxes, The feudal members of the Clergy were also forced to give up their privileges.Tithes was abolished and lands owned by the church were seized and all this resulted in acquiring benefit worth at least 2 billion livres.

Question 9. 
How did France become a constitutional monarchy.
Answer:

1. The National Assembly completed the draft of the constitution in 1791.
2. Its main objectives were to limit the powers of monarch.
3. Now the powers were separated and assigned to different institutions— The legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
4. This made France a constitutional monarchy.

Question 10.
Describe how the new political system of constitutional monarchy worked in France.
Answer:
It worked under the following given manners:

1. Gave power to make laws to the National Assembly.
2. The right to vote was given to men above 25 years of age, who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days of a labourers wage.
3. The rest of all men and women were classed as passive citizens. To qualify as an elector and then as a member of the Assembly, a man had to belong to the highest group of taxpayers.

Question 11.
Constitution of 1791 provides some rights as natural and inalienable. Mention the rights.
Answer:

1. The constitution began with the declaration of the rights of the citizen.
2. Rights such as right to life, freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, Equality before law.
3. These rights were given as natural and inalienable because they belonged to the human being by birth and could not be taken away.

Question 12.
Write a short note on Marseillaise.
Answer:

1. It is the National Anthem of France.
2. It was written by Roget de L’ Isle after the declaration of war by France against Austria.
3. It was one of the patriotic songs sung by the common people of France.
4. It was first sung in Paris when the Marseilles battalion marched into Paris and thus it was named so.

Question 13. 
Who were Jacobins? Write down any three points about them.
Answer:

1. Jacobins were the most radical and ruthless of the political groups formed in the wake of the French Revolution.
2. They were the member of a democratic club established in 1789. Maximilian Robespierre was their leader.
3. They belonged mainly to the less prosperous sections of society. They included small shopkeepers, artisans as well as servants and daily wage workers. They wore long stripped trousers. They were called sans¬culottes.

Question 14. 
Define convention with its two features:
Answer:

1. The newly elected assembly in France in 1792 was known as convention. 
2. On 21st September, 1792 it abolish the Monarchy and declare France a republic.
3. Louis XVI was sentenced to death by a court. 

Question 15.
What changes were made in France after the fall of Robespierre’s government?
Answer:

1. The fall of Jacobin government allowed the wealthier middle classes to seize power.
2. A new constitution was introduced which denied the vote to non-propertied sections of society. It provided for two elected legislative councils. These then appointed a directory
3. The political instability of the directory paved the way for the rise of a military dictator Napoleon Bonaparte.

Question 16. 
Examine the role of women in the French Revolution.
Answer:

1. From the very beginning women were active participants in the events because they hoped that their involvement would pressurise the revolutionary government to introduce measures to improve their life.
2. To raise their voice they started their own political clubs and newspapers.
3. They demanded the right to vote, to be elected in the assembly and to hold political office.
4. During the 'Reign of Terror' the new government banned their political clubs and activities.
5. Many women were arrested and executed but it was finally in 1946 the women in France won the right to vote.

Question 17. 
Mention some steps taken by Revolutionary government of France to improve the lives of the women.
Answer:

1. Schooling was made compulsory for all girls and state schools.
2. Marriage was made into a contract entered into freely and registered under civil law.
3. Divorce was made legal and could be applied for by both women and men.
4. Women could now be trained for jobs and could become artist or run small business.

Question 18. 
Napoleon sawhis role as aModerniser of Europe Analyse the statement. 
Answer:

1. He introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a uniform system of weights and measures provided by the decimal system
2. Many saw Napoleon as a liberator who would bring freedom for the people.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. 
Write any eight points of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen.
Answer:
Eight points of the declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen are:

1. Men are bom and remain free and equal in rights.
2. The aim of every political association is the preservation of the natural and inalienable rights of man; these are liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.
3. The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation; no group of individual may exercise authority that does not come from the people.
4. Liberty consists of the power to do whatever is not injurious to others.
5. The law has the right to forbid only actions that are injurious to society.
6. Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to participate in its formation, personally or through their representatives. All citizens are equal before it.
7. No man may be accused, arrested or detained, except in cases determined by the law.
8. Every citizen may speak, write and print freely; he must take responsibility for the abuse of such liberty in cases determined by the law.
9. For the maintenance of the public force and for the expenses of administration a common tax is indispensable; it must be assessed equally on all citizens in proportion to their means.
10. Property is a sacred and inviolable right, no one may be deprived of it, unless a legally established public necessity requires it. In that case a just compensation must be given in advance.

