Table of content:

 Abstract

 Introduction

 Why history gives the most priority to the kings and leaders

 Leaders in religious history

 Islam
 Christianity
 Buddhism
 Hinduism

 Leaders in nationalism history

 Egypt
 Italy
 England
 India
 Pakistan
 Bangladesh

 Conclusion

 Reference
 Why History Is Always About Kings and Leaders?

Abstract:

Leaders lead a nation. They do things and according to their deeds history remind them as they
deserve. So many leaders are there in the history, but only a few stays as remarkable ones. Their
nation as well as the other nations remind them and preach their story to generation to
generation.

Introduction:

History is something that has happened before. In this era we have come to know about them
through someone’s writing or sayings. There were many historians in the past. Among them
Herodotus is the most famous one, because he had written “The Histories.” This book is
considered as the first history book of mankind.

There are different kinds of history. Like

 Political history
 Diplomatic history
 Social history
 Cultural history
 Economic history
 Intellectual history.

When it comes to the history of human, it divides into many nations. And each nation has its
own history. When we come to talk about the nations, kings or leaders of that nation comes to
our mind at first. Each nation is mostly known by its rulers or the leaders.
Why history gives the most priority to the kings and leaders:

People know a nation by its leader. They represent their nations to other nations, to the whole
world. The other nations judge a particular nation by observing their leader. The leader makes
the plan, and the people work on it. Anything good or bad happen, the credit goes to the leader
first. Again if anything repulsive happen, the leader has to bear the liability. A true leader does
not abandon his nations in times of danger. If any people do something heroic or something
memorable the name of the leader comes first by saying like the thing has done in his dynasty.
Thus in every well and woe, sorrows and sufferings the name of the leader comes at first with his
nation. In short it can be said that, leaders make the history and that is why they are most
valuable in history.

Leaders in religious history:

 Islam

 Hazrat Muhammad (SM):

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was both a prophet of
Allah and a statesman. His leadership was most comprehensive and dynamic. He
was the paragon of virtue and spirituality. He was a noble and compassionate
teacher, guide, and reformer. He was a family man. Indeed, he was also a political
leader. As a political leader the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
unified the Arabian peninsula, established a great state whose capital was
Madinah, defeated his enemies, and had most successful military expeditions.
However, his real political leadership was in the realm of morality and
spirituality in which he conducted himself perfectly in situations of weakness as
well as strength. His way of dealing in Makkah and Madinah indicates his great
political leadership.

He was always willing to help others. Allah granted him the special gift to
resolve conflicts and disputes. Even before he became the Prophet of Allah, he
was able to resolve a major dispute between the people of Makkah. It is reported
that the people of Makkah were repairing the walls of the Ka`bah. When the time
came to place the Black Stone in its place in the southeast corner of the Ka`bah,
each tribe wanted to have this honor. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) was asked to be the judge and decide the matter fairly. He resolved this
dispute with great wisdom in an amicable way. He spread his own cloak on the
ground and placed the Stone upon it. He then asked representatives of each tribe
to lift the cloak together. When the Black Stone reached the required height from
the ground he went forward and set it in its place.

He always wanted to make peace among people. At an early age it is reported that
when some people of Makkah wanted to establish a committee to suppress
violence in their society, he immediately joined them. This committee took a
pledge of virtue known as the Hilf al-Fudul. Later during his prophetic life he
recalled this pledge and praised it highly and said, “Even now if I am called upon
in the name of this pledge, I shall not refuse.”

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a man of ideals but he
was also a practical man. He preached the message to all and did not isolate
himself from his society. He used any of the good traditions and customs they had
and benefited from them. Although his uncle, Abu Talib, did not accept his
message of tawheed, he was willing to give him all his support and help in the
Islamic work. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appreciated his
uncle’s help. After his uncle’s death he went to Ta’if to seek alliances with some
other tribes there. He did not succeed, but it is important to note that he was
trying to seek alliances for the cause of Islam.

