There is something in human history like retribution; and it is a rule of historical retribution that its instrument be forged not by the offended, but by the offender himself. The first blow dealt to the French monarchy proceeded from the nobility, not from the peasants. The Indian revolt does not commence with the ryots, tortured, dishonoured and stripped naked by the British, but with the sepoys, clad, fed and petted, fatted and pampered by them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Historical retribution is carried out by the offenders themselves, not the victims; examples include the French nobility and Indian sepoys acting against their oppressors.
- In plain terms
- Revenge is often executed by those who caused the harm.
- What can you take from it?
- Power structures can turn oppressors into agents of change.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do oppressors sometimes become rebels?
- How can this insight inform modern activism?
Another view
Historical examples may not predict future behavior.
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