In this blog post, we will know the NCERT solutions for Class 9 History Chapter 1, “The French Revolution.” The French Revolution was a significant event that took place in the late 18th century and had a profound impact on France and the world. It marked a turning point in history and brought about revolutionary changes in politics, society, and governance.
In the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 History Chapter 1, all the concepts related to the French Revolution have been provided. The students can solve the questions from the textbook through this blog easily.
Class 9 History Chapter 1 Questions and answers
Exercise Page No. 24
1. Describe the circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protest in France.
Answer: The circumstances leading to the outbreak of revolutionary protests in France were as follows:
1. France faced a severe financial crisis due to long years of war, expensive court costs, and American independence.
2. Lenders started charging higher interest rates.
3. The government had to spend a large portion of its budget on interest payments alone, which made it difficult to meet regular expenses such as the maintenance of the army, courts, and government offices.
4. The third estate was forced to pay heavy taxes and perform hard labor while the first and second estates were exempt from taxes.
5. The demand for food grains increased due to the increased population.
6. The price of bread was increased.
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: The third estate such as farmers, artisans, small farmers, landless laborers, servants, big merchants, traders, court officials, lawyers, etc. benefited the most from the revolution.
The people of the first and second estates were forced to give up power.
With the Revolution, people from the first and second estates were disappointed because they lost their privileges and the revolution attempted to bring about equality in society.
3. Describe the legacy of the French Revolution for the peoples of the world during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Answer: The legacy of the French Revolution during the 19th and 20th centuries had a profound impact on the people of the world.
It inspired movements for liberty, equality, and democracy across various nations.
These spread from France to the rest of Europe where feudal systems were abolished.
The ideals of the French Revolution, such as individual rights, representative government, and social justice, influenced independence movements, and the development of modern political systems.
4. Draw up a list of democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the French Revolution.
Answer: The democratic rights we enjoy today whose origins could be traced to the French Revolution are as follows:
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of express
- Freedom of the press.
- Freedom of assembly and peaceful protest.
- Equality before the law.
- Right to a fair trial.
- Right, to participate in voting and elections.
- Separation of powers and checks and balances in government.
- Protection against arbitrary arrests and imprisonment.
- Protection of individual rights.
5. Would you agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions? Explain.
Answer: Yes, I agree with the view that the message of universal rights was beset with contradictions because a certain group of society was left out of basic rights. For example, women did not have equality during the French Revolution, and slavery continued in French colonies.
6. How would you explain the rise of Napoleon?
Answer: Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself Emperor of France and started a war to conquer neighbouring countries. He introduced progressive laws, protected private property, and enforced a uniform system of weights and measures. His measures spread revolutionary ideas and had a lasting positive impact across Europe, even after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.
Class 9 History Chapter 1 extra questions and answers
1. Explain why the artist has portrayed the nobleman as the spider and the peasant as the fly.
Answer: The spider eats the fly for its survival. Similarly, the so-called nobles of the French Revolution imposed heavy taxes on the peasants, causing them great distress.
The nobles subsisted on the taxes paid by the peasants. That is why the artist compared the nobles to spiders and the peasants to flies.
2. Fill in the given blank box with appropriate terms from among the following: Food riots, scarcity of grain, increased number of deaths, rising food prices, weaker bodies.
Answer:
Text Book Page 7
3. What message is Young trying to convey here? What does he mean when he speaks of ‘‘slaves’’? Who is he criticizing? What dangers does he sense in the situation of 1787?
Answer: Young is trying to convey the message that any social order based on injustice will not last long and the consequences can be disastrous for the exploiters.
He refers to ‘slaves’, such as peasants, servants, and landless sharecroppers, who were the downtrodden and underprivileged sections of French society at the time.
He is criticizing the entire social system and the nobles and clergy.
The danger they felt was violence from the deprived sections of the nobles and their families.
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4. Representatives of the Third Estate take the oath raising their arms in the direction of Bailly, the President of the Assembly, standing on a table in the centre. Do you think that during the actual event, Bailly would have stood with his back to the assembled deputies? What could have been David’s intention in placing Bailly the way he has done?
Answer: No, during the actual event, the bullies did not stand with their backs to the assembled deputies.
Despite the declaration of the rights of man and citizen, the right to vote and stand for election remained with the rich and resourceful. The rest were just passive citizens.
Text Book Page 13
5. Identify the symbols in Box 1 which stand for liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Answer: Liberty: The broken chain and the Red Phrygian cap.
Equality: The Winged Women and the Law tablet.
Fraternity: The bundle of rods or fasces and Blue-white-red.
6. Explain the meaning of the painting of the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen by reading only the symbols.
Answer: This painting symbolizes the right to freedom, property, equality, etc. enshrined in the new constitution of France.
The picture on the right is the symbol of law. The figure on the left symbolizes the law.
7. Compare the political rights which the Constitution of 1791 gave to the citizens with Articles 1 and 6 of the Declaration (Source C). Are the two documents consistent? Do the two documents convey the same idea?
Answer: Both documents are consistent and express the same idea that human beings are created equal and all citizens are equal before the law. However, the Constitution of 1791 did not give practical shape to these ideas.
8. Which groups of French society would have gained from the Constitution of 1791? Which groups would have had reason to be dissatisfied? What developments does Marat (Source B) anticipate in the future?
Answer: Only some members of the Third Estate, who were rich and wealthy, would have benefited from this constitution.
Members of the First and Second Estates would be dissatisfied because their privileges were taken away and they had to pay taxes.
Marat anticipates that the poor people will rebel against and overthrow the rich people of the Third Estate, as they did with the nobles and clergy.
