📘 Question Bank – The French Revolution

Part A – Multiple Choice Questions (40 MCQs)

 

Q1. The French Revolution began in which year?

a) 1789

b) 1791

c) 1793

d) 1799

Ans. a) 1789

 

Q2. Who was the king of France when the Revolution began?

a) Louis XIV

b) Louis XV

c) Louis XVI

d) Napoleon

Ans. c) Louis XVI

 

Q3. Marie Antoinette was from which country?

a) England

b) Austria

c) Spain

d) Germany

Ans. b) Austria

 

Q4. Which class in French society paid all taxes?

a) First Estate

b) Second Estate

c) Third Estate

d) Nobles

Ans. c) Third Estate

 

Q5. What portion of land did the clergy own?

a) 10%

b) 20%

c) 30%

d) 5%

Ans. a) 10%

 

Q6. What is ‘tithe’?

a) A land tax

b) A tax paid to the church

c) A military tax

d) A trade tax

Ans. b) A tax paid to the church

 

Q7. The tax collected by the state on salt was called?

a) Taille

b) Gabelle

c) Tithe

d) Subsistence

Ans. b) Gabelle

 

Q8. What does the term ‘subsistence crisis’ mean?

a) Shortage of water

b) Shortage of food and essentials

c) Rise of population

d) Shortage of money

Ans. b) Shortage of food and essentials

 

Q9. Which philosopher wrote The Spirit of the Laws?

a) Rousseau

b) Montesquieu

c) John Locke

d) Voltaire

Ans. b) Montesquieu

 

Q10. Rousseau wrote which famous book?

a) Two Treatises of Government

b) Social Contract

c) Spirit of the Laws

d) Leviathan

Ans. b) Social Contract

 

Q11. The Estates General meeting in 1789 was held at?

a) Paris

b) Versailles

c) Bastille

d) Lyon

Ans. b) Versailles

 

Q12. When was the Bastille prison stormed?

a) 4 August 1789

b) 14 July 1789

c) 21 January 1793

d) 1791

Ans. b) 14 July 1789

 

Q13. What did the National Assembly abolish on 4 August 1789?

a) Monarchy

b) Feudal system and privileges

c) Republic

d) Slavery

Ans. b) Feudal system and privileges

 

Q14. When was the first Constitution of France completed?

a) 1789

b) 1791

c) 1793

d) 1795

Ans. b) 1791

 

Q15. Who were considered ‘active citizens’ in 1791 Constitution?

a) All men above 21

b) Women above 25

c) Men above 25 who paid taxes

d) Nobles only

Ans. c) Men above 25 who paid taxes

 

Q16. Which symbol represented freedom in the French Revolution?

a) Broken chain

b) Phrygian cap

c) Eye within triangle

d) Tricolour

Ans. a) Broken chain

 

Q17. Which symbol represented knowledge?

a) Law tablet

b) Red Phrygian cap

c) Eye within triangle

d) Bundle of rods

Ans. c) Eye within triangle

 

Q18. What happened on 21 January 1793?

a) Bastille stormed

b) Constitution adopted

c) King Louis XVI executed

d) Napoleon took power

Ans. c) King Louis XVI executed

 

Q19. Universal male suffrage was introduced in?

a) 1791

b) 1792

c) 1793

d) 1795

Ans. b) 1792

 

Q20. Who led the Reign of Terror?

a) Rousseau

b) Robespierre

c) Napoleon

d) Louis XVI

Ans. b) Robespierre

 

Q21. Which device was used for executions?

a) Sword

b) Axe

c) Guillotine

d) Cannon

Ans. c) Guillotine

 

Q22. What happened in July 1794?

a) Napoleon seized power

b) Robespierre was executed

c) Bastille stormed

d) Slavery abolished

Ans. b) Robespierre was executed

 

Q23. How many directors were there in the executive of 1795?

a) Three

b) Five

c) Seven

d) Nine

Ans. b) Five

 

Q24. Who overthrew the Directory in 1799?

a) Louis XVI

b) Robespierre

c) Napoleon Bonaparte

d) Rousseau

Ans. c) Napoleon Bonaparte

 

Q25. Women’s clubs were banned in which year?

