Evolution of Human Rights
Evolution of Human Rights
Evolution of Human Rights
Shachita Kuikel
[email protected]
Evolution of Human Rights
• The evolution of human right is as eternal as human
civilization.
• In the Greek civilization it was regarded as a natural
rights “Jus Naturals” inherent by man kind.
• In Eastern philosophy it was considered as “ADHIKARA”
of human being who belongs to the society.
• The concept of human rights roots, however, lie in
earlier tradition and documents of many cultures, it
tool catalyst of World War II to propel human rights on
to the global stage and into the global conscience.
• So the history of Human rights dates back to
millennia and draws upon :
i. Religious
ii. Cultural
iii. Philosophical and
iv. legal development
Before Christ
• Ancient Egypt
Egyptian law was based on a common sense view of
right and wrong following the codes based on the
concept of Ma ‘at.
Ma ‘ at represented truth, order, balance and justice
in the universe.
so, it allowed that everyone exception of slaves,
should be viewed as equals under the law,
regardless of wealth or social position.
Ancient Mesopotamia
• Hammurabi was an ancient king who created the
first written laws dating to 1780 BC.
• It has developed equal punishment to all the
individuals who broke the law according to
Hammurabi Court.
• 282 laws were developed according to that
Hammurabi Court.
539 B.C. Cyrus Cylinder
• An armies of Persian king Cyrus the Great
conquered the Babylon and he had freed all the
slaves.
• There was the declaration that all the people have
right to choose their own religion.
• He had established racial equality.
• The above mentioned and other rights were
recorded on a baked clay cylinder in the Akkodian
language with cuneiform script.
• The Cyrus Cylinder has been recognized as the
world’s first human rights charter.’
• it had been translated in six official language of
United Nations and its provisions are parallel to the
first four articles of the Universal Declaration of the
Human Rights, 1948:
• Free and Equal
• No discrimination
• The right to life
• No slavery
Edict of Ashoka
• The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of 33
inscriptions on the pillars of Ashoka as well as
boulders and cave walls, made by the king Ashoka
of the Mauryan dynasty during his regime.
• These inscriptions were dispersed throughout the
areas of modern day Pakistan and India and
reflected as a tangible element of Buddhism.
• That was based on social welfare.
Justinian Code
• JUS NATURALS and JUS JENTIUM
• Slavery and lack of individual freedom.
• it is regarded as a major development of codified
law. It did not facilitate much the human rights on
issues such as ceasing slavery and freedom of
religion as they were practically for the centuries
before the Persian Empire.
• some amendment had been done such as allowing
slaves to make petition against cruelty of their
masters.
Individual Rights in Europe and America