The fall of The Bastille- 14th July 1789 | Article- 2

The fall of The Bastille- 14^th July 1789

Article 2- Blog Series on Revolution-

BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY IN MODERN HISTORY- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 

BY- SOUMYABRATA CHAKRABORTY

Article 2-   The fall of The Bastille- 14^th July 1789

(In this article- why was the Bastille stormed? Situation of French society back in 1789; what instilled the sense of revolution? Detailed account of the events of 14^th July 1789).
(Article 1- The Cult of Revolution  Read Article1)   

  Introduction.

 

storming of the Bastille- 14th July 1789

Angry men and women of France were prepared for a change. At first it was not a quest to abolish the monarchy, at first the French society was just angry of the system of feudal privileges, and defective taxation system. But who knew then, this revolution would establish the base of a new better system of governance, “democracy”; a new way of life, “liberty”; a new framework of the society, “equality” and all those principles, now we consider to be granted.

Who knew the storming of Bastille, would one day result in abolition of monarchy, not only from France but also from the whole world (almost).

Who knew on 14^th July in Paris, that their step would lead the world to fight for a similar change, a better way of survival.

Who knew that this would bring a cease on big-big dynasties of the world rulers? And definitely the execution of King Louis XVI? With whom they had just started to fight, to change his oppressive policies.

14th July- Birth of The Revolution

The dawn of 14^th July 1789, angry men and women of France, angered of oppression, moved by hunger (shortage of food), yet many more reasons, marched to just loot hoarded ammunition from a “tyrant”, ‘The Bastille Fort’. And this small incident set the foot prints, which led to a massive, game changing revolution.

This small incident resulted in a revolution, the French Revolution that led to the end of monarchy in France.

A society based on feudal privileges gave way to a new system of governance, ‘The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizen’ during the revolution, announced the rise of a new era.

The idea that all individuals had rights and could claim equality became part of a new language of politics that shaped men’s daily life and the century’s literature. These notions of equality and freedom emerged as the central ideas of a new age. But in different countries, these were interpreted differently, in many different ways and implemented and rethought, to make the principles even better, for the betterment of the society.

The anti-colonial movements in India, Africa, South America, produced ideas that were innovative and original, but they spoke in a language that gained currency only from the late eighteenth century.

14th July- An Outline 

King Louis XVI also called Louis-Auguste, duc de Berry

On the morning of 14^th July 1789, the city of Paris was highly alarmed, the then King Louis XVI ordered troops of the French army to open fire on the angry and starving crowds of men and women, old and children, on the streets of Paris.

At that time around, the state of a section of the French society, who were exploited by the system of governance and taxation and social privileges, was like a silent flame and it just needed an ignition to light up and turn the whole system to ashes. And finally the very situation of the country during July 1789 and king’s wrong step of ordering the army to open fire, did the work of ignition! Men and women starving since days, some 7000 of them gathered in front of the town hall and decided to form a people’s militia.

As of the “rumors” spread that the king would soon order the troops to open fire on them, they started arranging to defend themselves, and in search of ammunition, they broke into a number of government buildings, fort and other public places.

A group of several hundred people marched towards the eastern part of the city of Paris and stormed and ruined the fortress-prison, the Bastille, where they hoped to find hoarded ammunition. In armed conflict against the mob, the commander of the Bastille was killed by the armed crowd. Prisoners were released though only, seven were there. 

 Why Bastille?

The fortress was demolished and fragments were sold in the markets of Paris to all of them, who wanted to keep a souvenir of the Bastille’s destruction and those who were involved.

The Bastille was hated by majority of French population, because it stood for the despotic powers of the King, demolishing it somewhat meant to demolish the King’s power. Finally, France spoke against tyranny. The days that followed were full of rioting, changes, political, social, economical reforms that ultimately changed the way of governance, years later.

People were protesting against the high price of bread, the defective taxation policy, the subsistence crisis situation, and the feudal privileges, the society based on estates (more to come about it).  

Historians looked back upon that time and they categorised it (the event of Bastille storming) as the beginning of a chain of events that ultimately led to the execution of the King in France, though most people at the time did not anticipate this outcome, they were just protesting against the state.