a) 1789

b) 1791

c) 1793

d) 1795

Ans. c) 1793

 

Q26. When did women in France get the right to vote?

a) 1791

b) 1793

c) 1795

d) 1946

Ans. d) 1946

 

Q27. Slavery was abolished in French colonies in?

a) 1791

b) 1794

c) 1804

d) 1848

Ans. b) 1794

 

Q28. Who reintroduced slavery in 1804?

a) Louis XVI

b) Napoleon Bonaparte

c) Robespierre

d) Rousseau

Ans. b) Napoleon Bonaparte

 

Q29. When was slavery finally abolished in French colonies?

a) 1794

b) 1804

c) 1848

d) 1870

Ans. c) 1848

 

Q30. Which female figure was used to represent France as a nation?

a) Marianne

b) Maria Theresa

c) Antoinette

d) Victoria

Ans. a) Marianne

 

Q31. Which festival and hymns were introduced to spread nationalism?

a) Monarchy festivals

b) Republican hymns and festivals

c) Church hymns

d) European festivals

Ans. b) Republican hymns and festivals

 

Q32. Which estate formed 90% of France’s population?

a) First Estate

b) Second Estate

c) Third Estate (peasants)

d) Nobility

Ans. c) Third Estate

 

Q33. Which philosopher opposed the divine right of kings?

a) Montesquieu

b) Locke

c) Rousseau

d) Hobbes

Ans. b) Locke

 

Q34. What was the Estates General?

a) Parliament of France

b) King’s council

c) Church meeting

d) Military body

Ans. a) Parliament of France

 

Q35. What was the Tennis Court Oath?

a) Oath to abolish monarchy

b) Oath not to separate until a Constitution was made

c) Oath of loyalty to king

d) Oath of war

Ans. b) Oath not to separate until a Constitution was made

 

Q36. Who were the bourgeoisie?

a) Nobles

b) Clergy

c) Middle-class professionals

d) Peasants

Ans. c) Middle-class professionals

 

Q37. Which right did peasants gain after feudal dues were abolished?

a) Freedom from taxes

b) Freedom from feudal obligations

c) Right to vote

d) Right to education

Ans. b) Freedom from feudal obligations

 

Q38. What was the new calendar introduced in 1792 called?

a) Revolutionary calendar

b) Republican calendar

c) National calendar

d) People’s calendar

Ans. b) Republican calendar

 

Q39. What does the French motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" stand for?

a) Monarchy and loyalty

b) Unity and nationalism

c) Democratic values of revolution

d) Social hierarchy

Ans. c) Democratic values of revolution

 

Q40. Which year did Napoleon become ruler of France?

a) 1789

b) 1791

c) 1799

d) 1804

Ans. c) 1799

 

Part B – Short Answer Questions (20)

 

Q1. What were the three estates in French society?

Ans. First Estate – Clergy; Second Estate – Nobility; Third Estate – Peasants, workers, and middle class.

 

Q2. Why was the French treasury empty in 1774?

Ans. Due to costly wars, maintaining the army, and extravagant court expenses.

 

Q3. Who were tithes paid to?

Ans. To the Church (First Estate).

 

Q4. Name any two taxes paid by the Third Estate.

Ans. Tithes, taille, gabelle (salt tax), and feudal dues.

 

Q5. What is meant by subsistence crisis?

Ans. A situation where basic means of livelihood like food become difficult to access.

 

Q6. Name two philosophers whose ideas inspired the Revolution.

Ans. Rousseau and Montesquieu.

 

Q7. What was the Tennis Court Oath?

Ans. An oath by National Assembly members not to separate until they framed a Constitution.

 

Q8. Why was Bastille stormed?

Ans. It symbolized the king’s tyranny and contained weapons and ammunition.

 

Q9. When was monarchy abolished in France?

Ans. In 1792, when France became a Republic.

 

Q10. Who was Robespierre?

Ans. Leader of the Jacobins who led the Reign of Terror (1793–1794).

 

Q11. What was the guillotine?

Ans. A device used to execute people by beheading during the Revolution.

 

Q12. What was the Directory?

Ans. A five-member executive body set up in 1795 to govern France.

 

Q13. When did Napoleon come to power?

Ans. In 1799, through a coup.

