Submitted to:

Mr. Kamal Narayan

Faculty, Political Science, H.N.L.U., Raipur

Submitted by:
Anshu Sharma
Roll no. 22, Section A
Semester I, B.A. L.L.B. (Honours)

Hidayatullah National Law University

Uparwara Post, Abhanpur, Atal Nagar- 492002
I hereby declare that this project titled “Theories of Divine Origin” is my own work and
represents my own ideas, and where others ideas or words have been included. I have
adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also declare that I have adhered to all
principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or
falsified or plagiarized any idea/data/fact/source in my submission.

Anshu Sharma
Roll no. 22, Section A
BA. L.L.B (Hons.)
Semester - I
The practical realization of this project has obligated the assistance of many persons. I,
Anshu Sharma would humbly present this project to Mr. Kamal Narayan and express my
deepest regard and gratitude to him. His consistent supervision, constant inspiration and
invaluable guidance have been of immense help in understanding and carrying out the
nuances of the project report.
I would like to thank my family and friends without whose support and encouragement this
project would not have been possible.
I take this opportunity to also than the University and the Honourable Vice Chancellor for
providing extensive database resources in the library and through Internet. I’ll also thank the
IT Lab Staff for the provision of the instruments without which my project wouldn’t have a
reality. I would be grateful to receive comments and suggestions to further improve this
project report.
I feel highly elated and obliged to work on the topic “Theories of Divine Origin”.

Anshu Sharma
Roll no. 22, Section A
BA. L.L.B (Hons.)
Semester - I
 DECLARATION

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................6

 OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................7

 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY................................................................................8

 ORGANISATION OF THE STUDY............................................................................9

 DEFINITION OF THEORY OF DIVINE ORIGIN....................................................10

 THEORY OF DIVINE ORIGIN; MEANING AND CONTEXT ................................11

 EMERGENCE OF DIVINE ORIGIN THEORY………............................................12

CRITICISM OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN THEORY .............................................13

DECLINE OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN THEORY…………...…………..………......14

The Theory of Divine Origin refers to the formation of Monarch as a form of government
over the state where the King was glorified to be a messenger of God or God himself. The
King was depicted to be sent by God as there was lawlessness in the territory and the only
way the population of the state would oblige the commands of King was depiction of the
King as the God.

In todays world the Presence of Divine origin theory is irrelevant and democracy exists,
where the citizen can choose who so ever they want them to govern them unlike the olden
days where they were forced to be governed by someone in the name of God.

The Theory of Divine Origin came to an end after the emergence of Social contract theory
which emphasized on the fact that the state was not a creation by the God but it was the result
of the agreement of the men who lived on that territory
I. To find out the meaning and the context of the Divine Origin Theory
I. (1) To understand the meanings of various terms in parallel with the Divine origin theory

II. To find out how did the State came into emergence
II. (1) To understand how the divine origin theory helped state to come into existence.
II. (2) To find out how various others affected the Divine Origin Theory

III. To find out how did the Divine Origin Theory declined
III. (1) To understand the various factors that were criticized about this theory
III. (2) The understand affects of Social contract theory on the Theory of Divine Origin.
The project is historical and descriptive in nature. It tries to explain the reasons behind how
The theory of Divine Origin came into existence and how it declined by the emergence of the
of the social contract theory, the criticisms and the believes of the citizen in the territory.

This study is done with the help of secondary data. This secondary information has been
obtained from published sources such as books, journals, official websites and research
papers.
The study has been divided into 5 chapters as follows :

Firstly, The first chapter starts with the introduction to the topic “Theories of Divine Origin”
and then goes on to describe the methodology that was used in the completion of this project.

The second chapter aids the reader in understanding the relationship between the terms used in
the Theory of Divine Origin used insofar. Further, it also talks about the context where the
divine origin theory came into existence.

The third chapter determines the emergence of the divine origin theory

The fourth chapter tries to understand why the citizens started criticizing the Divine Origin
Theory and contains various Political thinker’s aspects of criticisms.

The fifth and final chapter deals with the conclusion and summarises this case study as a whole.
It further states the decline of the Divine origin theory due to the emergence of the Social
Contract Theory.
STATE, known as POLIS by the Greeks is a community of persons, permanently occupying
a definite territory, legally independent of external control, and possessing a organized
government which create and administrates law over all persons and groups within its
jurisdiction is “State” or A state is a compulsory political organization with a centralized
government that maintains a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a certain
geographical territory.1
Elements of the State is: Population, Territory, Government and Sovereignty where
Population is the whole number of people or inhabitants in a country or region2,
Territory is an area of land, or sometimes sea, that is considered as belonging to or connected
with a particular country or person3,
Government is the group of people with the authority to govern a country or state; a
particular ministry in office4 ,
Sovereignty is the he full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any
interference from outside sources or bodies. In political theory, sovereignty is a substantive
term designating supreme authority over some polity5