9. Imagine the impact of the events in France on neighboring countries such as Prussia, Austria-Hungary, or Spain, all of which were absolute monarchies. How would the kings, traders, peasants, nobles, or members of the clergy here, have reacted to the news of what was happening in France?
AnswerThe kings, nobles, clergy, and other privileged classes of these countries would be horrified that what happened in France could happen in their country too. Farmers will welcome development in France and will sympathize with the farmers and the downtrodden.
Text Book Page 15
10. Look carefully at the painting and identify the objects that are political symbols you saw in Box 1 (broken chain, red cap, fasces, Charter of the Declaration of Rights). The pyramid stands for equality, often represented by a triangle. Use the symbols to interpret the painting. Describe your impressions of the female figure of liberty.
Answer:
- The scroll in the woman’s right hand symbolizes the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
- The pyramid in the background is a symbol of equality.
- The raised left hand with the red cap symbolizes the torch of liberty.
- The female figure of liberty symbolizes the equality of women and men.
11. Compare the views of Desmoulins and Robespierre. How does each one understand the use of state force? What does Robespierre mean by ‘the war of liberty against tyranny’? How does Desmoulins perceive liberty? Refer once more to Source C. What did the constitutional laws on the rights of individuals lay -down? Discuss your views on the subject in class.
Answer:
| Robespierre | Desmoulins |
| Believed that the use of terror by a democratic government was justified as it preserved the ideals of the revolution. | Regarded liberty as the freedom to act on the basis of the principles of equality, reason, and justice without harming others. |
| Argued for “the war of liberty against tyranny,” | Freedom is described in the Declaration of Rights. |
| Emphasized the need to eliminate enemies of the republic through forceful means. | Focused on the constitutional laws that safeguarded individual rights. |
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12. Describe the persons represented in Fig. 12 – their actions, their postures, and the objects they are carrying. Look carefully to see whether all of them come from the same social group. What symbols has the artist included in the image? What do they stand for? Do the actions of the women reflect traditional ideas of how women were expected to behave in public? What do you think: Does the artist sympathize with the women’s activities or is he critical of them? Discuss your views in class.
Answer:
In this scene, all the women belong to the underprivileged social group, specifically peasants. Their agricultural implements and impoverished clothing depict their poverty. One woman holds the symbol of justice, indicating their pursuit of fairness. The woman on the horse represents power and strength.
The drum signifies their proclamation of their march, challenging traditional expectations of women’s behaviour. The artist clearly sympathizes with the women’s activities.
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13. Compare the manifesto drafted by Olympe de Gouges (Source F) with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (Source C).
Answer: In the Manifesto of Olympe de Gouges, women and equality figure prominently throughout the text, with women being mentioned first in all cases. However, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen focuses entirely on men and does not mention women at all.
14. Imagine yourself to be one of the women in Fig. 13. Formulate a response to the arguments put forward by Chaumette (Source G).
Answer: Chaumette’s arguments lack justification as he solely focuses on the biological role of women. However, women, as individuals, possess equal rights to men and should be treated accordingly. While women continue to fulfil traditional roles such as bearing and nurturing children and feeding them, they are equally capable as men in carrying out all other human duties.
Text Book Page 21
15. Record your impressions of this print (Fig. 14). Describe the objects lying on the ground. What do they symbolize? What attitude does the picture express towards non-European slaves?
Answer: The print reflected the French belief in the superiority of Africans and Caribbean slaves by treating them as savages. The slogans express the idea that former slaves should enjoy the same rights as European residents. The objects on the ground represent European dress, symbolizing the perceived cultural superiority of Europe over the slaves.
Text Book Page 22
16. Describe the picture in your own words. What are the images that the artist has used to communicate the following ideas: greed, equality, justice, and takeover by the state of the assets of the church?
Answer: In this image, the fat priest on the left represents greed, while the people with him symbolize government officials who have confiscated church property. The slimming press in the center is a symbol of justice, and the man and woman on the right are symbols of equality. Overall, this picture reflects the values of the revolution.
Read also: Constitutional Design Class 9 Notes | Easy Concept
FAQ
What was the French Revolution Class 9 answer?
The French Revolution began in 1789 and marked a turning point in world history. This revolution shook the foundations of the ruling upper classes. The people rose up against the oppressive monarchy, advocating the principles of liberty, fraternity, and equality.
What is the name of Class 9 History Chapter 1?
The French Revolution
What was the impact of the French Revolution Class 9 History Chapter 1?
The French Revolution ended the monarchy in France and established democracy. This not only led to wars with other countries but also paved the way for the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. As a military general, Napoleon eventually became Emperor of France and left an ineffaceable mark on history.
Who won the French Revolution?
The French Revolution came to an end in 1799 when General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the revolutionary government and established the French Consulate, with himself as the leader.
Why did the French Revolution start?
The French Revolution began because of social inequality, economic hardships, and the oppressive rule of the monarchy.
Who started the French Revolution?
The French Revolution was started by various groups and individuals in French society.
Who ruled France after Napoleon?
Louis XVIII ruled France after Napoleon.
Why was the French Revolution important?
The French Revolution was important because it brought an end to the monarchy, established the principles of liberty and equality, and inspired revolutionary movements around the world.
What were the 3 stages of the French Revolution?
The three stages of the French Revolution were a moderate period, a radical period, and a period of conservative reaction.
Who was the first King of France?
Hugh Capet is considered the first king of France.
Conclusion
Ncert Solutions for Class 9 History Chapter 1 provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the various aspects of the French Revolution, exploring its causes, major events, and its impact on society. By studying and practising these solutions, students can enhance their knowledge, improve their problem-solving skills, and perform better in their exams. If you have any other queries about, Class 9 History Chapter 1 questions and answers feel free to reach us so that we can get back to you at the earliest possible.