Categories: World Wide Politics

What Is Politics

Politics is a multidimensional and constant developing field which has been the center of human civilization since the rise of organized societies. At its most basic level, politics refers to the activities, functions and policies that are used to gain power in the government and maintain it or influence the government. It also includes debate and conflict between individuals or parties hoping to gain power or gain. Nevertheless, this definition is not complete, because the concept of politics is deeply associated with human rule, ideologies, institutions, power, conflict solutions, public administration and history of social structure.

Politics is both a practice and a theoretical discipline. This includes not only practical implementation of rules and policies, but also intellectual discourse related to moral, philosophical and strategic dimensions of governance. The word “politics” itself is derived from the Greek word Polytica, which means “Cases of Cities”. This shows how politics originally arose from the need for managing affairs of a collective community.

Early origin of politics – from about 3000 BC to 500 BCE

The initial indications of the political organization can be seen in the first city-states of Mesopotamia, around 3000 BC. Civilizations such as Sumer, Akkad and Babylon started building basic political institutions such as Rajva, councils and codes. Hammurabi Code, who was released by King Hammurabi of Babylon, was one of the early examples of formal legal-political systems, and a symbol of a significant development in political administration of justice and law building.

In ancient Egypt, centralized political power under Farao also represented early forms of political systems based on divine Rajva, where the rulers were seen as deities or representatives of the gods. This religious-political combination later influenced the religious political systems.

Classical Politics – Fifth century BC to fifth century AD

By the fifth century BC, the city-state of the ancient Greece developed a form of direct democracy where civilians could participate in decision making. It was an important milestone in the definition of politics, as it presented ideas like citizenship, voting, debate and civil participation. Philosophers like Socrates (470–399 BC), Plato (427–347 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC) laid the intellectual foundation of political philosophy.

Aristotle systematically tested various political systems in his work “politics” and described humans as “political creatures” which naturally form community.

Meanwhile, the Roman Republic (509 BC-27 BCE) and later the Roman Empire (27 BC-476 AD) contributed concepts such as race publisters (public matters), Senate, Counsel and a universal and rational system of law in political terms. The Roman political system also demonstrated the tension among the aristocratic and the populist political elements, which continues in modern politics.

Medieval and feudal politics – 5th century AD to 15th century AD

After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the definition of politics in Europe moved towards feudalism, where political power was decentralized and land ownership, jagirdari, and military obligations between the feudal and the lords and the Jagirdars. During this era, the church also emerged as a major political institution. Investment dispute (1075–1122), the struggle over the right to appoint bishops between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor reflects the political power struggle between religious and secular officials.

In the Islamic world, the Khalifa-such as Rashidun (632–661 AD), Umayyad (661–750 AD), and Abbasid (750–1258 AD)-developed political systems based on Islamic jurisdiction (Sharia) and religious rule. Thinkers such as Al-Farabi (872–950 AD) and Ibn Khaldun (1332–1406 AD) contributed significantly to political theory and sociology.

In India, the origin of political thinking is found in texts such as economics composed by Chanakya (about the fourth century BCE), but during the medieval period, political structures were often shaped by dynasties such as Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526 AD) and the Mughal Empire (1526-1857 AD), including both military, administrative and religious elements.

Politics of Renaissance and Gyanodaya – 15th century to 18th century

Renaissance (approximately 1300–1600) and Gyanodaya (about 1600–1800) were transformative in redefining politics. With the decline of feudalism and the rise of nation-states, politics began to be seen more from the perspective of human logic, personal rights and constitutionality.

Nicolo Mciaveli (1469–1527) analyzed the dynamics and practical politics of power in his original work The Prince (1513) and presented a practical – sometimes blasphemy – definition of political leadership, which focused on results rather than morality. His attitude towards politics remains influential in political science.

The writing of the English Civil War (1642–1651), the glorious Revolution (1688), and John Lock (1632–1704) emphasized constitutional rule, social contracts and natural rights. The principles of the lock formed the basis of liberal political thinking and inspired future democratic revolutions.

