THEORY OF DIVINE ORIGIN

DEFINITION OF THEORY OF DIVINE ORIGIN

STATE, known as POLIS by the Greeks is a community of persons,
permanently occupying a definite territory, legally independent of
external control, and possessing a organized government which create
and administrates law over all persons and groups within its jurisdiction
is “State”.
Elements of the States are Population, Territory, Government and
Sovereignty wherein Population is a considerable group of human
beings, Territory is a definite area of earth’s surface upon which the
population permanently resides, Government is a political organization
through which the will or law of the state is expressed and administrated
and Sovereignty is the supremacy of the state over all individuals and
associations within it and the independence of the state from External
Control.
State came into existence by various Theories like the Force theory, The
Divine origin and the Social- Contract Theory
 The theory of divine
rights of the kings also known as Divine Origin Theory is one of the
oldest theory concerning the origin of the state.
In case of the Divine origin theory there were Population and Territory
but no Government and Sovereignty and the exponents of this theory
believed that the state did not come into being by any effort of man. It is
created by God.
 The King who rules over the state is an agent of God
on earth.
The King derives his authority from God and for all his actions he is
responsible to God alone. Obedience to the King is ordained to God and
violation of it will be a sin. The King is above law and no subject has
any right to question his authority or his action. The King is responsible
of God alone. It was believed that the king was the “Shadow of God”.
And it was after the emergence of the Social Contract Theory, Divine
Theory lost its presence in politics.
History:

The Divine Origin or theocratic conception is as old as the state itself. It was
universally popular among the early people. The earliest rulers combined in them
both the political and religious power and they were known as priest kings.

The idea of Divine Origin of the stat is practically found in every religion. In some
religions, it is explicit and in others it is implicit.

The chief exponents of this theory were the Jews. In the Old Testament, there are
repeated references to the conception that God selects, appoints, dismisses and
even slays rulers. The king is treated as owing responsibility to God alone for his
acts.

The following statement of St. Paul is a clear indication of the Christian belief in
Divine Origin of State: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers; for
there is no power but of God; the powers that be, arc ordained by God.
Whosoever resistant the power, resistant the ordinance of God and they that
resist shall receive to themselves damnation."

Filmer in his book Patriarcha (1680) argues that Adam was the first king and
present kings are His heirs. In ancient Hindu mythology, similar views regarding
the origin of state are found scattered here and there Reference to this theory is
found in Mahabharata in the following words: "When the world was in the state
of anarchy, the people approached God and requested him to provide a remedy.

"Without a chief' they said, "0 Lord! we are perishing. Give us a chief, O Lord!
whom we shall worship in concert and who will protect us. God, thus appointed
Manu to rule over them". The theory as such held sway in primitive age.
Obedience to the state and kings was both a religious and civil duty and
disobedience was sacrilege. Religion and politics then were inseparable.

As a rule the religious head was the political head as well. The Pope of Rome till
the early Middle ages, combined in him both spiritual and political authority. He
was the emperor of the Christian world.

So was the case with the Caliph of Islam who was considered to be not only the
religious head of the Islamic world but also their emperor. The kings in ancient
India ruled over the people according to laws of 'Dharma' which implied both
religion and politics.
True justice was administered according to what Shastras would say. Priest used
to be the Judge and administrator. Religious places were the seats of authority,
centers of learning, so on and so forth. Thus religion was the chief medium
through which people were ruled over.

The theory was exploited by the rival parties during middle ages in the
controversy between the church and the state. Some used the Divine Origin
Theory to establish the supremacy of the church over the state, whereas others
used it to prove the supremacy of the state over the church. The theory was made
use of by James in his struggle with Parliament In his book entitled.

"The Law of Free Monarchies" James I claimed that the king had derived his
authority directly from God. He assumed that kings were wise and good, but the
subjects were weak and ignorant. A king, he declared, was a great school master
for the whole land.

Even if the king was wicked, the subjects had no right to rebel against.him. A
wicked king was to be regarded as a plague for people's sins sent by God. Even as
late as 1815, the king of Prussia, Austria and Russia, when forming the Holy
Alliance declared that they were appointed by God to rule their subjects.

It is, however, interesting to note that according to ancient Hindu mythology the
Divine Right theory was not stretched to include the view that the bad as well as
the good ruler was the representative of God and ns such entitled to
unconditional obedience.

The ancient Hindus believed that since kingship has divine origin, the king must
have a virtuous life and must exhibit godly qualities. If a king were to be bad and
vicious, he Should be done away with. The two great Epics of Hindus, namely
Ramayana and Mahabharata lend support to the view.

The victory of Rama over Ravana was the victory of good over evil. The battle of
Mahabharata was fought for protection of dharma and uphold of righteousness.
The theory of Divine Right of kings in ancient India was different from what it
was understood to be in rest of the world. The theory was exploited in Europe by
the kings to defend their dictatorial powers.

The theory was equally supported by the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers.
In the words of Plutarch "the city might more easily be tended without territory
than a state without belief in God". Even the Realist philosophers of 18th Century
used the theory of Divine Origin of cate to justify the importance of the State. In
the words of Hegel, "the is the march of God on earth".

Bluntschli said that "the state was the 'mediate work of God, the direct revelation
upon earth of the divine power”. In his opinion God manifested himself on earth
in the form and shape of State.

Although the Idealist philosophers used this theory for the glorification of the
state, yet in practical sense since state is represented by the Government or a
King, it inevitably lends divine authority kings.

We may conclude with the remarks of Gettle that "during a of human history the
state was viewed as direct divine creation theocratic in nature". The theory
remained popular as long as religion was considered to be the chief motivating
force of human activity.

It is only in the recent past that theory has been challenged to be as an incorrect
explanation regarding the origin of state. With development of scientific outlook
and consequent decline of religious influence, the theory is being relegated into
oblivion.

Today the Divine Origin Theory has support among political thinkers. To refute it
in great details is to flog a dead horse. There is now unanimity of opinion that the
state is an historical growth. It came into existence to meet various needs kind.
The causes of the decline of the theory may be discussed as

Criticism:

Gilchrist has criticized the theory on the following grounds:

1 State a Human Institution:

The modern political scientist regards the state as essentially a human

institution, organized in its government through human agency. No one now
accepts the originative power of God as a criterion of the tightness or wrongness
of any given form of government. To say that God selects this or that man as ruler
is contrary to experience and common sense.

2. Dangerous consequences:

The theory is dangerous. In a theocratic state the ruler is responsible only to God.
Irresponsibility to human opinion might be a grave danger in the hands of an
unscrupulous man. It would lead to tyranny.

3. Unrealistic theory:

The early Church fathers held that a bad ruler is given by God to men as a
punishment for their sins. It is difficult to accept this view point as realistic.
4. New Testament disregards the theory:

The theory is not supported by New Testament. Christ's statement, "Render unto
Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's", is an
evidence of the human character of the state from the very fountain head.

5. It is unscientific:

Latest researches in the field of anthropology and sociology prove that the theory
of Divine Origin of state has no meaning at all. "The state came into existence" as
Aristotle put it "out of bare needs of man and continues for the good of man".
Man is a social and political animal and it was by nature and necessity that state
came into existence. The theory is thus unscientific.

6. State is the result of a process of evolution:

All the political thinkers are unanimous in the view that the state came into
existence as a result of evolutionary process. Various factors including religion,
family force and political consciousness played their part in the process evolution
of State. It is definitely not the creation of God as such.

7. It is undemocratic:

The theory inevitably leads to the establishment of absolute authority which is

opposed to the spirit of democracy idolizes and glorifies the individual.