MSc in Development Studies student Thomas Judd explores the historical roots of advocacy. Looking at how ancient Egypt’s Eloquent Peasant exemplified the ‘power within’, to Greece’s democratic debates and Rome’s innovative tools like graffiti and strikes. In China and India, moral reasoning and principles like nonviolence shaped advocacy for justice and societal harmony. These historical foundations for modern movements reveal how advocacy has always been a tool for challenging injustice and inspiring change.
The tale of advocacy goes as far back as we can look. In ancient Egypt, around 1850 BC, a story known as the Eloquent Peasant emerged. It tells the story of a peasant who is cheated out of his land and has to use his eloquence to win justice. As ‘only’ a peasant, he faces an immeasurable power imbalance against a wealthy and corrupt lord, Nemtynakt. Through self-advocacy and eloquence, the peasant gains the Pharaoh’s help. This is a story of using the self-awareness, self-knowledge and individual capacity to effect change, known as ‘power within’. It is also a story told to bring hope to other peasants of the time, that the power of advocacy can achieve justice. How fitting that one of the earliest stories ever written in human history was a story about building people power.
We can follow this tale to ancient Greece, a time when the principles of eloquence and civic duty helped not just the individual but were seen to advance the very democratic process they operated on. Marketplaces such as the Agora acted as a hub for public debate and campaigning. Citizens had the opportunity to address and persuade large crowds to their cause. In this setting advocacy wasn’t just about being a skilled spokesman to persuade but a duty itself to be an active citizen.
Innovation and expression – Roman Advocacy:
The Romans adopted, inherited and adapted many of the ancient Greeks’ approaches to advocacy and campaigning. This included tactics such as graffiti which, while present in Egypt and Greece, saw innovation in diversity and volume. Graffiti was used for personal expression on the writers’ thoughts, feelings or experiences but also political commentary to share and advocate. This was best seen in the trusted source of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, where a Roman Soldier mocks a rebellious graffiti writer in Jerusalem for incorrectly writing ‘Romanes eunt domus?’ (People called Romans, they go the house?’). Beyond graffiti, pamphlets and open letters were used by politicians and advocates to spread their messages or decisions.
More broadly, the Romans utilised a complex overlapping web of tools to share ideas and opinions and demand change. Campaigning and advocacy were central to Roman life. Although they operated somewhat differently to modern society due to distinct social and political structures, the forms they took such as collective action, or public and political pressure, are still used today.
For example, the Plebeian Secession saw a mass withdrawal from the city, essentially a strike, to demand better rights and resulted in significant societal changes. Even to a smaller degree, the philosopher Seneca advocated for the humane treatment of slaves, which resonated with certain elite circles and was an early form of moral advocacy for an oppressed group. Although ancient societies operated in significantly distinct systems, the foundations of modern advocacy can still be seen there. re.
Morality and Justice – Advocacy in China and India:
Ancient China also offered a unique approach to advocacy, emphasizing morality and harmony over confrontation. Confucian scholars often advised rulers, using their writings to highlight societal injustices or advocate for fair governance. Ordinary people, too, could file petitions to bring grievances to officials or even the emperor, a process grounded in the Confucian ideal of serving the common good. Occasionally, protests took the form of symbolic actions, such as officials resigning to demonstrate their opposition to corruption. The Tang dynasty poet and scholar Bai Juyi criticised social injustices, particularly the exploitation of peasants. Larger-scale movements, like the Yellow Turban Rebellion (184 CE), saw peasants rise against exploitation, inspired by Taoist ideas of equality and justice. Advocacy in China was as much about influencing rulers through moral reasoning as it was about collective action.
Similarly, in ancient India, the idea of advocacy was deeply tied to dharma, the principle of righteousness and justice. Religious reform movements like Buddhism and Jainism challenged societal hierarchies and introduced values of nonviolence and equality. The concept of ahimsa (nonviolence) became a powerful tool for peaceful resistance. Public debates (shastrartha) were held to advocate for reform and challenge injustices, while leaders like Emperor Ashoka used inscriptions on pillars to spread messages of compassion and justice. These movements and ideas laid the groundwork for advocacy centred on ethical living and societal harmony.
The Enduring Legacy of Advocacy:
When you think of advocacy today, what do you think of? Change, of course, and the NGOs, social movements, large protests and marches, legislative change and speaking up for others. But these all stem from something deeper – from that very first idea of advocacy as building the power within. A power able to create change and mobilise movements. A story told and repeated since the dawn of time of how individuals and their movements can bring about change. For without such stories, told since the dawn of civilisation, who knows where advocacy would stand today?
Understanding the historical roots of advocacy provides a vital lens through which we can appreciate the contextual and cultural nuances that shape how change occurs in different parts of the world. Ancient practices, whether the eloquence of the Eloquent Peasant, the democratic debates of ancient Greece, the innovative tactics of the Romans, or the moral appeals of Confucian scholars, remind us that advocacy has always been deeply intertwined with the values and systems of its time. By learning from these early forms of advocacy, we gain insights into how localised, contextual approaches can inspire meaningful change today. Recognising these foundations not only enriches our understanding of advocacy but also challenges us to adapt and evolve our methods for fostering justice and equity in a complex and increasingly interconnected world.
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and in no way reflect those of the International Development LSE blog or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Featured image credit: Screenshotof the “Romans Go Home” graffiti scene at Pontius Pilate‘s palace in Jerusalem, in Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
This piece was originally published on From Poverty to Power.
