The Emergence Of Human Rights
Man is a social animal. He lives in a society and among his fellows. Because
a man cannot survive in the absence his fellow men, he will transform into a
beast knowing no mercy and compassion. Like a man needs his fellow companions to
develop and grow, in the very same manner he also needs Rights for his
protection and security. These Rights are called Human Rights.
So, if there is a society, then certainly there are the existence of these
rights so paramount and fundamental for an individual's well being that even a
state has to ensure for their proper implementation.
What Are Human Rights
Human Rights are the very foundation of the existence of a human being. These
rights are the reason we are existing today. They are the essentials for living
a dignified and a fulfilling life. Without them, life would become a dark tunnel
with no light at the end of it.
Human Rights belong to every individual by virtue of being a human and it
becomes operative with a person's birth. They are inherent in all the
individuals irrespective of their caste, creed, color, place of birth, sex,
descent, nationality etc.
Human Rights is of Universal
application. Every Nation in the world has to embrace and appreciate the human
rights of every person, be it citizens or non citizens. Every person is to be
seen through the lens of humanity and Human Rights.
Emergence Of Human Rights
The first trace of the emergence of Human Rights can be found in the Cyrus
Cylinder. During 539 B.C, Babylonia was conquered by Cyrus the Great, the first
king of ancient Persia.
Before this period, the life of a man was undignified, living as a slave. During
Babylonia conquest, Cyrus the Great did what was needed the most at that time,
freeing all the slaves and giving each one the freedom of religion. Also, he
showed them the way to racial equality.
The laws and the orders of Cyrus the Great later found their place as
inscriptions in a baked clay cylinder known as the Cyrus Cylinder. They were so
preserved to guide the coming generations to the path leading to a world where
human rights were embraced with open arms.
The Cyrus Cylinder gave inspiration to the first four Articles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, an International document adopted by the United
Nations.
Post Cyrus Period
After the conquest of Babylonia by Cyrus the Great, Human Rights as an essential
element for human development began to be recognised in various National and
International documents.
The emergence of the need for the protection of human rights began advancing to
India, Greece and eventually to Rome, where the concept of 'Natural Rights' gave
an impetus to protection of Human Rights.
Then, in June 15, 1215, Magna Carta or the Great Charter of Liberties of
England was granted to the English Barons by King John of England. The same was
in response to the exorbitant taxation created by the third crusade. The 'Magna
Carta' declared to the people that even the king was not absolute and that he
needs to protect and preserve the human rights of its citizens.
The Magna Carta was transformed and fortified into the 'Petition of
Rights' in the year 1628. The petition declared the freedom of the citizens
from exorbitant taxation and arbitrary imprisonment.
Not only this, the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen,
and the United States Bill of Rights paved the way to a path towards the
realisation of every person's Right to lead a dignified and respectful life sans
arbitrary interference by the state.
Today almost all the nations in the world have adopted the principles of Human
Rights into their domestic laws, including India. India has adopted these human
rights in its Constitution and can be found under Part 3 titled as 'Fundamental
Rights.'
Conclusion
This way, the spark for realization of fundamental human rights of individuals
for living a peaceful and respectable life transcended itself into something so
great that elevated the living standards of people for a better tomorrow.
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