that arose was composed of different tribes. A consequence of this
change was that the hold of tribal customs on man was considerably
weakened, People saw their fellow citizen observing different
customs, and hence any particular custom could no longer be
regarded as sacred and inviolable. The social order had now to be
maintained by physical force. If the king was powerful he usually
succeeded in this task and held the straggling group together. He
usually relied on officials whom he had personally appointed. The
new social order, however, could not be as stable as the tribal order
which was based on blood-ties and time-honoured customs. Men
could not be held in check for long by mere brute force. Risings and
rebellions often shook the king's authority. In this predicament he
sought for an ally and such an ally was close at hand. The priest also
had vested interests which he was not willing to relinquish. Any
social or political upheaval would endanger the vested interests of
both the king and the priest. The result was that the king and the
priest made common cause, and each gave the other mutual
support. The king bolstered the power of the priests in the religious
domain and took steps to protect the interests of the sacerdotal
order. The grateful priest cloaked the king with sanctity and awe.
The obedience of the people was now enforced both by force and
superstition.
II. Struggles Between the Rulers and the SubjectsThere is something in man which chafes at external compulsion.
In the heart of man the flame of freedom may sometimes flicker,
but is never, extinguished. The patience of man is not inexhaustible,
and subjected to the double tyranny of priest and king, he became
more and more discontented. He longed for intellectual as well as
political freedom. It was not long before he rose against the hold of
the priest and the authority of the king. History has recorded the
long drawn-out and sanguinary struggle of the masses to regain
their freedom and overthrow both spiritual and political yokes. The
participants in this struggle could be identified as:
- The rulers, temporal and spiritual, who strove hard for the
status quo. - Ambitious elements who tried to carve a slice of their own.
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 211