The French Revolution Chapter Notes, Study notes of History

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 A political upheaval in a nation state characterized by great change.  A revolution may result in sudden overthrow of an established govt or system by force and bloodshed, e.g., French Revolution.  It can also be a great change that comes slowly and peacefully, e.g., Industrial Revolution. French Revolution  French Revolution was the mass uprising of the people of France against the dictatorial and anti- people policies of the monarch.  It started on 14 th^ July 1789 with an incident known as Storming of Bastille.

 Today we often take the ideas of liberty, freedom and equality for granted.  But we need to remind ourselves that these ideas also have a history.  This history can find its origin in French Revolution.  It led to the end of monarchy, end of society based on privileges and gave way to a new system of governance.  It declared the idea that all individuals had rights and could claim equality.  These notions of equality and freedom emerged as the central ideas of a new age.

 In 1774 , Louis XVI of the Bourbon family of kings ascended the throne of France.  He was 20 years old when he married to the Austrian princess Marie Antoinette who always interfered with the administration.  He ruled as an absolute monarch.  He had maintained a huge army and built a big extravagant court at the immense palace of Versailles which drained the wealth of France.  Common people had no say in administration. All bureaucratic posts were occupied by the aristocrats.

 French society in the eighteenth century was divided into three estates Clergy, Nobility & Common People.  The members of the first two estates, enjoyed privileges by birth.  Peasants made up about 90 per cent of the population, however, only a small number of them owned the land they cultivated.  About 60 per cent of the land was owned by nobles and church which they leased to peasants for greater share in the production.  Peasants were obliged to render free services to the lord – to work in his house and fields – to serve in the army or to participate in building roads.

 French economy was based on revenue from land and on feudal system.  During Louis XVI, France had 2 billion livre debt.  The government charged huge taxes from third estate.  These included a direct tax, called Taille , and a number of indirect taxes which were levied on articles of everyday consumption.  First two estates were exempted from paying taxes to the state.  The Church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes from the peasants.