The Hijrah to Ethiopia is also an example of his political skill in seeking

alliances with others. When the persecution increased in Makkah and some of his
followers found it difficult to live in that environment, he allowed them to
migrate to Ethiopia and seek the help of the Christian King there. In Ethiopia
Muslims found peace and they reciprocated the King’s hospitality with prayers
and support for the King and his party. Muslims’ relations were so good with the
monarch that he grew to love Islam and before his death he became a Muslim.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was a skillful and
courageous political leader. His enemies could not scare or intimidate him. He
never succumbed to any temptations. The people of Makkah tried to turn him
away from his message and mission by offering him a great deal of money or
anything that he wanted for himself but with one condition that he would give up
his mission. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) very firmly, yet
politely, turned down all their offers.

In Madinah he established a state where all people were equal, where matters
were decided through consultation, and where all people had to follow the same
law. It was a state without any favoritism in favor of any family or group. Even a
non-Muslim was not to be mistreated under his rule. The story of Tu’mah ibn
Abraq is an excellent example of justice and human rights for all people under his
authority. Tu’mah, who was a Muslim, stole someone’s armor in Madinah and
then he blamed a Jew. Allah sent a special revelation to warn people against such
injustice (see Surat An-Nisaa’: 110-112). The Jewish citizen of Madinah was
declared innocent and Tu’mah was found guilty.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took great care of his people’s
religious as well as economic needs. Not only did he preach, but he was also
concerned about their economic well-being. He made treaties and alliances with
many tribes. He had great diplomatic skills. He taught the world diplomacy that
was built on morality and honesty. He honored all his treaties and he defended his
people. He was aware of the surrounding circumstances and made his people
ready and alert. He never initiated a battle or a war, but when he was attacked he
was firm and decisive. He always emphasized peace and harmonious relations.

 Hazrat Abu Bakar Siddique (RA):  

When Abu Bakr (RA) said “ If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right.“, he affirms
the right of citizens to hold their leaders accountable for their actions. Also, this makes it clear
that the era of prophetic infallibility was over. From now on, the leaders are susceptible to make
mistakes. These days, even in the western nations, the freedom of expression against the rulers is
at best tolerated. In the Islamic caliphate of Abu Bakr, the citizens are expected (not just
allowed) to correct their leaders “Sincere regard for truth is loyalty and disregard for truth is
treachery”. Abu Bakr announced that truthfulness should be the basis of all dealings between a
leader and his people. This needs to be the case if the people are to develop a sense of trust in
their leader.
Abu Bakr (RA) said, “The weak amongst you shall be strong with me until I have secured his
rights, if God wills; and the strong amongst you shall be weak with me until I have wrested from
him the rights of others, if God wills". The justice of Abu Bakr (RA) and other early caliphs won
the hearts of many people, including enemies, and made them to embrace Islam. He said, “Obey
me so long as I obey God and His Messenger. But if I disobey God and His Messenger, ye owe
me no obedience.“. This made it clear he is going to follow only the Qur’an and Sunnah, and that
obeying the leader is contingent upon the leader following Qur’an and Sunnah. Prophet said,
“There is no obedience when it comes to sinning; obedience is restricted to al-Ma’roof (good,
noble and acceptable in Islam)…” [Bukharee (7140)]

 Hazrat Umar (RA):