 

Q14. Why did women participate in the Revolution?

Ans. They demanded bread, education, equality, and the right to vote.

 

Q15. When were women’s clubs banned?

Ans. In 1793.

 

Q16. When was slavery abolished in French colonies?

Ans. In 1794.

 

Q17. Who reintroduced slavery in 1804?

Ans. Napoleon Bonaparte.

 

Q18. When was slavery finally abolished?

Ans. 1848.

 

Q19. Who was Marianne?

Ans. A female figure representing the French nation.

 

Q20. State one legacy of the French Revolution.

Ans. It spread the ideas of liberty, equality, and fraternity across the world.

 

Part C – Long Answer Questions (20)

 

📘 Section C – Long Answer Questions with Answers

 

Q1. Explain the division of French society in the 18th century.

Ans.

French society was divided into three estates:

1. First Estate (Clergy): Owned 10% of the land. They collected tithes from peasants and were exempted from paying taxes.

2. Second Estate (Nobility): Owned the most land, enjoyed feudal privileges, collected dues from peasants, and also did not pay taxes.

3. Third Estate (Common people): Made up 90% of the population. Included peasants, workers, and the middle class. They had to pay taxes to the state, feudal dues to nobles, and tithes to the church.

👉 Thus, the burden of taxation fell only on the Third Estate while the privileged classes enjoyed exemptions.

 

Q2. Why was the French monarchy facing financial problems in 1774?

Ans.

The French monarchy had spent huge amounts on wars, especially the Seven Years’ War and support for the American War of Independence.

Extravagant expenses of the royal court and maintaining a large army drained the treasury.

The state had taken heavy loans and interest payments increased the burden.

By 1774, when Louis XVI became king, the treasury was empty and the king decided to increase taxes, which created discontent.

 

Q3. Describe the role of philosophers in inspiring the French Revolution.

Ans.

Enlightenment thinkers inspired the people of France with new ideas:

John Locke – In Two Treatises of Government, he rejected the idea of divine rights of kings and said government should work on the consent of people.

Montesquieu – In The Spirit of the Laws, he suggested division of powers among legislature, executive, and judiciary to avoid misuse of power.

Rousseau – In The Social Contract, he argued that the government should follow the general will of the people.

👉 These ideas made people aware of equality, liberty, and democracy, inspiring the Revolution.

 

Q4. What do you mean by subsistence crisis? Explain its causes.

Ans.

A subsistence crisis means a situation where basic means of livelihood (food, clothes, shelter) become difficult to obtain.

Causes in France:

Population increased rapidly in the 18th century.

Food grain production did not grow in proportion, leading to shortages.

Wages did not rise in proportion to rising prices.

Bad harvests in some years caused bread prices to rise further.

👉 As a result, peasants and workers often faced hunger and starvation.

 

Q5. How did the French Revolution begin?

Ans.

In May 1789, Louis XVI called the meeting of the Estates General to increase taxes.

The First and Second Estates wanted one vote per estate, but the Third Estate demanded one vote per member.

When their demand was rejected, the Third Estate declared itself the National Assembly.

On 20 June 1789, they took the Tennis Court Oath not to separate until they made a Constitution.

On 14 July 1789, people of Paris stormed the Bastille prison, a symbol of royal power.

👉 This marked the outbreak of the French Revolution.

 

Q6. Describe the storming of the Bastille and its importance.

Ans.

On 14 July 1789, angry citizens of Paris attacked the Bastille prison.

The Bastille was a symbol of the king’s despotic power and stored arms and ammunition.

The fortress was destroyed by the people.

Importance:

It symbolized the end of monarchy’s absolute power.

People gained confidence that they could challenge the king.

14 July is celebrated as the National Day of France today.

 

Q7. Explain the main features of the Constitution of 1791.

Ans.

Limited the powers of the king, making France a constitutional monarchy.

The Legislative Assembly was to make laws.

Only active citizens (men above 25 years who paid taxes equal to at least 3 days’ wages) could vote.

The judiciary and executive powers were kept separate.

👉 It established the principle of equality before law, but voting rights were limited.

 

Q8. Who were active and passive citizens?

Ans.

Active citizens: Men above 25 years of age who paid taxes equal to 3 days’ wages. They had the right to vote.

