History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s7.23

v3.c33.s7.23

The history of the Ghaznavide kings forcibly exhibits the great evils to which despotic systems of government are exposed where there is no national sentiment to check them. There is always a rule of succession recognised in every country and in the west there are formal acts of succession. But when ambitious and unscrupulous persons are not prevented by the strong national sentiment of the people from doing mischief, murders of kings and sometimes of possible claimants to the throne are often committed in such frightful manner and number that birth in a royal family becomes indeed a calamity. In the history of Hindu kingdoms such scenes are rarely met with though national sentiment was absent in them also because probably the Hindu nature is, for well known reasons, less evil and more law-observing.