The concepts of
human rights, human dignity, self-rule and self-determination are quite modern. Such concepts did not exist in the ancient
world. Even if we were to find a glimpse of these concepts discussed in
philosophies and texts of the ancients, we do not necessarily see its
implementation as a comprehensive and extended practice to actually alter the
lives of the people.
For thousands of
years, man was born as a slave or subject and died as one. Most of these slaves and subjects, sometimes
even the landlords, did not possess any rights.
And the worst part is- most of them did not even realize that they
possessed certain rights that are not necessarily ordained by their monarch.
Their assets,
their property, their worth, their produce and even their self-respect, was up
for grabs by their landlord, their king or an invading king or a marauding
dacoit. Security was an expensive commodity.
The monarch provided meager security that was not even assured, and in
return usurped all their rights.
It took many
centuries of struggle in certain parts of the world to come to a realization that
man had certain ‘inalienable’ rights, which even the most powerful monarch
could not take those away from him.
