The French Revolution – Case-based Questions with Answers

CBSE Class 9 — French Revolution — 20 Case-Based Questions (NCERT)

CBSE Board Examinations — How these Case-Based Questions help

Helps practise source/extract based and case-style questions often asked in board exams.
Each case is followed by focused questions with clear answers for quick revision.

Content Bank

Topics covered: French society during the eighteenth century; The outbreak of the Revolution; France abolishes monarchy and becomes a republic; Did women have a revolution?; Abolition of slavery; The Revolution and everyday life.

French society during the eighteenth century — (Cases 1–4)

Case 1: A peasant family in rural France paid rents to the landlord, tithes to the Church and high taxes to the state. Despite working the land, they had little control over prices or the land they cultivated.

Q1. Why would such a family resent the social order of the ancien régime?

A1. They bore the economic burden (rents, dues, tithes, taxes) while the clergy and nobility enjoyed exemptions and privileges—this inequality created resentment and fuelled support for reforms that abolished feudal obligations.

Case 2: An urban craftsman struggles as bread prices rise and wages stagnate. He hears speeches about natural rights and equality in local clubs.

Q2. How did economic hardship in towns contribute to revolutionary politics?

A2. Economic hardship made urban workers receptive to political mobilization; clubs, pamphlets and protests turned grievances about price and livelihood into demands for political change and mobilisation (e.g., sans-culottes).

Case 3: A merchant in Paris is wealthy but cannot hold certain offices because of noble privileges. He reads Enlightenment works that argue for equality before law.

Q3. What was the significance of the bourgeoisie’s grievances in the Revolution?

A3. The bourgeoisie’s demand for legal equality and political representation challenged hereditary privileges; their leadership and resources helped steer the Revolution towards constitutional reforms.

Case 4: A parish priest owned land and collected tithes; villagers saw him as part of an elite that did not share their hardships.

Q4. How did the role of the Church make it a target during revolutionary reforms?

A4. As a major landowner with fiscal privileges, the Church symbolised inequality; nationalisation of Church lands and the Civil Constitution of the Clergy curtailed its economic and political power.

The outbreak of the Revolution — (Cases 5–8)

Case 5: In 1789, representatives gathered at the Estates‑General argued about voting. The Third Estate insisted on voting by head while the others wanted voting by order.

Q5. Why did the dispute over voting methods matter?

A5. Voting by order gave clergy and nobility collective advantage despite smaller numbers; voting by head would give the more numerous Third Estate fairer representation—this dispute exposed the power imbalance and led to the formation of the National Assembly.

Case 6: Delegates of the Third Estate declared themselves the National Assembly and took the Tennis Court Oath, vowing not to separate until a constitution was made.

Q6. What did the Tennis Court Oath symbolise about political authority?

A6. It signified that political authority derived from representatives of the nation, not the monarch; it marked a claim to sovereignty and commitment to constitutional change.

Case 7: Rumours spread in Paris about troops and an imminent crackdown. Crowds seized arms and on July 14, they attacked the Bastille.

Q7. How did the storming of the Bastille affect the course of the Revolution?

A7. The Bastille became a symbol of despotism; its fall boosted popular confidence, galvanised wider support, and marked a clear break with royal authority.

Case 8: Rural disturbances saw peasants attacking manorial records and burning documents recording feudal dues.

Q8. What was the impact of these rural actions on policy?

A8. Such actions pressured the National Assembly to abolish feudal obligations in August 1789 to restore order and address peasant grievances, accelerating legal reforms.

France abolishes monarchy & becomes a republic — (Cases 9–12)

Case 9: King Louis XVI attempted to flee France (Flight to Varennes) but was captured and returned to Paris. Public confidence in the monarchy dropped sharply.

Q9. Why did the Flight to Varennes undermine the monarchy?

A9. The king’s flight suggested he opposed reforms and might collude with foreign powers; it eroded legitimacy and increased calls for limiting or abolishing the monarchy.

Case 10: France was at war with neighbouring monarchies. Internal criticism of the king’s conduct grew louder as pressures mounted.

