Ancient World Civilizations

Description

A civilization is a complex society that creates agricultural surpluses, allowing for specialized labour, social hierarchy, and the establishment of cities. Developments such as writing, complex religious systems, monumental architecture, and centralized political power have been suggested as identifying markers of civilization, as well. Each nation has its own culture and civilization of which it not only feels proud but it also wishes to preserve that at all costs. History of World Civilization began with the coming of man on the surface of the earth. The ancient world - from 60,000 BCE to 650 AD – is the period in which early civilizations emerged. This programme provides an introductory snapshot of eight of these civilizations, looking at what they had in common and how they were unique. We trace the rise, fall, and legacy of the ancient societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Maya, India, China, Rome, Greece and Persia. The underlying efficiency of the ancient Indus Valley civilization is remarkable. The Harappan government was very complex, and yet very efficient. An efficient and technologically advanced urban culture is clearly evident in the Indus Valley civilization. Advanced Harappan art indicates that the people of the ancient Indus Valley had fine artistic sensibilities. Moreover, the underlying efficiency of this civilization is accurately reflected by the complex Harappan social structure, which integrated several different ethnic and religious groups and ensured enduring peace and prosperity. Cities were at the center of all early civilizations. People from surrounding areas came to cities to live, work, and trade. This meant that large populations of individuals who did not know each other lived and interacted with one another. So, shared institutions, such as government, religion, and language helped create a sense of unity and also led to more specialized roles, such as bureaucrats, priests, and scribes. The main objective of the book is to create interest among the historical students, investigators, writers and readers who long began to turn away from the old tale of destruction and to survey the past constructively.