Which event symbolically weakened royal power and psychologically strengthened people?

Fall of the Bastille

The Bastille was a royal fortress and prison in Paris. Although it held only a small number of prisoners when it was attacked, people saw it as a powerful symbol of the king's arbitrary authority. Its fall on 14 July 1789 showed that ordinary people could challenge and defeat an important institution of royal power. This gave the population confidence and strengthened its revolutionary morale. The event therefore had political and psychological importance beyond the military value of capturing the fortress.

Option A is correct because the fall of the Bastille both weakened the image of royal authority and encouraged the people. Option B refers to the Estates-General meeting in 1614, which does not explain this revolutionary change. Option C is not a political challenge to the monarchy, and option D is too unrelated to identify the event. The key idea is that a symbol can influence public confidence: once the Bastille fell, royal power no longer appeared invincible.

This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: The French Revolution. Topic: The Outbreak of the Revolution.