NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Social Science History
Chapter 1 - French Revolution
1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
Answer:
When King Louis XVI was anointed as the new king, he found an empty treasury. Long years of war
had drained the financial resources of France. On top of this, there was the cost of maintaining an
extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles. France had helped the thirteen American
colonies gain their independence from the common enemy, Britain. The war added more than a Billion
livres to a debt that had already risen to more than 2 billion livres. Lenders who gave credit now began
to charge 10 per cent interest on loans. So the French Government had to spend an increasing
percentage of its budget on interest payments alone. To meet its regular expenses, such as cost of
maintaining an army, the court, running government offices or Universities. Even this measure did not
suffice because the French society was divided into 3 estates and only the 3rd estate had to pay taxes.
1st and 2nd estate did not pay any taxes. The population fo France grew massively. This led to a rapid
increase in demand for food grains. Production of grains could not keep pace with demand. So the
price of bread which was the staple diet of the majority rose rapidly. Most workers were employed as
labourers in workshops whose owner fixed their wages. But the wages did not keep pace with the rise
in prices. So the gap between the rich and the poor widened. All these factors led to the outbreak of the
French Revolution.
2. Which groups of French society benefited from the revolution? Which groups were forced to
relinquish power? Which sections of society would have been disappointed with the outcome of
the revolution?
Answer:
French society was divided into 3 estates. The third estate benefitted the most. The third estate
consisted of Peasants, artisans, Small peasants, landless labour, servants, big businessmen,
merchants, court officials, lawyers etc. The groups that were forced to relinquish power came under 1st
and 2nd estate. These people had enjoyed certain privileges by birth. With the revolution, these people
in 1st and 2nd estate lost their privileges, because inequality was one of the root causes of revolution
and the revolution tried to bring equality to society.
3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Answer:
The ideas of liberty and democratic rights were the most important legacy of the French revolution.
These spread from France to the rest of Europe during the nineteenth century, where feudal systems
were abolished. Colonised people reworked the idea of freedom from bondage into their movements to
create a sovereign nation-state. Tipu Sultan and Rammohan Roy are two examples of individuals who
responded to the ideas coming from Revolutionary France.
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NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Social Science History
4. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the
French Revolution.
Answer:
The list of democratic rights are
1. Freedom of speech
2. Freedom of expression
3. Freedom of press
4. Abolition of censorship
5. Right to vote
6. Abolition of slavery
7. Right to liberty
8. Right to property
9. Right to security
10. Right to education
11. Divorce laws
5. Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset with
contradictions? Explain.
Answer:
Though it says Universal Rights, unfortunately, they left out women from basic rights. They did not have
equal rights to men. They did not have the same rights as right to liberty, property, security, and above
all resistance to oppression. In the formulation of laws, women did not have any representation.
Women were not entitled to all honours and public employment according to their abilities.
6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
Answer:
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself Emperor of France. He started conquering neighbouring
countries by waging wars against them. He saw himself in the role of a moderniser of Europe. He
introduced many laws such as the protection of private property and a uniform system of weights and
measures provided by the decimal system. Many of his measures carried the revolutionary ideas of
liberty and modern laws to the other parts of Europe, this had a positive impact on people long after he
was dethroned as an emperor when he was finally defeated in the Battle of Waterloo.
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