Frankly … King John (1166 – 1216) was mostly bad … I'm not sure I can find much good to say about him after his early years, when he was doted on by his father, King Henry II and Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine.
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| King John his tomb effigy |
He was awful … other kings were as incompetent (Edward II (1307 - 1327)), or perhaps as cruel (Richard III (1483 - 1485)), but in the eyes of his contemporaries John appears to have been uniquely both.
Yet his disastrous and bloody reign led to one of the most famous documents in history: Magna Carta.
Magna Carta - perhaps you can read it?!
... part of it ...
To save you the history lesson … and me to make it short enough to be entertaining … perhaps this all you need to know …
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| Rous Roll depicting Richard III (c/o John Rous) |
John was not in any way diplomatic … alienating many, cruelly leaving others to die, sometimes killing many others …
… his reign as King of England was a failure … although some historians have tried to paint a more positive picture of John, but this is hard to do when one recalls his deeds as monarch:
the murder in France of his young nephew, Arthur;
the English lands lost to the French;
the starvation of a mother and her young son;
the submission of his kingdom as a fief to the papacy;
his blatant adultery;
his cowardly retreat from combat;
the taxation that finally pushed the country into open rebellion; and after his death ...
leaving London and one-third of the country under French rule.
To somewhat confirm the above - here are a couple of quotes recorded in history …
Gerald of Wales:
'He Feared Not God, Nor Respected Men'.
The Barnwell annalist:
'A Pillager of his own People'
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| King John ratifying Magna Carta in 1215 |
Yet from his reign came one of the greatest legacies – Magna Carta … it might have been forced upon him as a damning verdict of his rule, but it has endured as a global symbol of political rights and freedom …
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters International Stories
7 comments:
Some good from an awful lot of bad.
Hari OM
Yes, the MC arose because of John's evil, and to enhance the 'rule of law'... something a few in power now could well be reminded of! YAM xx
@ Janice - yes a lot of good from a really poor, cruel monarch ... poor people ...
@ Yam - I know ... the rule of law - my talk is going to be a challenge - I think I'll leave it in the 1200s ... and let the next 700 years take their own course ... it's going to be a challenge to my brain - still no doubt will do me good ... and yes remind a few people of its inheritance ...
Cheers to you both - Hilary
No-one is above the law, something more recent rulers should remember.
To add to your list, he also lost the crown jewels trying to cross The Wash!
He was indeed a bit of a shocker wasn't he? Though goodness many of the earlier Kings were cruel.
It is amazing that out of his cruelty and self interest something good and lasting emerged... Not the legacy he wanted to leave but a more positive one than his actions warranted.
@ Ian - yes thanks re losing the Crown Jewels in The Wash - I think that's stupidity and selfishness ... I mentioned it in my history talk - these things were all grievances of the people ... but no-one is above the law as you say ... I just wish the law would be quicker ...
@ EC - King John was a shocker ... still his name will for ever be remembered because of Magna Carta. Your comment is spot on ...
Cheers to you both - thanks for reading ... Hilary
I am not familiar with King John to any great extent, but the Magna Carta is known the world over as a foundational document in the evolution of democracy. Permit me an anecdote if you will. Last time I visited the UK we were in a restaurant having lunch and a couple at the adjacent table were having a quite animated conversation, and suddenly inquired of me, “Where was Magna Carta signed” and I was able to say with confidence, “Runnymede.” Think of that, a mere colonial giving the answer! Not bad, if you ask me!
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