It’s said history is a good place to visit but a poor place to stay. Some events people familiarise us with the traditional lives of the former era while there are some gruesome ones which bring out the darkest phases of history no one wants to relive or experience! If we look at the best example of this then Mahabharta would be at the top. But Mahabharta was not only about revenge, it was about establishing dharma (righteousness). Revenge can also be seen as the driving force of events and the results of them! It’s basically both a cause and an effect.
Here are 10 of the most brutal acts of revenge that leave you spellbound.
1. Princess of Olga
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The better half of the princess Olga of Kiev was murdered by Drevlians as they wanted her to be the wife of their prince. The fate of 20 men who came to convince her ended by buried alive in the ground.
Then extending her plan she sent a fake response accepting the marriage proposal asking the best of the enemy side men to escort her in her journey. Upon their arrival, they were offered a bath where the princess closed the doors and burned them down. With the wise men not an obstacle, she invited the people for funeral of all those and the mob as usual showed up then deleteriously suffering as they were killed by her men.
2. Jeanne de Clisson
She was a French women who turned to piracy after the execution of her husband by the French. She had married thrice and her then present husband Oliver was captured by the English but soon released in exchange of someone.
But tables turned and he was arrested by the French in 1343. The execution had shocked Jeanne to the core as he wasn’t proved guilty. She made her way to be a pirate and began by attacking French forces, attacked warships. No sooner she was given the title of “Lioness of Brittany”
3. Shaistekhan and Shivaji
Which Indian doesn’t know Shivaji for it’s valour? Shaistekhan was Aurangzeb’s uncle who went out with massive army to descend on Shivaji’s kingdom. The Mughals succeeded in entering into the region but Shivaji was determined to stop them from entering into Pune even with less troop members.
He tactically disguised his men in to burkhas and made his way to Shaistekhan’s residence. He killed his son and when Shaistekhan was running to save his life, Shivaji cut his three fingers off. He didn’t kill him but gave a lesson to remember all his life. That’s an ideal revenge technically where people are made to feel apologetic till death.
4. Counter-strike went wrong
Counter-strike is a video game gaining clout in recent years. In its peak of popularity with hundreds and thousands of youth playing the game. This case gained prominence!
In 2010, French 20-year-old, Julian Barreaux lost a game to another player; his name Mikhael from Cambrai. Enlighten himself on his whereabouts, he went to his home and stabbed the guy near his chest. Although after this he soon was arrested and took to anger management therapy.
5. King Afonso IV and Peter
Afonso had his son married to Constanza. But Peter too fell in love with Ines. Constanza soon died due to childbirth in 1345. Peter wanted to marry Ines that was strongly opposed by all means by his father.
They began secretly meeting to avoid any drama and got married too. Soon Afonso found the hidden and ordered assassins to murder Ines. Infuriated by this Peter raged a war against his father which the father won but soon died. Now succeeding the throne, his search for the assassins began and after getting hold of them, he held a public trial of him ripping their hearts out with his own hands.
6. Udham Singh’s Revenge
The famous Jallianwala Bagh incident took place in 1919, April 13 where General O’Dyer open fired on a crowd at the location. No-one was spared. Everyone was either injured or killed while less than a handful were untouched. Udham Singh was one of them.
He witnessed the death of his community, death of their freedom, death of his country by Englishmen and he was all set to revenge. In 1940, Dyer was to speak at a conference meeting where Udham with his hidden gun was waiting for the right moment to make a shot. When he did, he shot right at his heart and felt finally content after all these years of waiting. He became a freedom fighter and a role model for many during the independence.
7. Akku Yadav’s Nightmare
He was a serial rapist who had a victim in literally every house in the slums of Kasturba nagar of New Delhi. His targeted the untouchable casts who were low represented in every sphere and used to get away free every single time. His ego had gone to heights and used to threaten the women who filed an FIR against him.
The women power didn’t delay much to stand up for themselves started by Usha Narayane. He was taken to the court where the women came with their vegetable knives, stones other utensils and blades. There was an outburst when he verbally shamed another woman. The whole mob went berserk over him as the police left the court room frightened. Within 10 minutes, Akku Yadav was murdered by his own karma.
8. The infamous Julius Caesar
One of the most appreciated Shakespeare plays with the most popular revenge masala. Caesar was a Roman emperor who was betrayed by his close associates who planned and successfully executed his assassination. What surprised Julius was the betrayal of Brutus who he considered to be one of the closest. The last stab by Brutus hurt him the most.
Mark Antony witnessed the same and was devastated for his friend plus the way he died. He promised to him to get back who hurt him the most. The speech made by Mark Antony before the mob ignited sparks of revenge among the natives as they set out to fire Brutus’s house. He was a good orator and he took the advantage of his skill with adequate wit.
9. Queen Boudicca
A story of 60 century still told; of the revenge of Queen of Iceni tribe – Boudicca. She with the roman emperor Nero made an agreement but Nero broke the promise. Even her daughters were tortured and abducted. With utmost hatred in heart, she was not going to let the Romans off the hook so easily. She built an army and attacked three major office holders and killed a plethora of Roman army. In the end she poisoned herself in order for her not to be caught by the Romans.
10. St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572
Religion played a great role in politics and public spheres of France of that time. King Charles IX instructed the assassination of Huguenots who were not following the Roman Catholic Church. They were protestants in belief and that was their fault! After talking to his mother, he was convinced that they didn’t mean to breathe.
The violence spread too quickly and reportedly 1,00,000 Protestants had lost their lives. The trigger of the violence being religious beliefs.
Revenge is the masala mirch of history. It’s been there all along and has been brutal almost every other instance. All the history lovers will have infinite cases like these. Revenge is never left to God or Karma but people like to be the ones inflicting and triggering this gruesome act of emotion.