Q10. How did external wars influence the decision to declare a republic?

A10. War heightened suspicion of royal intent and created a sense of emergency; revolutionaries argued a republic could better mobilise citizens and resist foreign threats, contributing to abolition of the monarchy.

Case 11: After the monarchy was abolished, the National Convention tried and executed Louis XVI in January 1793.

Q11. What were the consequences of the king’s execution for France and Europe?

A11. Domestically it radicalised politics and helped justify the Terror; internationally it alarmed monarchies who formed coalitions against revolutionary France, prolonging war.

Case 12: During the radical phase, the Committee of Public Safety implemented emergency measures to defend the Republic.

Q12. Why did revolutionary leaders resort to extreme measures like the Terror?

A12. They believed harsh measures were needed to suppress internal enemies, maintain unity during war and protect the Revolution—though these measures also produced fear and abuses.

Did women have a revolution? — (Cases 13–15)

Case 13: Thousands of women marched to Versailles demanding bread and the king’s presence in Paris; their action forced political change.

Q13. What does the Women’s March on Versailles reveal about women’s role in the Revolution?

A13. It shows women could mobilise effectively and directly influence political decisions (e.g., relocating the king) but their public actions did not translate into sustained formal political rights.

Case 14: Olympe de Gouges wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen demanding legal equality for women.

Q14. Why was Olympe de Gouges’ work important yet controversial?

A14. It articulated feminist demands and exposed contradictions in revolutionary rhetoric, but challenged prevailing gender norms and faced hostility from male revolutionaries; she was later executed.

Case 15: Despite active participation, women were largely excluded from voting and formal political power during the Republic.

Q15. Why did the Revolution fail to grant full political rights to women?

A15. Deep-rooted gender norms, political priorities (war and stability) and leaders’ views that politics was a male domain prevented extension of full political rights to women.

Abolition of slavery — (Cases 16–17)

Case 16: Enslaved people in Saint‑Domingue revolted against brutal plantation conditions and sought freedom.

Q16. How did colonial slave revolts affect decisions in revolutionary France?

A16. Successful revolts pressured metropolitan authorities to consider abolition to stabilise colonies, recognise rights of free people of colour, and respond to the moral contradictions of revolutionary ideals.

Case 17: In 1794 the National Convention declared abolition of slavery in French colonies, but a later regime reinstated it in some territories.

Q17. Why was abolition in 1794 not an irreversible outcome?

A17. Political shifts (e.g., rise of Napoleon) and economic interests led to reinstatement in some colonies—showing that law depended on political will and power, not just principles.

The Revolution and everyday life — (Cases 18–20)

Case 18: A peasant who acquired land formerly owned by the Church felt a new sense of independence but faced irregular incomes during wartime.

Q18. What mixed effects did land reforms have on peasants?

A18. Abolition of feudal dues and sale of Church/émigré lands improved legal rights and opportunities for many peasants, but economic instability, distribution issues and wartime pressures limited immediate gains.

Case 19: Urban newspapers and clubs debated rights, prices and military conscription; ordinary citizens read and argued about policies.

Q19. How did communication channels change political participation?

A19. Newspapers, pamphlets and clubs broadened political debate, allowed ordinary people to engage with ideas, and mobilised public opinion—expanding civic participation especially among men.

Case 20: During the Terror many ordinary people lived in fear of denunciation and arrest; life was uncertain despite revolutionary promises.

Q20. How did the Terror affect everyday life and the Revolution’s image?

A20. The Terror introduced repression, curbed freedoms and sowed fear; it contradicted ideals of liberty and caused many to question whether revolutionary means justified the ends, affecting long-term perceptions.

The French Revolution – Case-based Questions with Answers

CBSE Class 9 — History

French society during the eighteenth century — (Cases 1–4)

The outbreak of the Revolution — (Cases 5–8)

France abolishes monarchy & becomes a republic — (Cases 9–12)

Did women have a revolution? — (Cases 13–15)

Abolition of slavery — (Cases 16–17)

The Revolution and everyday life — (Cases 18–20)

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