RBSE Class 9 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 The French Revolution

These comprehensive RBSE Class 9 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 The French Revolution will give a brief overview of all the concepts.

RBSE Class 9 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 The French Revolution

→ French society during the late Eighteenth Century-

• French society in the eighteenth century was part of the feudal system. French society was divided into three estates:
  • Clergy
  • Nobility
  • Merchants, servants, labour etc.
•  First two categories were freed from paying taxes.
  • Only the people of third estate had to pay tax.
• A tax tithe levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce.

→ The struggle to Survive:
Due to increasing population of france, increasing demand for food grains, increase in food items, low wages etc. increased the gap between the poor and the rich. Due to outbreak of drought and hail, the fall of yield led to a subsistence crisis.

→ A Growing Middle class Envisages and kind to Privileges:
The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of social groups, termed the middle class. In addition to merchants and manufacturers, the third estate included professions such as lawyers or administrative officials. The ideas envisaging a society based on freedom and equal laws and opportunities were put forward by philosophers such as John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

→ The American constitution and its guarantee of individual rights was an important example for political thinkers in France. The news that Louis XVI planned to impose further taxes to be able to meet the expenses of the state generated anger and protest against the system of privileges.

→ The Outbreak of the Revolution:

• On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates-General to pass the proposals for new taxes.
• When the king rejected the proposal, members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest. On 20 June 1789, they assembled in the hall of an indoor tennis court in the grounds of Versailles and declared themselves as National Assembly.
• The public was also agitated due to inflation. At the same time, the king ordered troops to move into Paris. On 14 July 1789, the agitated crowd stormed and destroyed the Bastille.
• Finally, Louis XVI gave recognition to the national assembly and accepted the principle that his powers would from now on be checked by a constitution. On the night of 4 August 1979 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. Tithes were abolished and lands owned by the church were confiscated.

→ France Becomes a Constitutional Monarchy:
In 1791, the National Assembly completed the drafts of the constitution and main object was to limit the powers of the monarch.

→ France Abolishes Monarchy and Becomes a Republic:
The constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of society. On 21 September 1792 it abolished the monarchy and declared France a republic.

→ The Reign of Terror;
In France, the period from 1791 to 1794 is referred to as the Reign of Terror.

→ A directory Rules France:
The fall of the Jacobin government allowed the wealthier middle classes to seize power; denied the vote to non-propertied sections of society. It provided for two elected legislative councils, which then appointed a Directory, an executive made up of five members. Due to the directors and the legislative council's clashings, the political instability of the Directory paved the way for the rise of a military dictator- Napoleon Bonaparte.

→ Did Women have a Revolution?
Women were active participants from the very beginning in the events which brought about so many important changes in French society. Women were disappointed that the constitution of 1791 reduced them to passive citizens. Women could now train for jobs, could become artists or run small businesses. It was finally in 1946 that women in France won the right to vote.

→ The Abolition of Slavery;
The convention of 1794 legislated to free all slaves in the French overseas possessions. Ten years later, Napoleon reintroduced slavery. Slavery was finally abolished in French colonies in 1848.

→ The Revolution and Everyday life:
In 1789, law that came into effect was the abolition of censorship and the Declaration of the rights of Man and citizen proclaimed freedom of speech and expression to be a natural right. Opposing views of events could be expressed. This brought about many changes in the men, women and children of France.

Conclusion: The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the French revolution. These ideas were spread in the nineteenth century in Europe and the feudal systems were abolished.