Thursday, December 5, 2019

World History Questions free essay sample

A civilized society is often characterized by advanced agriculture, long-distance trade, occupational specialization, and urbanism. Aside from these core elements, civilization is often marked by any combination of a number of secondary elements, including a developed transportation system,writing standards of measurement (currency, etc. ), legal systems, architecture, mathematics, sophisticated metallurgy and astronomy. â€Å" The term civilization can be culturally biased if the set of standards differs from group to group. Different cultures place emphasis on different aspects of society. Some might emphasize religion, others astronomy or mathematics, and some cultures emphasize farming. 2. Egypt? s geography and climate in? uenced the development of its religion, politics, and outlook. Egyptian civilization was focused on the Nile River and the surrounding deserts. The Nile River ? ooded at appropriate times to allow grain to grow. The Egyptians had a positive outlook because the river was dependable. This dependability also made the Egyptians view the universe as an orderly bene? cial world, andviewed the afterlife as orderly and optimistic as well. We will write a custom essay sample on World History Questions or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Egyptian religion was focused on guaranteeing continuous ? ow from the Nile and prosperity derived from the river and its ability to irrigate the land. The pharoh, the Egyptian ruler, was believed to be a descendant from the gods. The Egyptian king was Horus, and the son of Re, the sun-god. It was believed that the king intervened with the gods on behalf of the Egyptian people. Since the king was connected to the sun-god and assured prosperity from the Nile, the king? s leadership was divine. It also helped that the land was fertile for many years, giving the Egyptian leader more credibility and power. Around the ? fth millennium B. C. E. Farming developed along the Nile River. The predynastic period in Egypt is approximately from 5000 B. C. E. to 3000 B. C. E. They lived in the valley and the delta of the Nile River, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt, respectively. People settled in these areas because as the climate changed and the southestern area became drier, more people moved and settled east along the Nile. With the establishment of settlements along the Nile, centers such as Hierakonopolis developed in Upper Egypt. Population growth in these centers saw a rise during this period. These centers became areas for religious purposes and political control. Eventually, a ruler of one of these centers was able to dominate surrounding territories, leading to a more centralized political structure. Both Egypt and Mesopotamia developed into powerful early civilizations. An understanding of their environments and geographical location, can help explain how commerce developed for both societies. Both Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations developed along river systems, which created a means of commerce for both societies. A river is a means of fertilization of the land for crops, and it is a means of transportation to spread culture and trade. Egyptian civilization spread along the Nile River. The Nile River ? ows north, ? oods regularly at a fortuitous time of the year, producing rich black fertile soil. In contrast, Mesopotamia is on a plain between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The rivers ? ood at inopportune times of the year, there is little rainfall during the year, and the rivers change courses unpredictably. The Egyptians were able to rely on the Nile River for farming and fertilization of the land. This stability also gave the Egyptians an optimistic and orderly outlook on life. The natural resources along the river provided the Egyptians with reeds, ? sh, and stone and clay for building. They were also able to access copper and turquoise from the desert and gold from Nubia. The materials found in Egypt were used to build the great pyramids. The Egyptian ruler, was believed to be a descendant from the gods and it was believed that the ruler intervened with the gods on behalf of the Egyptian people. Since their religion was focused on guaranteeing continuous ? ow from the Nile, the king? s leadership was divine. It also helped that the land was fertile for many years, giving the Egyptian leader more credibility and power. Therefore, Egypt had a more centralized government than Mesopotamia and did not trade as extensively as the Mesopotamians. The stability of the Nile River also brought stability in Egyptian civilization for a long time. In addition, most of the Egyptians did not live in urban areas like Mesopotamia. Mose Egyptians were farmers. Urban areas tend to have more skilled labor, and Egyptian society did not need to develop advanced technology to compensate for a harsh environment like that of Mesopotamia. In contrast, the Mesopotamians developed more advanced technology to compensate for their geography. They developed an irrigation system to redirect the water from the ? ooding rivers and bring water from the river to distant ? elds. Mesopotamia commerce re? ected the improved technology when compared with Egyptian commerce; for instance, Mesopotamia developed the potter? s wheel for making and trading pottery. Mesopotamian society was set up as city-states, where farming villages were connected to an urban are, ruled by a leader living in a palace in the city. This decentralized government is in sharp contrast with the centralized and divine leadership of the Egyptian ruler. The villages in Mesopotamia provided produce, and the urban area provided military protection and specialized goods. There were many city-states in Mesopotamia. The city-states often fought for control of resourses, but they also came together when large man power was needed as in building new irrigation systems. The geography of both Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilization helped to develop the religion, the political and economic environment of two great early civilizations. Mesopotamian civilization was comprised of city-states. Their society was divided into landowners, farmers/artisans/and slaves. With the importance of farming, the role of women diminished, since the men did the hard labor of plowing. Women were still allowed to own land at the time. The writing system in Mesopotamia, cuneiform, was controlled by male scribes. This dominance probably led to a further decline in the role of women in Mesopotamian society. Women were allowed to engage in trade, work outside their homes, and make baskets and clean their homes. Politics was off limits. In contrast, women in Egyptian society, probably held a higher status than the women in Mesopotamia. Women were able to own and inherit land, and control their dowry? s after divorce. Information about women? s status in Egypt is depicted in tomb paintings. Although women were subordinate to men in these pictures, women were still represented with respect. Chapter 3 1. Describe the structure of the Zhou state. 2. Compare and contrast the role and status of women in ancient Chinese and Celtic societies. 3. What marks did Egyptian domination leave on Nubian culture and society? The Zhou state was developed when Wu defeated the Shang in the 11th century B. C. E. The rulership was based on the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, meaning the ruler was chosen by supreme god. The structure of the early Zhou period was built around capital cities. The city was built in a grid pattern aligned with the north star, following the belief of feng shui.

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