misrule, anarchy, rebellion, revolution

अरक्षितारं हर्तारं विलोप्तारमनायकम्।

तं वै राजकलिं हन्युः प्रजाः सन्नह्य निर्घृणम्॥

महाभारते आनुशासन पर्वणि ६१-३२

arakṣitāraṁ hartāraṁ viloptāramanāyakam|

taṁ vai rājakaliṁ hanyuḥ prajāḥ sannahya nirghṛṇam||

mahābhārate ānuśāsana parvaṇi 61-32

The idea of social unrest and its manifestation into revolutions was praised as a western idea, and calls by the greats like Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesque were praised as harbingers of a new era of man's foray into the era of liberty equality and fraternity.. and the means to achieve them, the Revolution... And French Revolution is presented as the greatest epoch in human history in that direction..

Yes, French Revolution was great indeed.. A landmark in the human progress towards the right and digninty of every human being..

But the call for revoultion.. and even lynching of a king who was not working for the welfare of his subject was found in the age old and revered epic of India, the Mahabharatam, written at least five thousand years ago..

The meaning of the slokam found in Anushasan parva of Mahabharatam is

==========

The people of a country would flock together en masse and finish off a ruler,

who is virtually the embodiment of kali the evil spirit rather than a human being,

if

the ruler fails in his duty of giving protection to his subject, his territory

the ruler is engaged in looting his subjects with unreasonable taxes and levies..

the ruler is loose and decadent in his conduct and is sloth in the correct performance of his duties, and is selfish

the ruler is not able to provide proper leadership and to lead from the front, but allows things to drift..

Any revolution, anywhere in the history of human existence happened for one or many of the abouve reasons..

regards

k v ananthanarayanan