Execution of King Louis XVI

Now, what suddenly caused such a big uprising in the French society that they finally decided to do out with it and waged a protest? From where did the quest for a change originate? From where did the new society’s ideas emerge? To get answer to all these questions, we need to look back on the structure of the French society of the old regime, during and before 1789 and the policies based on which the society was ruled. 

All these questions will be taken up elaborately, in the upcoming blogs of the series.

Make sure to read all the articles of the series.

(Article 1- The Cult of Revolution  Read Article1)

Thank You for reading!!

Contributed by- Soumya

What Do You Mean By 'Revolution'? The Cult of Revolution | Article-1

The Cult of Revolution

Article 1, Blog Series on Revolution-

BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY IN MODERN HISTORY- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

BY- SOUMYABRATA CHAKRABORTY

Article 1-   The Cult of Revolution

(In this article- Definition of ‘Revolution’; an abstract and simple way of understanding the ‘Revolution’ and its purpose; Introduction to the French Revolution )

IMAGINE A REVOLUTION!

Storming of Bastille- 14 July 1789

Imagine your city, state or country to be undergoing a series of political, social and economical strains since years and suddenly there comes a thought to do out with it. In such a situation it leads to a protest against the state or the concerned sector. And if this struggle is a long lasting one and widespread with fully, new emerging thoughts and views about reforms and changes and the whole society is fully touched by the movement or effected directly, in such a case the movement seems to be a ‘Revolution’.

The word itself gives the listeners a spirit to bring in a drastic change within the system and views of fighting men, protesting and angry crowds come to our minds.

REVOLUTION CHANGED THE WAY ‘IT’ WAS 

 

The world’s history is full of such a series of revolutions curved out the society and system we are living in, now. May be we consider our freedom, our rights, the way we live, the way we choose the rulers, be granted, but we should definitely create our imagination and go to the European society of the 15^th or 16^th century. The European society is now ‘considered’ to be the most civilised one. There then, were men free on roads? Were all educated? Were men and women taking their own decisions? Were there no social classes? Were all equal? (though, inequality still remains) Were there no wrongs? And in such a society where everything was opposite from what we now know is, ranging from even food which was different for different men, if someone from nowhere, rises and says, why don’t we choose our own rulers? Take our own decisions? Limit the ruler’s powers? Which are surprisingly new ideas to the society and a major section of the society was tired of the present system and wanted a change but did not know what change, would get their goals and fight, certainly for a better future and implement what gives them a little more free and comfortable life and in such a situation there occurs a people’s mass struggle, a REVOLUTION.

WORLD HISTORY AND THE REVOLUTIONS THAT MADE HISTORY

 

A scene from The Russian Revolution

Our world history is full of examples of revolutions as I said earlier and for the present political system which is preferred the most, DEMOCRACY, the first and powerful thrust or boost came from the FRENCH REVOLUTION of 1789 and some years after, followed by many more, like the JULY REVOLUTION of 1830 in France; RUSSIAN REVOLUTION and many more.

Whenever the society is tired and immensely tensed of the system and cannot do any more with it, then there’s a strength full protest and anger which results in a Revolution. 

A revolution may seem to you to be mass killing, sons separated from mothers, husbands from wives, son killed in front of the father, but still, Revolution is what is necessary to go with time, to cease the tyranny of powerful, to stop the misuse of power and finally to survive in society competing with “high class”.

 

DEMOLITION OF THE MONARCHS

 

May be monarchy was the best way of governance a 1000 or 2000 years ago, but now, you need to agree, it’s not the best anymore. Now what the ‘better one’ is, is DEMOCRACY, now people’s need is a democratic system, the educated minds cannot be the subject of tyranny. But remember, democracy is not destined to be the ‘best’ always. May be a 100 or 200 years later, democracy will be oppressing and people would then start their mass-movement to bring a change, a Revolution to finish democracy would then be the need. And this would surely happen, even today is some better system, better than democracy is discovered then the society will sought to refute democracy. Hence, when the society needs a change and reformers have the vision of new system and a class is over-exploited it shouts, it cries to bring about the desired change.