Umar bin al-Khattab is one of the most powerful and influential Muslims leaders and rulers in the
era between 633 CE until his assassination in 644 CE. Although this era known as the dark ages
in the western history, it is known as the golden ages in the Arabic and Islamic history as Umar
bin al-Khattab era was the start point of it. Umar bin al-Khattab was best known as Al-Faruq -his
title- that means the one who distinguishes between right and wrong. Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was an
exceptional fig- ure in the Islamic world as a leader, a statesman, a pioneer, and a pious and God
con-scious Muslim who showed respect for all individuals including Muslims and non- Muslims.
Umar bin al-Khattab participated in all of the Muslim battles then he became the second caliph or
ruler of Muslims. During Umar’s era as a caliph the Islamic empire where established the Islamic
lands grow from Al- madinad and Mecca in the Arabian peninsula and extend to Iraq and parts of
Iran, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, North Africa and Armenia. Umar bin al-Khattab was very humble,
considering and hands on type of leaders. He used to visit the ordinary people in their homes
undercover and not as their caliph to listen to their complains and problem and work to solve
them. Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s actions and legacy speak about his leadership and his numer- ous
achievements are reflection of his life as a successful leader. Umar had many achievements in the
Islamic Actions and Social Mandates. After prophet Mohammed death most of his Companions
who had learnt the Holy Quran by heart were martyred and died so Umar started the project of
writing dow the Quran and have one ap- proved copy to keep with trusted person. And that saved
the Quran from being lost or have any corruption to its original text. Umar also invented the Hijri
Calendar the calendar that Muslims use until today and help them to keep track of the Islamic
holy days and events. Umar known in the Islamic history as the Caliph who eliminate and
minimise slavery. He sat very harsh roles to it, in the top of them was the role of no Arab could be
a slave and that happened in era where the world economy was based on slavery. Umar ibn Al-
Khattab also had many successful political and governmental actions that effected the whole
word. Because the Islamic empire was grown enormously at that time, Umar had to establish an
administrative system. As a liberal and open minded leader Umar used Persian and Romanian
experiences in administrating and add more to it to best suit his organization. Umar also
established the public treasury that allowed him to sit salaries for all the empire employees
including him and the army. He also established Land Revenue Department. Umar was politically
genius so he had remarkable organization of his military and army. The most interesting feature
was that he had a complete control over the army. The control was facilitated influ- ences and
nspiring from Umar personality as a leader. The army were well organized where the reporters
were attached to every unit which kept Umar fully informed about everything and connected him
to the army. For the first time in the Islamic word Umar sat up an effective system of judicial
administration and built a Police Department as a result he became first ruler in history who
separated judiciary from the executive. In conclusion, Umar bin al-Khattab was a unique and
great leader. The Islamic world will always be proud of his achievements like his political and
governmental actions, and his great deeds to Islam and Muslims. In the top of everything he had a
great personality that inspire people throughout the ages. Umar born as a leader with his natural
ability to be in charged and the history will always remember him as one of the greatest leader. 

 Hajjaj bin Yousuf:

Amongst the high officials of the Umayyad, no one has acquired more fame than Hajjaj bin
Yusuf. However, this fame was not acquired because of his generosity, but from his oppression.
The tyranny of Hajjaj has become very famous in history. The Umayyad was badly shaken after
the death of Yazid bin Muawiyya, but it was Hajjaj who took over from this falling empire and
strengthened them. The greatest threat to this empire was from Abdullah bin Zubair who was
based in Makkah but his rule extended to the border of Syria . Hajjaj with his oppression laid
siege to Makkah and killed Abdullah bin Zubair without any mercy on him. Hajjaj alone
executed 125,000 men. He beheaded leaders like Sa'id bin Zubair. He put prominent scholars
like Abdullah bin Umar and Abdullah bin Zubair (Allah be pleased with them) to death. Before
being executing, Sa'id bin Zubair told him that now you will not be able to set out for anyone. On
the saying of this by Said bin Zubair, Hajjaj bin Yusuf passed away within fifteen nights. Even
the learned and the peaceful men of that era looked upon Hajjaj as a calamity and curse sent
down by God. Hadhrat Hasan Basri (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) used to say, “Hajjaj is a calamity sent
by God, do not try to remove him by force but ask Allah Taa'la.” Therefore, the moment the
news of the death of Hajjaj was reported Hadhrat Hasan Basri and Umar bin Abdul Aziz fell in
prostration to God and exclaimed,” The pharaoh of this nation is no more!

After twenty years of rule over Iraq , Hajjaj fell ill at the age of fifty-four. His stomach was
infested by innumerable vermin. The temperature of his body decreased and he felt so intensely
cold that several stoves were place close to him and yet he gained no relief.

 Tarik Ibn Zeyad:

Mūsā ibn Nuṣayr, the Arab conqueror of Morocco, left his general Ṭāriq to govern Tangier in his
place. Spain at this time was under Visigothic rule but was rent by civil war. The dispossessed
sons of the recently deceased Visigothic king of Spain, Witiza, appealed to the Muslims for help
in the civil war, and they quickly responded to this request in order to conquer Spain for
themselves. In May 711 Ṭāriq landed on Gibraltar with an army of 7,000 men, mostly Berbers,
Syrians, and Yemenis. Gibraltar henceforth became known as Jabal Ṭāriq (Mount Tarik), from
which the Anglicized form of the name is adapted.

