The French Revolution | Causes of the French Revolution MCQs Quiz | Class 9

Class: Class IX | Subject: History | Unit: Events and Processes | Topic: The French Revolution | Covering: economic crisis, taxation, and role of philosophers. Attempt the quiz below and download your score PDF.

Overview of the French Revolution Causes

The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a pivotal event in world history. It was driven by a combination of social, political, and economic factors that led the people of France to overthrow the monarchy and establish a republic based on the principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The crisis was rooted in the rigid social structure of the Old Regime and exacerbated by poor leadership and financial ruin.

1. The Three Estates

French society was divided into three distinct orders or estates. The system was inherently unfair as the burden of taxation fell almost entirely on the Third Estate, despite them having the least political power.

Estate Composition Privileges/Burdens
First Estate Clergy (Church officials) Exempt from taxes; collected Tithes.
Second Estate Nobility Exempt from taxes; held top jobs; collected feudal dues.
Third Estate Big businessmen, merchants, lawyers, peasants, artisans, landless labour Paid all taxes (Taille to state, Tithes to church, indirect taxes); no privileges.

2. Economic Crisis and Subsistence Crisis

By 1789, the French treasury was empty. Long years of war, including the cost of helping the thirteen American colonies gain independence from Britain, added more than a billion livres to a debt that had already risen to two billion livres. Lenders began charging 10% interest on loans.

Simultaneously, a subsistence crisis occurred. The population of France rose from 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. Grain production could not keep pace with demand. A severe winter and bad harvest led to a shortage of bread, the staple diet, causing prices to skyrocket. This situation, where the basic means of livelihood are endangered, is called a subsistence crisis.

3. Role of Philosophers

The middle class, emerging within the Third Estate, was inspired by new ideas put forward by philosophers who envisioned a society based on freedom and equal laws.

  • John Locke: In his book Two Treatises of Government, he sought to refute the doctrine of the divine and absolute right of the monarch.
  • Jean Jacques Rousseau: He proposed a form of government based on a social contract between people and their representatives in his book The Social Contract.
  • Montesquieu: In The Spirit of the Laws, he proposed a division of power within the government between the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary.

Quick Revision Points

  • King: Louis XVI of the Bourbon family ascended the throne in 1774.
  • Queen: Marie Antoinette (Austrian princess).
  • Tithe: A tax levied by the church, comprising one-tenth of the agricultural produce.
  • Taille: Tax to be paid directly to the state.
  • Bastille: The fortress-prison stormed on 14 July 1789, symbolizing the despotic power of the king.

Extra Practice Questions

  • Q: What was the unit of currency in France until 1794? Ans: Livre
  • Q: When was the Estates General last called before 1789? Ans: 1614
  • Q: Who led the representatives of the Third Estate at Versailles? Ans: Mirabeau and Abbé Sieyès
  • Q: What did the red cap worn by Sans-culottes symbolize? Ans: Liberty
  • Q: Who wrote the pamphlet ‘What is the Third Estate’? Ans: Abbé Sieyès