NCERT 9 HISTORY CHAPTER 1
1.THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 14 July 1789 - the city of Paris was in a state of alarm Some 7000 men and women decided to form people's militia Then stormed the fortress-prison, the Bastille , the commander was killed and the prisoners released Chain of events occurred that ultimately led to the execution of the king of France FRENCH SOCIETY DURING THE LATE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY French society was divided into three estates The members of the first two estates, that is, the clergy and the nobility , enjoyed certain privileges Exemption from paying taxes and extracted feudal dues from the peasants, the Church too extracted its share of taxes called tithes Only the third estate member paid direct taxes ( taille ) and a number of indirect taxes (on salt or tobacco) THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE 1715 - 1789 : the population rose from about 23 million to 28 million which led to a rapid increase in the demand for food grains. So the price of bread ros...