Write down the causes of French Revolution and the principles on which it was based. OR Explain various causes that led to the outbreak of French Revolution.

Write down the causes of French Revolution and the principles on which it was based. 

OR  Explain various causes that led to the outbreak of French Revolution.

Ans.

(i) Unjust Taxation : The members of the First and Second Estate were exempted from paying taxes to the state. All the taxes were paid by the members of the Third Estate.

(ii) Social Disparity : In the 17th century, the French society was divided into three groups, called the estates. The members of the first two estates that is the clergy and the nobility, enjoyed certain privileges by birth. The people belonging to the third estate did not had any privilege. Above all the peasants of this category were obliged to render services to the feudal lords.

(iii) The Rise of the Middle Class: The spread of industrial revolution led to the emergence of the middle class. It was the class of businessmen, trader, bankers, manufacturers, scholars, etc. The middle class people became the leaders of the revolution.

(iv) Influence of the Philosophers and Writers: There were many French philosophers and thinkers like Montesquieu, Rousseau, John Locke, who exposed the evils prevailing in the system. They infused people with the idea of liberty, equality and fraternity.

(v) Wide gap between the rich and the poor: The population of France rose from about 23 million in 1715 to 28 million in 1789. This led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains. Production of grains could not keep pace with the demand. So the price of bread, which was the staple diet of the majority rose rapidly. Most workers were employed as labourers in workshops whose owners fixed their wages. But wages did not keep pace with the rise in prices. So the gap between the poor and the rich widened.