The French revolution
The French society was divided in three estates during the 18 century they First , Second and Third estate .
SOCIAL HIERARCHY : As the society was divided in three estates first estate consist of CLERGY which were very less in number second estate consist of Nobility they were also but maximum population was of third estate which comprises of Big businessman , merchants, court officials , lawyers , Peasants ,artesian landless labor and servants
CONDITION OF FRENCH SOCIETY BEFORE REVOLUTION ; i) Bourbon Kings were leading very luxury life style so the treasury was getting empty due to their extravagant life style ii) There were many subsistence crisis iii) They prolong the war debt and cost of support of American war of independence iv) Privileges on the basis of birth right
CAUSES OF REVOLUTION a) Social causes that society was divided i three estates clergy, nobles and others. There was birth privileges given in society . The first two estate had to make no economic contribution but all the burden fell upon the third estate people in form of tax The right to representation , separation of churches and state , slavery , closure to western frontiers .
b) Political Causes : The rulers were very weak and poor and weak policies of Louis XVI the government debts accumulated during the course of two wars , faulty administration and government failures caused the demonstration , strikes and upheavals , the autocracy of king the power of court , burden of taxes
c) Economic Causes : the treasury of France was nearly empty due to foolish expenditure nature of the Kings , the France was under debt due to long wars and help to America in war of independence was made their treasure empty lastly successive bad harvest added fuel to fire in their economic condition .
d) Role of Philosophers :They also played an important role in ignited the mind of the people , they always talked against the birth right and always presented the model of administration based on liberty, equality and fraternity . Rousseau is called father of French Revolution gave the concept of democratic rights came from radical wrote Social contract , Montesquieu wrote the spirito law and the Persian letters Voltaire wrote Candide which highly influenced the mind of the people of France.
e) Immediate causes : The proposal to increase in tax in 1789 and insistence of Louis XVI on estate wise voting in Estate General were the main cause of uprising among the third estate people of France.
EVENTS OF FRENCH REVOLUTION : IN 1774 LOUIS XVI of the Bourbon family was the king of France during that society was divided into three estates the clergy and the nobility had special birth rights the third estate formed the majority of the population was unprivileged class
Due to economic instability on 5th May 1789 LOUIS XVI called together the meeting of all the estates in the Estate General to impose the Tax .The members of 3rd estate demanded one person one vote but the King rejected the proposal than uprising started .
On June 20 ,1789 the members of 3rd estate assembled in the hall of indoor tennis court in the ground of Versailles and declared themselves as NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, They demanded to reduce the power of the king. The King ordered troops to move to in Paris which angered the natives and they completely destroyed the fort of BASTILLE
ON 14 th July 1789 the uprising crowd stormed to the fort of BASTILLE which was the symbol of tyranny of old regime and destroyed it . This triggered the chain of revolt across the country when the king saw that situation was out of his hands than King LOUIS XVI accorded the recognition to the National Assembly and agreed to give up his power .
On 4th August1789 all the feudal system of obligation and taxes were abolished by decree. to g Churches properties were confiscated and clergy too had give up all the privileges and the National Assembly drafted the constitution in 1791 and distributed the powers in legislature , executive and judiciary along with the principle of one person and one vote
Voting was restricted to ACTIVE CITIZEN that is only men, must have age more than 25 of years and pay taxes equal to at least 3 days of labor’s wages Remaining men and all women wee considered the PASSIVE CITIZEN they did not have any political right .
JACOBIN CLUB : The Political clubs became a rallying point of discussions on the government policies in the Jacobin clubs which became very popular . The members of Jacobin Clubs mainly belonged to the less prosperous sections of society like small shopkeepers, artisans ,shoemakers, watchmakers, painters as well as servants and daily wages workers Their leader was MAXIMALIAN ROBESPIERRE and they were called sans – culottes meaning breeches without knees .
On 10 th August 1792 Jacobins planned an insurrection and imprisoned the Royal Family On 21 st September the same year declared the France Republic and LOUIS XVI was sentenced to death on the charge of Treasons and was publicly executed on 21 January 1703 .The Jacobin Leader ROBESPIERE ruled ruthlessly from 1793- 1994 and his regin was known as REGIN OF TERROR in July 1794 he was convicted of excessive and executed on GUILITINE. ( a machine used for cutting the heads of people )
Now after the fall of Jacobin they allowed the wealthier middle class to seize the power and ruled through an Executives which was made upon Five members called the DIRECTORY from 26th of October 1795 but due to frequent clashes of the directors with legislative council it created political instability this gave the way for military dictatorship under NAPOLEAN BONAPARTE who ended the Directory in 1799 and became the first council later on became the ruler of France ” Emperor of France ” 1804 He ruled till 1815 till he lost the battle of Waterloo’
The Legacy of freedom, equality and fraternity that emerged out of the French Revolution remined inspiring ideals of the following world Slavery was finally abolished in 1848 under Napolean from all the colonies of France Women fought for their own rights to vote till 1946