NCERT Class 9 Solutions: The French Revolution (India and the Contemporary World-I) Chapter 1 – Part 1
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Q-1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
Answer: Followings are basic circumstances which led to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France:
- Social:
- The social order had raised many inequalities. In 18th century French society was separated into three estates and they are:
- The clergy
- The nobility
- Third estates or commoners like farmers, workers, laborers, other officials and small business.
- The taxes were paid only by the third estates whereas clergy and nobility did not have to give taxes.
- Economic:
- Due to long wars including the American War of Independence, luxurious living of the king and faulty system of taxation the France became financial very weak.
- State was forced to increase taxes to fulfill its regular expenses to maintain an army, court, running government offices and universities etc.
- Political
- King of France Louis XVI was an empty headed autocrat.
- Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette had wasted money on their expensive living and wasteful festivities.
- High posts were frequently auctioned leading to gross incompetence in higher clergy.
- During his rule the entire administration was corrupt and every department had its own laws.
- The system was not uniform so it led to confusion, due to this the people were tired of such a terrible system of administration and required a change.
- Intellectual:
- Frustrated, number of philosophers challenged the theory of the divine right of kings to rule during that time.
- The started to preach a policy of sovereignty of the people and equality of all men.
- Fires of discontent revealed the evil actions of the king and clergy.
Some other circumstances that caused revolutionary protest in France were strong middle class (which was unsatisfied) , immediate cause (availability of weapons) and subsistence crisis (commoners not able to feed their families) .