 Christianity:
 Jesus Christ:

Jesus knew who he was and why he was here on this planet. That meant he could lead from
strength rather than from uncertainty or weakness. Jesus operated from a base of fixed principles
or truths rather than making up the rules as he went along. Thus, his leadership style was not
only correct, but also constant. So many secular leaders today are like chameleons; they change
their hues and views to fit the situation—which only tends to confuse associates and followers
who cannot be certain what course is being pursued. Those who cling to power at the expense of
principle often end up doing almost anything to perpetuate their power. Jesus said several times,
“Come, follow me.” His was a program of “do what I do,” rather than “do what I say.” His
innate brilliance would have permitted him to put on a dazzling display, but that would have left
his followers far behind. He walked and worked with those he was to serve. His was not a long-
distance leadership. He was not afraid of close friendships; he was not afraid that proximity to
him would disappoint his followers. The leaven of true leadership cannot lift others unless we are
with and serve those to be led. Jesus kept himself virtuous, and thus, when his closeness to the
people permitted them to touch the hem of his garment, virtue could flow from him. (See Mark
5:24–34.)

 Buddhism:
 Lord Buddha:

Vesak is celebrated as the beginning of a new era in human civilization. It is the day the world’s
first human founder of a religion – the Buddha - was born. Before the Buddha, and even after
him, almost every religion was founded by either a prophet or an inspired teacher. The Buddha,
on the contrary, was purely human and claimed no divine authority. Yet he managed to provide
an unsurpassingly great leadership to millions of followers simply on human leadership qualities.
And he left to his followers an example and a conceptual frame for exemplary leadership that
could be seen as remarkably progressive even in the twenty first century.

 Hinduism:

There are so many characters in this religion’s history that it is confusing to choose the leader.
Unlike other religion, in Hindu myths so many characters had supernatural powers. But in other
religion we can see the leader might possessed some specialties. Above all these discussions I
want to talk about Lord Krishna and Lord Ram Chandra. In the history both of them were heroic
leaders. Still people all over the India worship them for their well-being.
Leaders in nationalism history:

 Egypt:

 Cleopatra:

She was one of the most famous and powerful women in history. She was a goddess, a queen,
and a skilled diplomat and negotiator. She was a great politician who knew how to show off her
and her country’s power and influence. At the height of her rule more than two thousand years
ago, she controlled Egypt and other lands including most of the eastern Mediterranean coast. She
was also one of the richest people in the world. She was known for her striking personality, her
sharp intelligence and her alliances with the two most powerful men of her time. Her name was
Cleopatra.

 Salahuddin Al Ayubi or Saladin:

Saladin is considered the great Muslim leader of the Crusades because he was successful in
uniting Muslim forces and recapturing Jerusalem after its loss to Christian forces during the First
Crusade. Despite the bitter animosity which characterized Christian/Muslim relations at the time,
Saladin tended to be merciful and chivalrous in battle and in victory; so much so that he was
admired and respected by both Christians and Muslims.

 Italy:

 Benito Mussolini:

A leader is someone who can convince the people to believe in him and in his vision. This is
exactly what he was able to do. His rise to power is unparalleled in history. He to many
historians was the Napoleon of his time. Although, I admire him for his ability to seize power
and lead the masses but I strongly disagree with the role he played in World War II
  England:

 Winston Churchill:

He was the lion who roared when the British Empire needed him most. He held many positions
during his long career and was an accomplished civil servant.  Winston Churchill entered the
Royal Military College of Sandhurst, and graduated with honors in December of 1894.   He later
saw action in Cuba, India, Egypt, Sudan, the front lines of World War I, and even took part in
one of the last British cavalry charges in history 2.   When he turned twenty-five, Churchill was
elected to Parliament, and began his career as a statesman in the House of Commons.  He went
on to serve as First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and Prime Minster.  In his private life, Winston Churchill was an avid reader and scholar,
painter, author, journalist, and war correspondent.  Historians widely attribute Churchill with
being “the greatest statesman of the 20th century.”  Churchill was an effective leader and
statesman because of his tremendous ability to inspire people; his unique strategic insight; his
relentless passion; and his imperturbable personality.

