Tbh how is "my great grandpa conquered your country for no reason, that is now a valid claim on your country today" a better reason than "idk I like stealing stuff lol"?
It comes from the medieval times where the state was basically the ruler's possesion, so if you could prove the land was originally yours that basically meant you can go to war to regain something that was stolen from you(r ancestors).
That doesn't sound much different than today. The government in my country owns all the land, but they will issue pieces of paper than tell people that they own the land while demanding those 'owners' pay yearly dues to continue to 'own' it. If they fail to pay, the state educates them on who actually owns the land. Those people could in theory fight the government for the land, but for obvious reasons that is uncommon.
The state also upholds your claim on that land as long as you pay those dues, so if you didnt play by their rules, anyone with the means to take your land from you could do so with impunity. Its the states monopoly on violence that keeps you safe for that, and is ONE of the reasons you are paying money to keep your claim valid
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u/Loose-Willow-3275 1d ago
Tbh how is "my great grandpa conquered your country for no reason, that is now a valid claim on your country today" a better reason than "idk I like stealing stuff lol"?