Revolutions are important and very-very important for the people to continue a better survival.

 

DIFFERENCES- KEY CAUSE OF REVOLUTIONS

 

Since thousands of years discrimination prevails, and people are regularly talking about end of differences, but after protests of hundreds of years still we could not finish differences completely, still the line between poor and rich emerges. This (differences and discrimination), I think needs a great season of revolution, and until the day comes when all men would be equal, revolutions will continue, asking for small changes, promoting social equality. But, once complete equality will be achieved there would not be any further need of revolution. As whom would you ask for a change, everyone would be equal, right? Same problems for all. Everyone would be equally facing the same problems.

We can only hope, that what Carl Marx once said, comes true, that the whole world will someday be equal.

Actually all the uprisings against the wrong or something that may seem wrong to someone, may be a part of a revolution, changing the whole story.

For example, in India, Mangal Pandey’s rising against, instigated the country’s first struggle for independence, back in 1857.

 

Bhagat Singh

Let me quote the great Indian revolutionary Freedom Fighter, Bhagat Singh- “Old order should change, always and ever, yielding place to new, so that one “good” order may not corrupt the world. It is in this sense that we raise the shout “LONG LIVE REVOLUTION”. 

{from Bhagat Singh’s letter to The Editor, Modern Review, published later in The Telegraph on 24^th December, 1929.

Contributed by- Soumya

More Articles on Revolution, as a part of our Blog Series –

BIRTH OF DEMOCRACY IN MODERN HISTORY- THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Make sure to read all the articles of the Series.

Thank You for Reading !!

Letters, Better Than Whatsapp Notifications ? | Getting Back To The Roots!!

contributed by- SRESTHA DAS

GETTING BACK TO THE ROOTS !!

 
Have you noticed this 'new' world? It is lost in this new technology. Instagram , Whatsapp , Facebook,  Twitter and so many different social media. Have you ever written a letter for your friend? The real letters, not for our English copies which are meant to write only for marks.
The real letters filled with emotions, love, peace and attachment. We do send long essays to our friend in Whatsapp or Facebook but does those really connect that deep? I don't think so.
                                                                   

 Have you ever experienced that excitement we get receiving a letter after a long span of time?  And then reading it millions of time to get that real happiness. Yes,  that's the real form of happiness. It's so strange that people pen down their feelings in the 'note app' of their mobile but not in their diary. We get to read write ups in social medias but not in newspapers or magazines and even if we get, we ignore and read those write ups in our mobile. People don't even read newspapers because they have app in their mobile and that's their only way of living. We expect long texts from our friends during our birthdays but do you know that it feels so good to receive so many letters in your birthday. In this new world,  people only say three words to describe their love , love is beyond that. They never think of writing something beautiful to their loved ones. We are so engrossed in this technology that we have forgotten the worth of pen and paper. It feels so special to be gifted with lots of letters and replying back is even more heavenly. Letters pour out our emotions in the purest way.

 Have you ever waited for someone's letter?  If you haven't,  you should. It's far better than waiting for someone's reply in Whatsapp or Instagram. Nowadays, people have learnt 'short forms' and they reply like that which annoy us but in letters, even if we try we can't write in short forms because letters know us and they help us to absorb every feeling and emotion.  People can delete messages but they can never throw away letters. Today's world is dependent only on 'online and offline business. ' These days,  we don't like waiting  for someone because everything has become fast but waiting  was very beautiful in those days because they used to give us satisfaction of a letter which wasn't a single word; it was an emotion. People move on so easily these days but in those days breakups were used to be real and it really used to hurt. We didn't have 'meme' those days but we had that particular group in our area which made us laugh and we never needed Facebook for our real happiness. We read books about achieving happiness and stuff, tell me, Where have we gone wrong that we need to learn tips for staying happy? We became so fast that we have forgotten about our existence. We do get long texts and birthday wishes from our 500 and more friends but still we get depressed and we need those 'happiness learning books!' Then we reply with emojis and fake our satisfaction. We fake so many things, even a candid!! 