 India:
 Mahatma Gandhi :
Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired
movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. ... Assuming leadership of the Indian
National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for various social causes and for
achieving Swaraj or self-rule.

 Pakistan:
 Quaid E Azam:

A leader of the people is their servant (Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him). The
personally of Jinnah mirrored this Hiddah perfectly. He lived and died for his people. He served
those whom he led like their true leader - a true servant. He was a leader of a different breed. He
did not degrade his people or treat them as rabble. He respected them and in turn received all
their love and respect. It was undoubtedly the Quaid’s great leadership that made a forlorn
scattered multitude into a nation. Here are some views of some other persons about MA Jinnah
as leader.

 Bangladesh:
 Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman:

History has always been shaped by the forces of extraordinary leadership, and in this sense
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation Bangladesh, was a leader who
had made the history of our country. Leadership does not merely mean having supreme power
over a group of people who will follow their leader blindly. For Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he
started his political career in 1938, the year that a young school boy from Gopalganj first met
Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, who later became his political 'Guru' (master). Later on in 1955,
the year that Mujib took up the helm of the Awami League (AL) as its General Secretary. This
was the party that eventually led us to the independence movement in 1971 under the very
leadership of no other than Sheikh Mujib. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is someone who provided
direction, instructions and guidance to the people of our country. Sheikh Mujib displayed two
main qualities which would one day make him the central figure in politics. In the
autobiography, 'Osomapto AttoJiboni'(The Unfinished Memoirs) he himself wrote: "As a man,
what concerns mankind concerns me. As a Bengalee, I am deeply involved in all that concerns
Bengalees. This abiding involvement is born of and nourished by love, enduring love, which
gives meaning to my politics and to my very being" (Rahman, 2012). Mujib had many traits of
his dynamic leadership that identified him as a leader of the common man and the downtrodden.
Mujib had a towering personality, a pleasing personality. He was taller than the average Bengali
and his voice was heavy. "He will not whisper softly: but talk in a commanding voice"
(Bhatnagar, 1971:141). He was a typical middle class Bengali both in food habit (Fazal, 1978:
58) and dress. It should be pointed out that only thing foreign in Mujib's possession was the pipe
he smoked. Even when Sheikh Mujib died in a pool of blood, his pipe was clutched in his hand.
He was a dedicated leader, "a loving father" (Kamal, 1973) and an understanding comrade.
Mujib provided a rabble rousing charismatic leadership (Ali, 1973:45). He excelled as a public
speaker and a good orator. He was called a 'poet of politics'. He was fluent, captivating and
impressive in his speeches. He would carefully choose phrases and symbols likely to create
lasting impression in their minds. His ability to charm audiences while fracturing both the
Bengali and English languages is often recalled with amusement and nostalgia. His great strength
and success lay in an elemental ability to fathom the full measure of his people's emotions. He
was also a talented organizer. Mujib had an excellent memory to remember names. He boasted
that in spite of his enormous political activities he could remember the name of every party
worker or person he met (Ukil, 1986). It was the process of his contacts with the masses that
continued till his death. It suggests that he had blind love and faith upon his people and he
always enjoyed residing amidst common masses as "Mujib Bhai" (brother) or "Bangabandhu"
(friend of Bangladesh) till his death. He was stubborn and monomaniac. He was a man of
principle and courage. Sheikh Mujib's leadership traits made him fully capable of fulfilling his
essential objectives of acquiring national independence from the clutches of Pakistani "internal
colonialism", establishment of democracy and socio-economic progress of his much pronounced
"Sonar Bangla" (Golden Bengal). He had also to cultivate an effective relationship with students.
He established a viable linkage with the common man in Bangladesh through his typically
populist style and skilful political tactics. All these requirements also necessitated his taking
recourse to democratic political process through his leadership traits.

Conclusion:

Leaders are the symbol of hope and desire to every nation. People expect the expect their rulers
will lead them to a peaceful and prosperous life. That is why they believe in their leader and
follow him. By doing effective steps to the area leaders become known for that nation. There are
many leaders in a nation, but only a few can create an image among the inhabitants. And history
also cares about them for their deeds.
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