How Does a Country Produce Leaders of Caliber?

Is there a way in which a country can produce leaders of caliber, who act with sincerity, honesty and patriotism, consistently over a long period? Leaders who would give their lives to shape their country, to set up viable and strong institutions that will guarantee the survival and supremacy of their country, be examples of grit and honesty to their fellow-human beings and an inspiration to the younger generation, inspiring them to greater heights after they are gone?

When countries are mired in corruption and moral abasement, like most of the developing countries today, especially that of India, one wonders why capable leaders, who are not motivated by self-interest, but by the larger interests of their country and society, are so few and far between in India today. Or were they there at any time at all? One ponders.

This becomes a deepening quest, as one goes through the history of the Civil Service under the East India Company, where leaders of the Company fought corruption tooth and nail and restored dignity to the Service within 30-40 short years (as pointed in my previous 2 or 3 blogs). What motivated them in such a difficult task and what was in their world-view that gave them the strength and courage to engage in it and come out victorious?

In India, we have every Act and Rule enacted by the Parliament by our democratic government, but in implementation not much is seen on the field. Corrupt politicians and bureaucrats are still flourishing despite deadly Anti-corruption laws; despite the noise made over gang rape of a young paramedical girl in a moving bus in the capitol of the country in 2012 and stringent rules enacted in its aftermath, still we witness rape reported almost every day in many cities of India.

Why are we not able to curb these evils? What is the point of enacting rules and regulations, if we are not able to implement them? Or is it the question of half-hearted attempts to curb evil? Is it that the hearts and souls of the leaders, elected or otherwise, are not in the successful implementation of these regulations? Is it a case of absence of political will? Perhaps just an eyewash to say to the world that we have all our rules in place and we are a great country?

We need to probe into the socio-religious and philosophical groundings of a country, known as the ‘worldview,’ to find answers to some of these questions. What was the world view of the English when they ruled over India, when they successfully brought about the transformation of a corrupt Civil Service into an incorruptible Service? That might throw some light on how they succeeded in that formidable task and why we are still struggling with it. To this we will turn now.

Society in England by the 18^th century had undergone various socio-religious influences, which not only energized her to carry her flag in countries previously unknown, but also brought in a moral transformation of their own society. 

A democratized monarchy, with the powers of the king moderated by Parliament, was achieved in England by the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215; feudalism was broken down by the 15^th century War of Roses.

Reformation started by Martin Luther in 1517, had already prepared an opening of mind and a scientific enquiry among the people, for he questioned the very Pope and the traditions of the Catholic church.

King James version of the Bible translation was brought out in 1611 and deeply influenced the lives of the people and literacy. Puritanism arose, wherein these Christians, sought to purify the church and society of the corrupt practices.[1]

A bloodless coup, Glorious Revolution in 1689 brought in a Protestant Monarch, while the Parliament itself was fully empowered to make laws. The epic poem Paradise Lost by John Milton, a Puritan was written by 1667; Another epic The Pilgrim’s Progress was written by John Bunyan in 1678. “Religion was in the air!’[2]

Under these influences family prayers, Bible reading, and personal piety became house-hold practices in England in the 17^th century. Even cock-fighting and other merriment were prohibited on Sundays. Severe morality was enforced by Cromwell’s government to reform national morals and manners. Puritans left their legacy of discipline, individual responsibility, hard work, and asceticism on the population. Their worldview taught people to be honest in business.

Newton discovered the Laws of Motion by 1687. Side by side rational philosophy of Hobbes, Spinoza arose, emphasizing the power of reason to discover the laws of nature.

The teachings of the Bible that all men and women were created equal developed into its secular form demanding equal rights and freedom for all, breaking the traditional English social hierarchy. Locke, the father of liberal democracy brought in the principle of majority vote for validation of laws by 1679.

By the next century the influence of religion was on the decline but not altogether gone. England’s political institutions, distribution of wealth and power were all still in-egalitarian, hierarchical and privileged. Patronage system kept the power within the privileged aristocratic class. The state of “Old Corruption’ was fully on display.[3] But England was on the throes of change.

French Enlightenment of 1789 rocked Europe and brought in a century of Rationalism. It overthrew feudalism in France by force. Human reason was elevated to god-hood and received all importance. Christianity with its miracles came under scrutiny.

England was saved from this anarchy by John Wesley’s religious revival, especially among the lower classes and it transformed the life of the nation. It led to establishment of Methodist church by 1784 and Evangelical revival. Wesley concentrated his efforts, in addition to religious teaching and salvation of people through faith in Christ, to uplift the poor, educate the children of the poor through Sunday Schools, prison reforms, and abolition of slavery.

Wesley’s work coincided with Industrial Revolution and awoke the consciousness of the rich regarding their obligation to the less fortunate poor of their country. Poverty was a problem and the Church cared for the poor, the sick and the suffering. Church established schools, hospitals and poor houses though subscriptions and voluntary efforts. Protestantism, Puritanism and Evangelicalism provided the bulwark for many reforms in society. 

By the 19^th century, “Age of Reform’ started in England. The Reform Act of 1832 helped eradication of political bribery. Factory Act of 1833 regulated hours of work and prohibited employment of children in factories. Public Health Act, 1848 introduced health reforms and sanitation. Slave trade was abolished in 1807.

The ruling leaders of England realized that the time had come to educate their new masters, the voters! Gladstone, the Prime Minister, brought in Education Act of 1870 bringing school education to every English child. Civil service was thrown open to competitive examination in 1870, thus abolition of patronage.

Next Prime Minister Disraeli passed the Public Health Act, 1875, laying rules for sanitation, sewage disposal, water supply and scavenging. Technological innovations galore.

Society itself was under Enlightenment, but Evangelicals emerged as a continuation of the Wesleyan Methodism and influenced the leaders. They worked tirelessly for the betterment of society. 19^th century was called the Evangelical century. This revival created a moral sentiment in England and changed her attitude to her own degraded masses at home and elsewhere.[4]  Many of its leaders arose from the Clapham sect, a strong Evangelical forum, called as the ‘Saints in Parliament.’

These reforms and social service were extended to the colonies of the British, especially India. Cornwallis accepted his Governorship in India so that he can be of some service to his country. He was of ‘sterling integrity and a more abiding sense of Public Duty,’ it is said.[5] Charles Grant who became the Chairman of Court of Directors of East India Company and an MP belonged to Clapham sect. Many of the ICS officers like Metcalfe, Henry Lawrence, Henry Ramsey, Shore were devoted Christians.

Time and space are both running out.

We will have to postpone analyzing how Christ and His teachings influenced these great leaders to the next blog.

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[1] Hall,et al, “A History of England and the British Empire,” Boston: USA, 1937

[2] G.M.Trevelyan, “Illustrated English Society, Vol. 2, London: Pelican Books, 1964, p. 181

[3] Philip Harling, “The waning of Old Corruption: The politics of economic reform in Britain, 1779-1846,” Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1996, p. 1

[4] Howse, “Saints in Politics: The Clapham Sect and the growth of freedom,” London: George Allen and Unwin, 1953, p. 7

[5] Kaye, “Lives of Indian Officers,” London: J.J,Kelihar n co, 1904, p.42