Trust me, if we ever receive letters these days, we will become the happiest and we will reply with all our heart and that will be our real satisfaction. We have lost the real world of emotions, feelings, attachments, peace and love many years ago. 

We can't leave social media because we are badly addicted to it but we can try writing letters to our friend, we can try to feel that waiting isn't  bad every time, we can try writing in our diary other than writing it on our mobile, we can try talking with people who really makes us smile rather than reading memes, we can try making our paradise outside this mobile world, we need to understand that the world which we have left behind was more beautiful and peaceful than the world in which we are living currently.  

Thanks for reading !!

contributed by- SRESTHA DAS

Make Sure to Check Out 'fedUP chronicles' YouTube Channel- Our Channel !!

Why Do Pens Have A Tiny Hole On It's Surface ? Genius Physics !!

contributed by- Soumya

Hey there !!

"Every single hole has a purpose !!"
Have you ever used a pen ? ( I know it sounds stupid ) 
Have you ever wondered what are those holes on your pen's surface ?     ( and that sounds serious ) 

Alright so the one or two tiny holes drilled on the surface of almost every pen ( mostly ballpoint pens ), are there to ensure that the air pressure, inside and outside the pen is the same. Which helps the ink flow to the tip. It would have been difficult for you to write, or else.

You see, Every single hole has a purpose !! 
Hope, you got to know something new today !!

contributed by- Soumyabrata Chakraborty

Google's " I'm Feeling Lucky " Feature !! All You Need To Know

contributed by- Soumyabrata Chakraborty

Hey there...!!

So, just a few months back I got to know about it. After all, most of us never give it a look, right ? Cause all that we do, when we're on the Google home page, is just type down something on the search bar and click on that 'Search' button.
Have you ever wondered what's that 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button ?
So, here you are, I'm gonna tell you whatever I found out (+ expert touch ).

First of all, you need to understand a bit about the Google search engine, or for that matter, any other usual search engine. Yahh!! I'm talking about Search Engine Optimisation ( SEO ). 

Once you are on the Google home page, and you type your search quest ( key words) and search for it, you get a lot of options, all ranked as per preferences. That's what SEO is for. They rank the results for you the most preferred at the top, and so and so. 

Now, there's a lot of Google ads and search options, you need to go through, to get what you want.
But, but if you are confident enough and you trust Google's SEO rankings, and you know the top most search would be the best for you ( often, it's from Wikipedia !! ), so all you need to do then is just type your key words on the search bar, like before, and hit the  " I'm Feeling Lucky " button, and here you are without going through all those advertisements and irrelevant search options, directly into the most preferred page.

 

So, basically depending on your search query, the first result is usually the very best guess, so hitting the "I'm feeling lucky" button saves you a few extra seconds, passing through the list of search results.
A fun fact, back in 2007, an analyst suggested that the feature cost Google, about $110 Million, every single year, as 1 % of all searches use this feature and bypass all advertising.
But, after introduction of the Google Instant, you can just get what you prefer easily and directly and the "Lucky" feature is no more of that much use. 

You just found out something great today, isn't it ?
Share this feed with your friends and family ...
Hope you enjoyed !!

contributed by- Soumyabrata Chakraborty 

5 Weird Things That Can Make You Feel Dizzy And Faint !!

contributed by- Soumyabrata Chakraborty

Hey there !!

source- gifer.com

So, basically we relate fainting and dizziness with being tired, and sick, but, there are certain uncommon triggers that can make you faint.

Here we are with a list of weird things that can make you faint !!

Before beginning let me tell you that fainting can quite well be connected with low blood pressure, so anything that can affect your blood pressure, can as well be a reason for you to faint.

1. Peeing Can Make You Faint !!

Believe it or not, peeing can make you faint ! So, your blood pressure falls down drastically right after urination, it has got a name, called Micturition syncope. Although it's not fully clear to medical science. The fall in blood pressure can make you faint. It's something usual for older people out there. Haven't you heard of your granny fainting in the toilet. 

2. Standing Up Can Make You Faint !! stay seated child....

When you stand up suddenly, after sitting or lying down for a long time, gravity pulls blood down into your legs, reducing the blood flow to your brain at an instant. So that can be a cause as well !! So remain seated and just keep reading fedUP feeds !!

