Importance of War of Succession

 

Introduction:

In the past when there were monarchies there have been many wars for power and control. Some wars were fought outside the kingdom for expansion, but some were within the kingdom. War for succession takes place when there are many claims to the throne.

War for succession happens when the head of the monarchy dies. There can be many scenarios in which a war for succession may happen. To name a few, when a monarch dies and does not leave an heir to the throne or if the monarch is assassinated leaving the country in turmoil.

The succession wars were usually fought between the members of the royal family. The members of the royal family were supported by different factions in the court. 

This race of trying to claim the throne usually leads to battles between the different sides. As a consequence of these battles, the civilians also had to suffer.

The succession wars were sometimes not even fought between the members of the family but also between the nobles in the court. Sometimes the nobles would not want the selected heir to sit on the throne, it may be because the heir might pose a threat to them or because of their gender.

In the past, there have been many instances when the heir to the throne was deposed or killed by the nobles just because it was a woman. This can be seen during the Ilbari Dynasty (AD 1206-1290) of the Delhi Sultanate. When Iltutmish died he appointed Razia, his daughter to accede to the throne.

But the nobles could not reconcile themselves to the idea of a woman ruling over them and so they placed one of Iltutmish's sons on the throne. But he was an incompetent ruler and left the throne in the hand of his mother.

Finally, the throne was taken over by Razia. She became the ruler for a very short period, as she reformed the society for the betterment of women. The nobles did not like the reforms by her so when she was on an expedition she became a victim of a conspiracy and was assassinated.

Impact on the Society:

Conflicting claims for power can easily deteriorate into violent conflict in the kingdom since violence is the ultimate arbiter of political conflicts in an autocracy. A monarchy is seldom as fragile when there is uncertainty as to who will claim the throne.

The succession wars usually lead to great unrest in society. Society is thrown into turmoil as there is instability as to who will succeed the throne. This sometimes opens a kingdom for outside incursions, which sometimes even leads to the decline of the kingdom itself.

This can be seen when Ibrahim Lodhi(of the Lodhi Dynasty) was overthrown by the nobles of his court. It happened because Ibrahim took absolute control in his hands, which the nobles did not like. 

The nobles invited Babur to overthrow him. Ibrahim was defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat (AD 1526). This was a mistake by the nobles as inviting Babur marked the end of the Delhi Sultanate. 

Babur did not stop just by killing Ibrahim Lodhi but he also defeated all the nobles that had invited him to overthrow Ibrahim. This was the beginning of the Mughal Empire in India. The hunger for power cost the nobles not only their lives but also the end of the entire sultanate.

Conclusion:

“The most plausible plea which hath ever been offered in favor of hereditary succession is, that it preserves a nation from civil wars; and were this true, it would be weighty; whereas it is the most bare-faced falsity ever imposed on mankind.” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense (1776).

It is rightfully quoted by Thomas Paine that no matter what excuse may be given for a war for succession; it is not and can never be the right path for society. Wars are always very expensive for the nation even if they are fought within the walls. Wars not only lead to political but also economical instability.

Now there is a decline in monarchies these wars have become even more infrequent. However, there are still some monarchies in the present world. The famously known ones are the royal family of The United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland, Japan, Bhutan, and many more.

However, these are constitutional monarchies, and there are no wars for succession. Each of these monarchs has its way of selecting the next heir to the throne. Like in the UK the heir to the throne is the eldest child of the monarch.

Written by: Priyanshu Bhardwaj

Edited by: Gourav Chowdhury