Jean-Jacks Rousseo (1712–1778) and Montskue (1689–1755) presented ideas about popular sovereignty and separation of powers respectively. These ideas had a profound impact on the American Revolution (1775–1783) and the French Revolution (1789–1799), both redefined the political landscape of their time and established the major components of modern political theory: democracy, citizenship, constitutional government and civil rights.

Modern politics – 19th century to early 20th century

In the 19th century, politics became more structured around ideologies. Liberalism, conservatism, socialism, nationalism and anarchism emerged as competitive structures to organize political systems. The Industrial Revolution (approximately 1760–1840) also had a deep political impact, resulting in agitations advocating the rights, universal franchise and political representation of the workers.

Carl Marx (1818–1883) and Frederick Engels (1820–1895) defined politics in terms of class struggle and economic destiny. His Communist Manifesto (1848) argued that political power is a reflection of economic interests and the working class should rise against bourgeois dominance. Marxist definitions of politics were focused on means of production, labor exploitation and state control, which later influenced revolutions in Russia (1917), China (1949) and other places.

Also, liberal democracy was developing through gradual reforms. The British Reforms Acts (1832, 1867, 1884) expanded the franchise, and by the early 20th century, many Western countries adopted the forms of representative democracy.

Politics in the era of world wars – 1914 to 1945

Both world wars led significant political consequences. The First World War (1914–1918) demolished the empires and redefined international politics through the Treaty of Versay (1919) and the Nations. However, during the failure of the United Nations and in Germany and Italy, especially during the reign of Adolf Hitler (1933–1945) and Benito Mussolini (1922–1945), the rise of fascist rule highlighted the dangers of powerist politics.

The Soviet Union was established in 1917 as a result of the Russian Revolution under the monotonial communist system, which presented an alternative political model as an alternative to liberal democracy and capitalism. This ideological deviation formed the basis of global political rivalry.

The United Nations (1945) was formed as a result of World War II (1939–1945), which aims to promote international cooperation and prevent conflicts. Colonialism and political liberation of many countries of Asia, Africa and Middle East were also seen in the post-war period.

Cold War politics – 1947 to 1991

Since 1947, there was a dominance of the Cold War on global politics – which was a geopolitical and ideological struggle between the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. Politics during this period was defined by pseudo wars (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan), nuclear prevention, espionage and ideological propaganda.

The concept of real politics was revived, especially through leaders such as US President Richard Nixon and Foreign Minister Henry Kisinjar, who insisted on making practical and strategic decisions. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked the end of the bipolar political system and began the era of American -led monotheism.

Contemporary Politics – from 1991 to present

In the post -Cold War world, the definition of politics has been constantly developing. Globalization, digital technology, environmental challenges, migration and identity politics added new dimensions to political activity. Supernational organizations such as the European Union, ASEAN and African Unions reflect international politics, while domestic political scenario is rapidly shaping social media, populistism and polarization.

September 11, 2001 was a significant turn that defined global politics around terrorism, security and monitoring. The US -led invasion of Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003) redefined the international norms involved in intervention, sovereignty and human rights.

In recent years, with increasing stress between totalitarianism and democracy, politics has become more unstable and complex. Leaders like Donald Trump (America), Jair Bolsonaro (Brazil), Narendra Modi (India) and Vladimir Putin (Russia) have been at the center of nationalism, democratic collapse and discussion on domineering politics.

Movements such as Black Lives Matter (2020), Arab Spring (2010-2012), Eccess Ribelian and Meetu have shown how politics is now happening outside formal institutions, in which ground-level activism and digital platforms are playing an important role.

Conclusion

Thus, politics can be best defined as a group of processes, practices, principles, institutions, ideologies and behaviors involved in the distribution of organization, governance and power within society. This includes the construction and implementation of policies, solutions to struggles, expression of collective values and struggle for rights and impact on various levels – local, national and global -.

It is a naturally dynamic, controversial and reference-specific region that reflects the constant changing aspirations, conflicts and structures of human society. Politics is not only about the government and elections, but it is also about what, what, when, when and why, as political scientist Herold Laswell defined in 1936.

The history of politics itself is the history of humanity from ancient city-state to modern global institutions, from monarchies, from revolutions to reforms, from revolutions to reforms.

Read Also: