The Divine Right theory, which asserts that a monarch’s authority is derived directly from God, faced significant criticism and challenges over the course of history. The exact timeline of when it started to be criticized is difficult to pinpoint, as it varied across different regions and periods. However, some key historical moments contributed to the erosion of the Divine Right theory:
- The English Civil War (1642-1651): The conflict between Parliamentarians and Royalists in England challenged the authority of the monarchy. The Parliamentarians, led by Oliver Cromwell, opposed the absolute power of King Charles I and eventually executed him. This event marked a significant turning point, questioning the divine authority of kings and advocating for more limited forms of government.
- The Enlightenment: The 17th and 18th centuries brought forth the Enlightenment, an intellectual and philosophical movement that questioned traditional authority and championed reason, individual rights, and popular sovereignty. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau challenged the idea of divine authority, advocating for social contracts and the consent of the governed as the basis for political legitimacy.
- The French Revolution (1789-1799): The French Revolution saw the overthrow of the Bourbon monarchy and the rise of revolutionary ideals, including the principle of popular sovereignty. The revolutionaries rejected the notion of divine right and sought to establish a more egalitarian and republican form of government.
- Rise of Constitutional Monarchies: Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the establishment of constitutional monarchies in various countries further weakened the Divine Right theory. In constitutional monarchies, the power of the monarch is limited by a constitution and shared with other branches of government, often elected bodies representing the will of the people.
It’s important to note that the criticism of the Divine Right theory was not a sudden or universal process. It unfolded gradually over centuries, and even today, remnants of the theory persist in some monarchies. The rise of democratic ideals, philosophical movements, and historical events all played a part in challenging the concept of divine authority in governance.
Also read: How Glorious Revolution 1688 impacted other historic revolutions?
