Class 9th Part 1 (FRENCH REVOLUTION).

FRENCH REVOLUTION. PART 1.

note: (1) Louis XVI ascended the throne of France in 1774 when he was 20 years old. (2) He married Marie Antoinette, Princess of Austria. (3) He belonged to the Bourbon dynasty. (4) At the time of his accession the treasury was empty.

Why was the treasury empty? (1) Due to the long war, the financial resources of France were exhausted. (2) France liberated 13 colonies of America from Britain, due to which there was financial loss. (3) There was excessive expenditure on the palace and royal court of Versailles in France, due to which there was financial loss. (4) Due to all these reasons, France had incurred a debt of two billion livres.

French society:(1) France was divided into three estates. First estate was the clergy who worked in the church. Second estate was the nobles who were government employees. Third estate was divided into three classes (a) rich (b) middle and (c) poor. (2) People of first and second classes enjoyed special privileges and did not have to pay taxes. (3) Only of third class paid taxes. (4) There were 4-6/10 types of taxes. (a) Tithe: This was a tax given to the church which was one-tenth of the agricultural produce. (b) Taille: This was a tax given directly to the state.

Struggle to survive: (1) The population of France was 2.3 crores in 1715.

Which had become 2.8 crores in 1789. (2) The production of grains was stable due to which the prices of food increased. (3) People's salaries were not increased by their employers due to which the rich became richer and the poor became poorer. (4) The situation becomes worse when the crop gets ruined due to rain or hailstorm.

subsistence crisis: the situation in which the basic means of livelihood come in endanger.

Emerging middle class: (1) In the 18th century a new social group emerged which was called middle class. (2) All of them were educated and they believed that no class of the society should have privileges by birth. (3) According to them freedom is based on the idea of equal rules and equal opportunities. (4) In Two Treatises of Government, John Locke refuted the theory of divine and absolute rights of the king. (5) Montesquieu in his book named Spirit of the Law talked about division of power within the government between legislature, executive and judiciary. (6) Rousseau talked about one vote one value in his book The Social Contract. (7) Philosophers used to debate on these ideas in coffee houses and saloons and the book was read aloud in front of the people so that even the illiterate could understand them.

Beginning of the Revolution: (1) France had a debt of two billion livres. To pay off this debt, the idea of increasing the tax was considered but the king of France could not increase the tax on his own will. For this, he had to call a meeting of the Estate General. (2) This was a political institution in which the people of the three states sent their representatives. (3) This meeting was first called in 1614 and was being called for the second time on 5 May 1789. (4) The entry of farmers, women and laborers was prohibited in this meeting. The problems of these people were presented in the assembly through about 40,000 letters. (5) According to the rules of the Estate General, each state was accepted as one vote, but this time the people of the third class demanded one person one vote. (6) When the emperor rejected this proposal, the representatives of the third state walked out in protest. (7) And on 20 June 1789 they gathered at the tennis court at Versailles and formed a National Assembly..

These are the ncert topics of French Revolution
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