3. Laughing For A Long Time !!

source- Giphy

Everyone loves to laugh, Loud and weird !! But take this, laughing for a long time, gives your stomach cramps, right ?? and the situation can even get serious, it's rare, but it's possible that intense laughter could cause you to drop down with a thump !! and that as well has to do with blood pressure changes.
So, yah! an amazing thing like laughing out to your heart's content can as well make you faint.

4. Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo !!

Quite a name....BPPV, it's basically about the dizziness you feel, when you suddenly get up out of the bed all in a hurry. It's quite common in case of aged ones. And it's also called Positional sickness or Vertigo, So when you wake up, take your time to get up!

5. Stop eating !!

Food is something that provides you energy and hence it can't be a reason for dizziness, right ?
Actually not, there are certain food items that can make you faint, for example, eating stuffs, that get digested real quick, can make you faint. And that's because of Postprandial hypotension.

Side Note- Postprandial hypotension, is a condition that occurs after eating. It's caused by increased blood flow to the abdomen, which takes blood flow away from other parts of the body, especially the brain, and that's why you feel sleepy after eating.

So, eating stuffs like, alcohol, chocolate, milk products, food with monosodium glutamate, nuts, can make you faint !! 

Those were five such uncommon and weird causes of fainting and feeling dizziness. Share with us, in the comment section below, your worst fainting or dizziness experience.

contributed by- Soumyabrata Chakraborty 

7 Silly Things People Do When 'HOME ALONE' !! Gross !!

Hey there !!

One of the best experiences you can make up in your lifetime, can surely come out of your home alone ventures !
Well, believe me, spending time with yourself is one of the best things on earth. With no one around you can totally be yourself, do exactly whatever you want, silliness and stupidity can be at it's best. You can laugh at yourself, play with yourself, and do all those funny things that you might not consider doing when someone's around.

Alright so, here we are with 7 silly things people do when they are home alone :-

1.  Being Naked !!

Well, something that occupies the top of the list, is actually quite crazy but true for majority of people out there.
So people love to roam around totally naked or in their inner wears, when they are home alone, and no one's around ! It's too obvious right ? after all no one's watching you.

2. This one is specially for the girls.

Though even boys love to do such things in cases.
Girls, when they are alone at home, and are kind of bored, try out almost all their favourite outfits, in front of the mirror, and put on a lot of make up, just to wash it off, later.
Alright so this one here can be considered to be quite reasonable ! it can be considered to be a practicing session for your future dress ups.

3. Not everyone's a singer right ?

And most of us are actually really bad singers, and our singing might not be desirable to others.
 So, something bathroom singers like me, do, when they are all alone, is quite obvious, they sing to their heart's content, with no one around to pass comments.

4. Which one's the most weirdly cooked dish you have ever tried ?

Yahh! so cooking good and neat is not on everyone's fate, and hence, when home alone, people enjoy cooking "stuffs" that they would never serve to others. Cooking spinach with chicken, is weird of course! 
But believe me, self-cooked food is something you're never gonna hate. Moreover, some of the best and delicious dishes on those restaurant menus are out of such Home alone kitchen ventures.

5.  Korean Movies

Watching movies is one of the most popular home alone pass times. Adding on, when home alone, people enjoy watching movies, of different languages from different parts of the world and the most preferred ones being Korean movies !

6. It's your Bed time !

One of the best home alone things to do, is to get yourself a good and cozy sleep, if not sleep then just be on the bed, after all no one's around to call you up or call you a "sloth".
Believe me, being on the bed with a lappy can be worth full for even 18 hours or so ! with a few snack packs around.

7. Time for dusting !!

Cleaning up, might not sound to be as exciting as the other stuffs on the list, but a lot of people out there love cleaning up their rooms and surroundings, as a pass time. 

Honestly, I would never consider that a good pass time for me, it's great being messy as well, right ?

 So, now you know that, home alone ventures can be great, excting and memorable. Just doo whatever you want to. I said "whatever" !

contributed by- Soumyabrata Chakraborty