According to the encyclopedia Encarta, a civilization is an advanced state of a society possessing historical and cultural unity. There are four early river valley societies that had successfully met the requirements to be called civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and India. These four civilizations encompass several similarities as to how they developed, including location, spirituality, governmental structure and forms of written communication.
Location played a fundamental role in the development of these four civilizations. They grew next to rivers, which was source of food and water. Thanks to the river, civilizations were able to develop agriculture. Agriculture is the first step towards cultural development since it allows people to go from a nomadic to a sedentary life. When people do not have to worry about finding food, it allows time to develop other areas of human life. These agricultural societies had to adjust constantly to floods by building canals and dikes. Methods of drainage and irrigation were used to take advantage of the fertile soil next to the river. Mesopotamia, which means “between the rivers,” developed amid the Tigris and Euphrates River. Egypt, or “the gift of the river,” grew next to the Nile River. China was located on the Huang Ho River and Indian on the Indus River. Location was also strategic in many circumstances and allowed the river valley civilizations to develop differently. Mesopotamia was open to invasions by peoples such as the Hittites. Egypt had natural protection from all sides: the Nile River to the east and south, the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the desert to the west; invasions were less frequent. “Egyptians felt a sense of security that was rare in Mesopotamia” (civilization, 29). China, like Mesopotamia, was open to invasions, for instance barbarian tribes. India’s location facilitated trade between West Asia, Africa and Europe. It was also protected by the Himalayan Mountains to the north. Nevertheless, it was also invaded on several occasions by people such as Alexander the Great and the Greeks.
Spirituality develops differently in each civilization The river valley civilizations seemed to seek for refuge and answers in the spiritual realm. Many times spirituality is manifested in the organized entity of religion which later restrains instincts and human behavior. Mesopotamia was a polytheis...
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...key. Egypt developed better engineering than the Mesopotamians, and thanks to it they became great builders. The Egyptians built vast temples. Egypt would later fall under the Persians. China developed the first world’s dictionary and three important philosophies: legalism, Taoism and Confucianism. After the Han dynasty fell, China lived in chaos and confusion for half a century until the Sui dynasty. India created one of the world’s main religions, Buddhism, that spread outside of India. They would also fall under the Greek invasion.
Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and India are the earliest recorded societies possessing historical and cultural unity, also called civilization. They all developed close to a river which would later allow them to develop agriculture and blossom economically, politically and culturally. All four of them share similarities in their development but also differences that set them apart. This individual processes and changes produce a particular combination of factors that made them the first river valley civilizations in history.
Works Cited
Brummett, Lewis, et al. Civilization: Past and Present. Addison- Wesley, 2000.
Encarta Encyclopedia 99. Microsoft.
There are many similarities between the four civilizations Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, and Ancient China. One of the similarities is that all of these civilizations were located near rivers. These rivers were essential for surviving. The rivers would provide not only fresh water, but the rivers would flood and bring fresh soil for crops. Egypt used the Nile River. Mesopotamia used the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Indus Valley used the Indus River. Ancient China used the Yellow and the Yangzi Rivers. Another similarity is that all the civilizations believed in multiple gods. Religion played a big role in developing these civilizations. In these civilizations there was a hierarchy in which religious people were in charge. In Egypt, there
During the years of 3500 BC to 2500 BC, the geography of a land often impacted a civilizations development in great measures. Depending on the resources available or the detriments present due to certain topographical characteristics like rivers or deserts, a civilization could flourish or collapse. By studying the geographic features of growing societies like the Nile, Euphrates, and Tigris Rivers as well as the Mediterranean Sea of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the link between developing cultures and geography will be examined through sources, including Egypt: Ancient Culture, Modern Land edited by Jaromir Malek and Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek. To determine the extent of its influence, this investigation will attempt to compare and contrast the role of geography in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, focusing on the civilizations’ various periods of development and settlement.
Early civilization remains permits us to observe how life was lived in earlier times. Until the Neolithic Era humans were fairly nomadic. When they became knowledgeable of farming they began to realize that they would not have to be nomadic anymore thus forming civilizations. These early civilizations were typically polytheistic, which means that they believed in many gods. During these civilizations they also learned to tame animals and their technologies grew more and more advanced. Almost all early civilizations have failed but they all left a lasting mark that will continue forever. The Nile River Valley Civilization and the Mesopotamia Civilization are both amazing but they both have their differences in their political and social aspects.
The ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt began to develop circa 3,000 B.C. Located near rivers, the lands offered fertile soil and an excess of crops that drew in many people. As more people arrived, the small settlements flourished into large, thriving civilizations. Many aspects of Mesopotamia and Egypt, such as their cities, their strongly organized government, and their religion, greatly contributed to the success of these two civilizations.
Around 3500 B.C.E to 3000 B.C.E., civilizations emerged in many places. Egypt and Mesoamerica are distinctive two of them. Considering the different aspects of civilization, historians can find some same characteristics and differences which are valuable for historians to understand civilization in-depth.
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The ancient cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt developed into successful civilizations. One civilization the Egyptians developed was in the Nile River valley. Based off the "Mesopotamia and Egypt DBQ" packet, "Ancient Egypt was an advanced civilization in many areas including religion, architecture, transportation, and trade. Ancient Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations that developed a form of government as well as organized people in political states." Based on the documents, Egypt and Mesopotamia developed into successful and advanced civilizations by effectively using the resources that surrounded them to solve problems and live happily.
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Approximately 5500 years ago four of the worlds' most prestigious ancient river civilizations had emerged. Our world has been left in astonishment and awe wondering how these civilizations were developed. Egypt and Mesopotamia were the first ancient river civilizations to create cities and their own ways of living. Society, geography, and religion played an enormous role in the development of the ancient cities. Although there is evidence of early Sumerian contact with the Egyptians, Egypt's civilization was largely self-generated and its history and cultural patterns differed from Mesopotamia.
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