Question 2. 
Describe some of the basic rights of the manifesto drafted by Olympe de Gouges.
Answer:
Some of the basic rights of the manifesto drafted by Olympe de Gouges are:

1. Women is bom free and remains equal to man in rights.
2. The goal of all political associations is the preservation of the natural rights of woman and man: These rights are liberty, property, security, and above all resistance to oppression.
3. The source of all sovereignty resides in the nation, which is nothing but the union of woman and man.
4. The law should be the expression of the general will; all female and male citizens should have a say either personaly or by their representatives in its formulation; it should be the same for all. All female and male citizens are equally entitled to all honours and public employment according to their abilities and without any other distinction than that of their talents.
5. No woman is exception; she is accused, arrested, and detained in cases determined by law. Woman, like men, obey this rigorous law.

Question 3. 
What was the Jacobin club? Explain the role of Jacobin club in French revolution.
Answer:
Jacobin club was the political club in France. It got its name from the former convent of St. Jacob in Paris and had been formed their own clubs. People wished to discuss government policies and plan their own forms of action.
Role of Jacobin club in French revolution 

1. The members of the Jacobin club belonged mainly to the less prosperous sections of the society.
2. They included small shopkeepers, artisans such as shoemakers, pastry cooks, watch makers, printers as well as servants and daily-wage workers.
3. Their leader was Maximilian Robespierre.
4. A Large group among the Jacobins decided to wear long striped trousers to those worn by dock workers. This was to set themselves apart from the fashionable sections of society, especially nobles, who wore knee breeches.
5. It was a way of proclaiming the end of the power wielded by the wearers of the knee breeches.
6. These Jacobins came to be known as the sans-culottes, literally meaning those without knee breeches. Sans-culottes men wore in addition the red cap that symbolised liberty.
7. In the summer of 1792 the Jacobins planned an insurrection of a large number of Parisians who were angered by the short supplies and high prices of food.
8. On the morning of August 10 they stormed the palace of the Tuileries, massacred the King’s guards and held the King himself as hostage for several hours.
9. Later the assembly voted to imprison the royal family.
10. Elections were held from row and all men of 21 years and above, regardless of wealth, got the right to vote.
11. The newly elected assembly was called the convention on 21st September, 1792. It abolished monarchy and declared France as a republic.

Question 4. 
Describe the major events of the French Revolution.
Answer:
 Following are the main events of French Revolution:

(i) Meeting of the Estates General: 
On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called for a meeting to propose new taxes. French society was divided into three Estates (a) First Estate (Church and clergy) (b) Second Estate (Nobles), (c) Third Estate (peasants) The members of third estate were more in numbers but each of three estates was considered one opinion. 

This was unjustful. The third estate demanded that voting should be conducted by the assembly as a whole in which each member have one vote. But the king rejected this proposal and therefore members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest.

(ii) Tennis court oath:
On 20 June, 1789 emperor Louis XVI closed the assembly hall. Then the member of third estate assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court. They declared themselves a national Assembly and swore not to disperse till they had drafted a constitution for France that would limit the powers of the monarch. This was the begining of the revolution.

(iii) Fall of Bastille prison: On 14 July, 1789 the agitated crowd destroyed the Bastille prison.

(iv) Improvment in National Assembly:
Louis XVI finally gave recognition to the National Assembly. On4August 1789 the National Assembly passed a law abolishing the feudal system of obligation and taxes. Members of the clergy too were forced to give up their privileges. On 27 August 1789, fundamental rights of citizen were declared. The people were given
fundamental rights with equality, freedom and brotherhood.

(v) New Constitution:
Constituent Assembly made new constitution in 1791 AD.It's main object was to limit the powers of the Monarch. These powers instead of being concentrated in the hands of one person, were now seperated and assigned to different instutions- the legislature, executive and judiciary. This made France a constitutional monarchy. This was the
first written constitution in the history of France.

(vi) Holding the King hostage and conducting new elections: 
In the summer of 1792 the Jacobins planned an insurrection of a large number The French Revolution of Parisians who were angered by the short supplied and high prices of food. On the morning of August 10 they stormed the palace of the Tuileries massacred the king's guards and hold the king himself as hostage for several hours. Later the Assembly voted to imprison the royal family. Elections were held.

(vii) End of Monarchy: 
The newly elected assembly was called the convection. On 21 Septemper 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France as republic.

(viii) Death sentence to Louis XVI: 
Louis XVI was sentenced to death on the charge of treason. On 21 January 1793 he was executed publically. The queen Marie Antoinette met with the same fate shortly after.