CBSE Class 9 History The French Revolution Worksheet Set 03

Q1)      What is livre?

Ans:    Livre is unit of currency in France discontinued in 1794.

Q2)      What is guillotine and who invented it?

Ans:    The guillotine is a device consisting of two poles and a blade with which a person is beheaded. It was named after Dr. Guillotin who invented it.

Q3)      What is tithe?

Ans:    A tax levied by the church comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce.

Q4)      Who enjoyed certain privileges by birth in French society during the late 18^th century?

Ans:    The members of the first two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by birth.

Q5)      Who was the ruler of France in 1789?

Ans:    Louis XVI was the ruler of France in 1789.

Q6)      Why was Robespierre guillotined?

Ans:    Robespierre’s government issued laws placing a maximum ceiling on wages and prices. Meat and bread were rationed, peasants were forced to transport their grain to the cities and sell it at prices fixed by the government. The use of more expensive white flour was forbidden. Equality was also sought to be practised through forms of speech and address. Churches were shut down and their buildings converted into barracks or offices. Robespierre pursued his policies so relentlessly that even his supporters began to demand moderation. Finally he was convicted by a court in July 1794 arrested and on the next day sent to the guillotine.

Q7)      What were the conditions which led to the rise of Jacobins?

Ans:    The revolutionary wars brought losses and economic difficulties to the people. Large sections of the population were convinced that the revolution had to be carried further as the Constitution of 1791 gave political rights only to the richer sections of society. Political clubs became an important rallying point for people who wished to discuss government policies and plan their own forms of action. The most successful of these clubs was that of the Jacobins which got its name from the former convent of St. Jacob in Paris.

Q8)      What do you mean by subsistence crisis? 

Ans:    Subsistence crisis is an extreme situation where the basic means of livelihood are endangered. The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains. Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand.

Q9)      What was the significance of Tennis Court Oath in French Revolution?

Ans:    The Tennis Court Oath was significant because it showed the growing unrest against Louis XVI and laid the foundation for later events including, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and the storming of the Bastille.

Q10)    What was the impact of the French Revolution on the world? 

Ans:    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 19^th century where feudal systems were abolished. Colonised peoples reworked the idea of freedom from bondage into their movements to create a sovereign nation state.