‘Equality before law did not stand for universal suffrage in France after the revolution.’ Explain with suitable examples.

OR

The French claimed that the introduction of modern education to Vietnamese would create ‘an Asiatic France tied solidly to European France.’ Explain the statement with suitable examples.

The French Revolution of 1789 resulted in the emergence of many liberal ideas and political thinking and attitude in France. France was a complete territorial state till 1789 under an absolute monarchy system. The political and constitutional changes that emerged after the French Revolution led to a transition of governance from monarchy to a body administered by the citizens. It proclaimed the authority of the citizens in organising the nation.

National unity and political integration in early 19^th century Europe were closely related to the ideology of liberalism. Liberalism advocated freedom for individuals and equality of all before the law. It ended the system of autocracy and clerical privileges and constituted a representative government through parliament. It also emphasised the ownership of private property.

Even though the revolution had led to the emergence of modern political ideas and thoughts, yet, equality before the law did not necessarily stand for universal suffrage. The privilege to vote and the opportunity to get elected was granted exclusively to the property-owning men. Men without property and all women were completely excluded from casting their votes or standing for elections.

For a very brief period under the Jacobins, all adult males enjoyed the right to vote. However, the Napoleonic Code again stated to limit the suffrage and reduced women to a minor, under the authority of fathers and husbands. Throughout the 19^th and the early 20^th centuries, women and non-propertied men organised opposition movements demanding equal political rights.

Many struggles and uprisings by the common class against this approach bore fruit when the National Assembly granted suffrage to all adult males above 21 after the famines of 1848. But women were denied such political rights even though they organised many movements and demonstrations against this. During the Frankfurt Parliament, women were admitted only as observers to stand in the visitors’ gallery. Though the conservative forces were able to overpower these movements, they began to realise that granting more freedom and autonomy to the democratic institutions and the democratic framework was the need of the hour.

OR

The French troops landed in Vietnam in 1858, and by the mid-1880s they established a firm grip around its northern region. In 1887, the French Indo-China was formed. In the subsequent periods, the French consolidate their position in the country. They constructed canals and other irrigation mechanisms to increase the cultivation, infrastructure facilities to expand commerce and trade. They also introduced a modern system of education in the country which they claimed was to create ‘an Asiatic France tied solidly to European France.’ But they had other motives behind this rather than to modernise the Vietnamese economy.

The elites in Vietnam were strongly influenced by Chinese culture and tradition. To consolidate their power and gain prominence and the support of the citizens, the French had to displace this Chinese influence. They had to change the language used by them from Chinese to French. So they systematically discontinued the traditional system of education followed by the people and introduced French schools for the Vietnamese, thus promoting the French system of education structure in the country.

The necessity to introduce the French language and as the medium of instruction and their system of education had other motives too. By learning their language, the French felt that the Vietnamese would be introduced to the culture, philosophy and civilisation of France. This would help to create an environment in the country, where the educated people in Vietnam would respect the French attitudes, ethics, ideals and principles and understand the superiority of the French culture. This would enable them to consolidate their power and superiority.

Another important reason why the introduced the modern education system was to ensure the creation of a large workforce who could be employed in clerical, accounting and other low-paid jobs. They could be employed to ensure the proper functioning of the French system of governance in the country. Also, this would attract other people to be educated and employed in better employment opportunities.

But the education system imposed by the French in Vietnam was restrictive and limited. They felt that a higher and better quality education might lead to the reformation and the awakening of the local people thereby turning them against the French. Thus, they ensured that only primary and basic education was being given to the local people.