Zahid Aqil

BS (Hons) in Politics & International Relations

International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan

Glorious Revolution-1688 A.D

Introduction

A revolution occurred in England in 1688 A.D. It was a peaceful and bloodless revolution that’s
why it is called “Glorious Revolution”. It had great importance for the political and
constitutional development in UK. As a result of this revolution despotic rule was replaced by
the Rule of Law and the supremacy of the Parliament was established in UK. James II fled from
England to France on 23rd of December, 1688 and the Parliament handed over the Crown to his
daughter Marry II and his son-in-law William III of Orange.1

Reasons of Glorious Revolution

James, after his accession in 1685, had alienated his Protestant subjects through; his efforts to
secure freedom of worship and civic equality for England’s small Catholic minority, his efforts
to repeal the Test Act, dispensing with and suspending of the Acts of the Land, establishment of
the court of Ecclesiastical Commission, interference in the internal affairs of the universities,
cruel treatment with his enemies, maintaining a huge standing army, friendship with the French
King who was disliked by the Protestants of England because of his cruel treatment with his
Protestant subjects, discontentment in Scotland and Ireland due to his stubbornness,
proclamation of the declaration of indulgence for the general welfare of the Catholics, and by the
trial of seven Bishops.2 The methods he used were seen as changing England’s mixed
parliamentary constitution into an absolute monarchy. Until 1688 Protestant unease at his
conduct was tempered by the expectation that James would be succeeded by Mary, his daughter,
and her husband William of Orange. However, in June 1688 the queen gave birth to a son, who
would be raised as Catholic and take precedence over Mary in the succession. William, invited

1
Qayyum Sheikh, ‘British History At A Glance’, Lahore: Carvan Enterprises, 1996. P-10.
2
Ibid, PP. 10-13.

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Zahid Aqil
BS (Hons) in Politics & International Relations
International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan

by prominent Protestants, gathered a massive fleet and an army of 40,000 men and invaded
England, landing at Torbay, Devon, on November 5, and began to advance on London. James,
suffering a loss of nerve due to desertions from his cause, fled to France on 23 rd of December,
1688 with his family without giving fight.3

The Joint Monarchy and the Bill of Rights

With James gone, William was invited to take charge of the government and maintain order. He
summoned a “Convention”—a true Parliament could be called only by a king—and on February
6, 1689, the convention declared that James had abdicated and offered the crown to William and
Mary, creating the only joint monarchy in English history. Many in Parliament were reluctant to
recognize William as king, because he was not James’s immediate heir, but they had no real
alternative, as he was already exercising full kingly power. They salved their consciences by
offering the crown to Mary as well, although executive power lay with William. The claim of
James’s son was negated by a resolution declaring that experience had shown that it was
incompatible with the safety of a Protestant kingdom to be governed by a Catholic prince.

The offer of the crown was preceded by the reading of a “declaration of rights,” later passed into
law as the Bill of Rights; the future exclusion of Catholics from the English throne was added at
this stage. The Bill condemned what many saw as recent breaches of the constitution; the only
major novelty—apart from the debarment of Catholics from the throne—was the statement that
the king could not raise an army in peacetime without Parliament’s consent. Parliament also
passed the Toleration Act that allowed freedom of worship to Protestant Nonconformists, also
known as Dissenters; Catholics, Jews, and Unitarians were excluded from its benefits and
Nonconformists were not allowed full civil rights, including the right to hold public office, until
1828.

3
“Glorious Revolution”, Microsoft Student-2008 (Encarta-DVD), Redmond, Washington: Microsoft Corporation,
2007.

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Zahid Aqil
BS (Hons) in Politics & International Relations
International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan

The Bill of Rights clarified some uncertainties, but left the crown’s basic prerogatives intact. The
monarch still had the power to choose ministers and office-holders, summon and dismiss
Parliament, command the armed forces, and formulate policy—at least in theory.4

Bibliography

1. Qayyum Sheikh, ‘British History At A Glance’, Lahore: Carvan Enterprises, 1996.

2. “Glorious Revolution”, Microsoft Student-2008 (Encarta-DVD), Redmond, Washington:

Microsoft Corporation, 2007.

3. “Glorious Revolution”, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008.

4. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-information-office/g04.pdf

4
Ibid.,