1
Salmon, 2008 (accessed at 12:59 PM, 22nd September, 2018)
2
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/population (accessed at 1:05, 22nd September,2018)
3
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/territory (accessed at 1:08, 22nd
september,2018)
4
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/government (accessed at 1:11, 22nd September, 2018)
5
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557065/sovereignty (retrieved at 1:13, 22nd
September,18)
State came into existence by various Theories like the Force theory, The Divine origin and
the Social- Contract Theory. The force theory is another fallacious theory, but historically
important, which is offered as an explanation of the origin and meaning of the State.
There is an old saying that ‘war begets the king,’ and true to this maxim, the theory of Force
emphasizes the origin of the State in the subordination of the weak to the strong.6
The Theory of Divine Origin is a theory that believes that According to it, the state is
established by God(s), who rule(s) the state directly or indirectly through someone regarded
as an agent.
The Social Contract Theory is a class of theories on how people from societies, and maintain
social order.7
The Theory of Divine rights of the Kings also known as the Divine Origin Theory is one of
the oldest theory concerning the origin of the state.
In case of the Divine origin theory there were Population and Territory but no Government
and Sovereignty and the exponents of this theory believed that the state did not come into
being by any effort of man. It is created by God.
The King who rules over the state is an agent of God on earth.
The King derives his authority from God and for all his actions he is responsible to God
alone. Obedience to the King is ordained to God and violation of it will be a sin. The King is
above law and no subject has any right to question his authority or his action. The King is
responsible of God alone. It was believed that the king was the “Shadow of God” and were

6
http://www.shareyouressays.com/essays/comprehensive-essay-on-the-theory-of-force/88168
(accessed at 1:22, 22nd Sep,18)
7
https://legaldictionary.net/social-contract-theory/ (accessed at 2:23, 22nd September,2018)
glorified to be God for the citizen of the state.

This is an example of King Louis XIV depicted as the Sun King.

The Divine Origin Theory, the word Divine means “of relating to god, especially the
Supreme Being or proceeding from God.”8
The oldest theory of the origin of the State is the divine origin theory. It is also known as the

8
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/divine (accessed at 5:30 pm, 14th September,
2018)
Theory of Divine Rights of King, it was considered that state came into existence by the God
wherein he created the state in the same manner he created everything else and the King
himself was considered to be a God. During past, Politics and Religion were not separated
and most of the times the head of the state was also considered to be the Head of Religion.
God was to appoint certain persons to rule over the state (where the state is defined as the a
nation or territory)9 and the king was believed to be “the shadow of the God on the earth.”
The Divine Origin Theory asserts that monarch is no earthly authority and he has derived all
the authorities and rights to govern over the state by the God. It is the oldest amongst all the
theories by which the state came into existence10. This Theory served two different purposes.
Firstly, The King was given the power to govern the people using his divine authority and
secondly, the theory instilled the fear of God’s will into people’s mind thereby compelling
them to obey the King. The later view somehow helped the despots to support their absolute
authority and tyranny. The Jews were the earliest advocates of this theory11.

The theory convinced people with the argument that the king has a divine mission, he must
do justice. According to this theory state is not an artificial institution, it did not come into
existence through the human efforts, It is the result of the Divine creation.
The ruler of the state is the deputy or representative of the God, The king was responsible for
his actions to the God only and disobedience of his command is a sin and would result into a
punishment.
This theory believes that God deliberately created the state and this Specific Act of his grace
was to save Mankind from destruction.

9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_(polity)
10
http://www.brainkart.com/article/Theory-Of-Divine-Origin_1718/
11
https://www.scribd.com/document/285910769/Theories-of-Origin-of-state
Though no such perfect texts are available to know the existence of the Divine Origin Theory
but it can be traced through the epic Mahabharata, where there was anarchy in the beginning
in the society and the people prayed to God to come to their rescue.
They offered a prayer to the God, “Without a chief, O Lord we are perishing Give us a chief,
whom we shall worship and who will protect us.” It was under these circumstances that God
appointed the King to rule the people.
In the Bible it is stated that every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no
power but of God”. Thus God is the source of all powers and the rulers are considered as his
agents. The early church fathers also propounded this theory.12

According to one of the quotes of King James 1 of England ‘Kings are justly called Gods for
they exercise a manner of resemblance of divine power on earth. Kings are accountable to
God above and only. The people cannot question him for the right or wrong done by him.’13
Also the history of divine origin theory in India is expounded in Manusmriti as follows:

The Lord created a king for the protection of this whole creation, taking eternal particles of
Indra, of the Wind, of the Yama, of the Sun, of Fire, of Varuna, of the Moon and of the Lord
of Wealth.

Even an infant king must not be despised that he is merely mortal, for he is a great deity in
human form.

12
https://www.scribd.com/document/285910769/Theories-of-Origin-of-state (accessed at 2:00 AM,
21st September, 2018)
13
http://www.brainkart.com/article/Theory-Of-Divine-Origin_1718/
The theory of divine origin has been criticized on many grounds.
To say that God selects this or that man as ruler is contrary to experience and common sense.
God cannot be expected to do such worldly things for human beings. The theory is dangerous
because it pinpoints the unlimited and arbitrary power of the kings.
The theory of divine origin of the state advocates only monarchical form of government. The
monarchical form of government is practically disappearing from the world. No wonder the
theory of divine origin also does not find its supporters in modern times.

