An Age of Revolutions

Relation between different Revolutions and intellectual development
    If we see the history of the world, we find different revolutions in different time period have brought great changes in the society and also given intellectual shape at the same time. Behind every revolution some ideologies have played vital role leading to the intellectual development. In the western history these revolutions have brought tremendous changes.

1. Industrial Revolution
2. Glorious Revolution
3. French Revolution
4. American Revolution
    Before industrial revolution, the life was so hard; people used simple machines to make their works quite easy. Socioeconomic side was very poor. Agro-based economy had not maintained the standard of life. There was no development of transportation and communication. After all, people were in very limited place. But after the down of industrial revolution, great changes emerged as a result life became comfort and smooth.
Main activates forces for industrial revolutions are:-
a) The use of new materials - iron and steel
b) The use of new sources of energy - coal, steam engine, electricity, petroleum etc.
c) Shifting of cotton- driven looms to machine-driven looms
d) A new organization of work known as factory system which entailed increased division of labour and specialization of function
e) Important development in transportation and communication etc.

    Due to these above-mentioned factors, industrial revolution became successful which transformed human life very dramatically. It brought many social changes. The middle class prospered and grow rapidly. Members of middle class owned most of the factories; they hired the workers and operated the banks, mines, railroads etc. They had the conception that business should be regulated by supply and demand without the manipulation of the government. This idea helped to form the idea of capitalism that is the economic system in which the chief means of production are privately owned. During 1800 capitalism soon spread to other industrial nations. Often factory workers were poorly paid and had to work long hours under the unhealthful condition. In the growing industrial cities, housing could not keep up with the migration of workers from rural areas. Due to overcrowding of cities, many people lived in extremely unsanitary condition. The society divided in two groups, extremely rich and extremely poor. Some people believed that the evils or industrialization resulted from capitalism. Socialism became chief motive for such people. The socialists wanted to put all industrial productions under the control of workers. From that basic idea Karl Marx, a German writer and social philosopher developed the theory of communism.The industrial revolution contributed to a great rise in imperialism during 1800s. The industrialization helped many countries to acquire more and more colonies as they eagerly sought raw materials for their factories, markets for their manufactured goods and opportunities for investment. Africa and so many Asian countries became colonies of rich country.Due to the expansion of colonization, poor countries lost freedom and came under the extreme domination. The concept of imperialism and colonization founded the path of dictatorship which further helped to formulate other radical revolutions for democracy and freedom. One of those revolutions is Glorious revolution of England in 1688. It was basically a political revolution in which the king of England was replaced by William of Orange and Mary peacefully. The authority was changed without any bloodshed. To this revolution, Locke's philosophy played vital role. He wrote a book handling the issues or property, government and revolution. He has said in this book.
a) Property is the right of people
b) People can earn for themselves
3) Their earning is legal

    To protect the legal property, the government is necessary. The function of government is to safeguard the people's interest. If any government fails to do so it is the right of people to overthrow such government. Law gives power to the people. In England James 1 could not save people's interest therefore British people overthrew him and placed William of orange and Mary peacefully.
By the time when there was a Glorious revolution in England, America was under British colony. American people were under the grip of George III of England who had curtailed the freedom of American people. There was no representation of American people in the parliament. People had to pay unnecessary tax to the government. Due to the utter domination of British king, American people were frustrated and sloganed saying "No taxation without representation". Thomas Jefferson began speaking about 'dissolution' one of the Locke's key terms. Jefferson got so many things from the philosophy of John Locke. He said to the people that if the government can not safeguard the inborn rights of the people that are (1) life (2) liberty (3) pursuit of happiness then it is the right of people to overthrow such government. The governments are instituted among men to secure the fundamental rights which are mentioned above. John Locke had said that government's first task is to secure property. The government is legitimate only so long as it continues to secure these rights and therefore continues to enjoy the consent of the governed.
    In the process of revolution, for independence, Jefferson said to the people: king George III has plundered our seas, ravaged out coasts, burnt our towns and destroyed the lives of people which became persuasive agents for American people and they declared the independence of America, later America won the war and overthrew the British government. The victory in turn confirmed the rightness of the English Lockean political doctrine and ever since it has become dominant on the world stage. No one in the last two centuries has been able to make a reasoned argument against the thesis that "it is the people who shall judge whether their government is legitimate or not".
This war of independence paved way for the French revolution. All people of France were influenced by English and American Revolutions. Various social, political and economic conditions led to the revolution. These conditions included dissatisfaction among lower and middle classes. Another is legal divisions among social groups that had existed for hundreds of years which created dissatisfaction. According to law, French society consisted of three groups.
1) Members of the clergy made up the first estate
2) Noblemen
3) Rest of the people (peasants)
    Peasants formed the largest group in the third estate. Many of them earned so little that they could hardly sustain their family. The third estate opposed certain advantages of the first two estates. The clergy and nobles did not have to pay most taxes. The third estate, especially the peasants had to provide almost all the country's tax. Many members of the middle class were also troubled by their social status. They were among the most important people in French society but they were undermined by king and his Followers. The unmaintainable gap emerged between the groups. In 1788, the country was in financial problems, it was almost bankrupt. The parliament of Paris insisted that king Louis XVI could borrow more money or raise taxes by calling a meeting of the estates general. But ultimately tax was imposed on people of third estate. It became intolerable for the people as it was against true spirit of people. Then in 1789, may 5, French people marched ahead towards Versailles (French Royal Palace) and overthrew the authority. King Louise XVI and his wife along with their son were executed. Main slogan of the revolution was (1) liberty (2) equality and fraternity. For the success of the revolution intellectual guidance of John Locke Montesquieu, Rousseau, Thomas Jefferson, Voltaire played active role.
1) Montesquieu argued that political freedom requires the separation of the executive, legislative and judicial powers of government.
2) Voltaire spoke out against government invasion of individual rights and freedom.
3) Rousseau declared in his book The Social contract (1762) that people have a duty to obey only legitimate power. The only rightful rulers are people, he said.