Passive citizens: The rest of the population including women, servants, and the poor. They had no political rights.

👉 This division created dissatisfaction, especially among women and the poor.

 

Q9. What were the symbols of the French Revolution and their meanings?

Ans.

Broken chain – freedom.

Bundle of rods with axe – strength lies in unity.

Eye within a triangle – knowledge.

Red Phrygian cap – liberty.

Blue-white-red tricolour – national flag of France.

Law tablet – equality before law.

👉 These symbols inspired people and expressed revolutionary ideas.

 

Q10. How did France become a Republic?

Ans.

In 1792, France declared war on Austria and Prussia.

Economic hardships created anger among common people.

On 10 August 1792, the palace of Tuileries was attacked, and the king was imprisoned.

The monarchy was abolished, and France was declared a Republic.

A new assembly called the Convention gave all men above 21 the right to vote.

On 21 January 1793, King Louis XVI was executed.

 

Q11. What were the main features of the Reign of Terror?

Ans.

Period from 1793 to 1794 under Robespierre’s rule.

Suspected enemies of the Republic were executed by guillotine.

Maximum ceiling on wages and prices was fixed.

Rationing of food and compulsory sale of grain at fixed prices.

Slavery abolished in French colonies.

👉 It aimed to protect the Revolution but became very harsh and unpopular.

 

Q12. Why was Robespierre executed?

Ans.

Robespierre’s strict policies and executions created fear and anger among people.

Even his supporters began to oppose him.

In July 1794, he was arrested and sent to the guillotine.

👉 His fall ended the Reign of Terror.

 

Q13. Describe the government formed under the Directory.

Ans.

After the fall of Robespierre, a new Constitution was made in 1795.

It provided for two elected councils to make laws.

An executive body of five members (Directory) was created to prevent misuse of power.

However, the Directory became weak, corrupt, and politically unstable.

👉 In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew it and became ruler of France.

 

Q14. How did Napoleon rise to power?

 

Ans.

After 1795, the Directory failed to provide stability.

People wanted a strong leader to restore order.

Napoleon was a successful military general who gained popularity.

In 1799, he staged a coup and seized power.

👉 He declared himself ruler of France, ending the Revolution.

 

Q15. Discuss the role of women in the French Revolution.

Ans.

Women actively participated by marching to Versailles and demanding bread.

They formed clubs like the Society of Revolutionary and Republican Women.

They demanded education, equal rights, and the right to vote.

They discussed issues like price control and quality of bread.

👉 However, women’s clubs were banned in 1793, and political rights were denied to them.

 

Q16. Why were women disappointed with the Revolution?

Ans.

The 1791 Constitution gave political rights only to active male citizens.

Women were excluded from voting and holding office.

Their clubs were banned in 1793.

They continued to face inequality in education, work, and politics.

👉 Women in France finally got the right to vote only in 1946.

 

Q17. Discuss the abolition of slavery in French colonies.

Ans.

France had colonies in the Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, San Domingo).

Slaves were used in plantations of sugar, coffee, and cotton.

The French Revolution abolished slavery in 1794.

However, Napoleon reintroduced slavery in 1804.

Finally, slavery was permanently abolished in 1848.

 

Q18. How did the French Revolution affect everyday life?

Ans.

A new Republican calendar was introduced in 1792.

The nation was personified as a woman figure called Marianne.

New hymns, festivals, and oaths were introduced to create unity.

The tricolour flag replaced the royal standard.

👉 These changes built a sense of collective identity and nationalism.

 

Q19. What was the legacy of the French Revolution for the world?

Ans.

It ended monarchy and feudal privileges in France.

Spread ideas of liberty, equality, fraternity worldwide.

Inspired revolutions in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Encouraged struggles against colonialism and monarchy.

Promoted democracy and human rights in the 19th and 20th centuries.

 

Q20. Why is the French Revolution considered a landmark in world history?

Ans.

It challenged the absolute monarchy and privileges of the nobility and clergy.

Established principles of democracy and equality before law.

Inspired future revolutions around the world.

Ideas like universal rights, liberty, equality, and fraternity influenced modern constitutions.

👉 Therefore, the French Revolution is seen as a turning point in history.

 

 

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