We all believe in the theory of evolution. Everything in the world has grown up by slow
degrees and consequently the same must have been the case with the state. It is too much to
believe that one day God thought of creating the state and created one.
The theory put emphasis on revelation and not reason. In modern times we attribute
everything to reason and hence it is not accepted today.
Although the theory has many defects and is no longer accepted today, it cannot be denied
that it had its utility.

The theory of social contract with its emphasis on consent, was a great deadlock to the theory
of divine origin. It was maintained that state was created by individuals by means of a
contract and not by God. The separation of the church from the state was also partly
responsible for the decline of the theory.
This theory has given unchecked power to king . This theory doesn’t say anything about
rights of people. There is no written constitution. People are left on the mercy of God.14

14
https://generalpolblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/divine-origin-theory/
Gilchrist has criticised the theory of divine origin on the following grounds:
1. State a Human Institution: The modern political scientist regards the state as essentially a
human institution, organized in its government through human agency. No one now accepts
the originative power of God as a criterion of the tightness or wrongness of any given form of
government. To say that God selects this or that man as ruler is contrary to experience and
common sense.

2. Dangerous consequences: The theory is dangerous. In a theocratic state the ruler is

responsible only to God. Irresponsibility to human opinion might be a grave danger in the
hands of an unscrupulous man. It would lead to tyranny.

3. Unrealistic theory: The early Church fathers held that a bad ruler is given by God to men
as a punishment for their sins. It is difficult to accept this view point as realistic.

4. It is unscientific: Latest researches in the field of anthropology and sociology prove that
the theory of Divine Origin of state has no meaning at all. "The state came into existence" as
Aristotle put it "out of bare needs of man and continues for the good of man". Man is a social
and political animal and it was by nature and necessity that state came into existence. The
theory is thus unscientific.

5. State is the result of a process of evolution: All the political thinkers are unanimous in the
view that the state came into existence as a result of evolutionary process. Various factors
including religion, family force and political consciousness played their part in the process
evolution of State. It is definitely not the creation of God as such.

6. It is undemocratic: The theory inevitably leads to the establishment of absolute authority

which is opposed to the spirit of democracy idolizes and glorifies the individual.15

15 Gilchrist R N (Principle of Political Science: 1957)

In the first place it was the emergence of the social contract theory as a more acceptable
theory, the divine origin theory was dashed into the ground as this social contract theory has
suggested that the state is the handiwork of man and not the creation by the grace of God.
What was social contract theory how did it come into existence and why did it lead to the
declination of the Theory of Divine Origin.
In both moral and political philosophy, the social contract is a theory or model that
originated during the Age of Enlightenment and usually concerns the legitimacy of the
authority of the state over the individual16
The Social contract theory was given by Hugo Grotius (1625), Thomas
Hobbes(1651), Samuel von Pufendorf (1673), John Locke (1689), Jean-Jacques
Rousseau (1762), and Immanuel Kant (1797)17

In the 16th and 17th century the Social Contract Theory gained popularity and led to famous
revolutions in America, France & England and theories led to its peak in the hands of Jean
Jacques Rousseau, John Locke and Thomas Hobbes.
Their theories emphasized on the fact that the creation of the state was not in the hands of
King whereas it was in the limits of the citizen of the state which was in complete
contradiction which the Divine Origin theory hence led to its decline.

16
The Social Contract (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1936)
17
Robert Wokler, (Vol 4) of The Cambridge History of Political Thought (Cambridge University
Press, 2006)
In conclusion its possible for us to summarize our knowledge about the Emergence, presence
and the Decline of the Theory of Divine Origin.

The theory of Divine Origin came into existence because the state for facing lawlessness and
had to plead the God for him to come and govern them, God sent them a messenger who was
appointed by the God and was no less glorified as the God by the citizen of the State hence
the Theory of Divine Origin came into prevalence, soon people could realize the fact that the
State is where citizens live in and the Government should be present in the state which should
be unaffected by the external factors such as God and such glorification of King was able to
manipulate the minds of the innocent citizens who were forced to do anything in the God.
Later on the emergence of the Social Contract theory wherein the importance of the
government was realized and which contradicted the facts present in the Theory of Divine
Origin which supported the King and treated the king to be God and also was against the
facts which blindly followed the Kings and did not realize the importance of governance and
legitimacy in the society absence of political order and law, everyone would have unlimited
natural freedoms, including the "right to all things" and thus the freedom to plunder, rape,
and murder; there would be an endless "war of all against all” and the Social Contract Theory
believed in the formation of the government witch voluntary consent to enjoy the benefits of
the political order and hence led to the decline of the Theory Of Divine Origin.
 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/population

 https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/territory

 https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/government

 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/557065/sovereignty

 http://www.shareyouressays.com/essays/comprehensive-essay-on-the-theory-
of-force/88168

 https://legaldictionary.net/social-contract-theory

 https://generalpolblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/27/divine-origin-theory/

 Robert Wokler, (Vol 4) of The Cambridge History of Political Thought

(Cambridge University Press, 2006)