Compare And Contrast Ancient Civilizations

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About all the modern civilisations of the universe can follow back their beginnings to the world’s four earliest civilisations emerged in four different parts of the universe in approximately the same clip. These four civilisations were the ancient Chinese. Indus Valley. Mesopotamian and Ancient Egyptian Civilizations.

The outgrowth of these civilisations is the trademark of a new age. Though it is non yet proved that there was any interaction between these four civilisations and likely all four have been developed indigenously in their ain alone fortunes. but they posses singular similar features.

One of the most outstanding similarities is the geographic location where they developed i. e. river vales. Despite these similarities they have their ain unique features non found in the others. Religion is another interesting phenomenon sing these civilisations.

In the early phases of human history faith has played a polar function in developing the day-to-day life features of any civilization.

This paper will compare and contrast the two eastern civilisations i. e. the Chinese and Indus Valley with their western opposite numbers i. e. the Mesopotamian and the Egyptian civilisations sing the influence of the faith in the development of the day-to-day life civilization. Chinese and Indus Valley Civilization: The Chinese civilisation developed in the Yellow river vale. The earliest of the Chinese civilizations harmonizing to the Chinese tradition are the Xia and Shang dynasties.

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Though there are no archaeological findings and records of the former. the latter has left a singular sum of archaeological remains through which we can cognize much better about their civilization and faith. The Shang civilization worshipped a supreme divinity called “Shang Ti” significance “Lord o the High” .

Four Earliest Civilizations

This supreme God other deputies each control a natural force like Sun. Moon. air current and rain etc. Because Shang Ti non merely command human personal businesss and besides the Universe the God was termed by the ulterior “Chou” civilization as Eden. This remained the official faith of all the Chinese dynasties until the twentieth century. In order to delight the supreme God human forfeits were made. The forfeits were normally involved slaves and captives of war. The Chou male monarchs farther elevated themselves and proclaimed to move as an mediator between the Eden and the Earth. They were given the authorization of taking attention of the public assistance of the people of the Earth.

This phenomenon had the greatest influence on the ulterior societal and philosophical developments in the Chinese civilization like Confucianism and Taoism. The Indus Valley Civilization is though every bit singular as the antediluvian Chinese one but without the reading of its books and Hagiographas. which is yet to be done. there are really small archaeological findings supplying sound and unambiguous inside informations about their faith. The largely found spiritual artefacts are the seals and statues of a female divinity and a bull. Fortunately both these are widespread and good known in the Mediterranean and Western Asian part.

The female cult is the divinity of birthrate while the bull is the normally worshiped since the Neolithic period in assorted parts. Though there are no temples excavated from the full Indus vale country the Great Bath of Mohenjo-daro was surely used for spiritual intents. Cleanliness and bathing was an of import pattern non merely because of wellness grounds but besides because of spiritual importance. Many seals of different natural beginnings like trees particularly the pipal tree suggest that idolizing nature was besides a common pattern. which is still found and practiced in modern Hinduism.

The major influence of faith on the Indus Valley people is evident in the signifier of covered drains and Great Bath and proper planning of their metropoliss. Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilization: The Mesopotamian faith was besides polytheist in nature and their were several Gods and divinities. like Utu ( The Sun God ) . An ( God of the celestial spheres ) and Enlil ( the God of air ) etc. In Mesopotamia each metropolis has its ain God or goddess. which takes attention the public assistance of its dwellers. Each metropolis has a temple which has a tower called Ziggurat. This tower is believed to move as a connexion between the Earth and the celestial spheres.

The god’s responsibility was to maintain the metropolis safe from encroachers and every immorality. On the other manus it was the peoples’ responsibility to carry through the stuff demands of their Gods. That’s why there was a tradition of fixing and functioning repasts for the Gods and goddesses. The most powerful and supreme God was Enlil ( the God of air ) . The dwellers were besides expected to offer congratulations. anthem. and forfeits for the local temples of the Gods. The people believed that maintaining the God pleased will do them prosper while if the God is angry or annoyed it will do their life miserable. That’s why the priest of the temple has the cardinal function in the city’s community.

Most of the priests of the early Mesopotamian metropoliss were their several priests. The Egyptian faith is besides polytheist in nature and has several Gods. The male monarchs function is the most of import as he was believed as the boy of the God “Re” ( The Sun God ) . Like the Mesopotamian faith every metropolis has its ain God and divinity which controlled and regulated the personal businesss of the metropolis. These Gods and divinities were represented in the signifiers of animate beings. The people of the several metropoliss make offerings and forfeits to these divinities in order to delight them and achieve their approvals.

These offerings were made in temples situated in every metropolis. Soon these Gods and divinities were given human properties and qualities and signifiers. Subsequently during the clip of the “New Kingdom” a three of great Gods “Osiris. Iris and Horus” was developed. But the Sun God remained supreme and the male monarch as his boy acted on his behalf as an mediator between the God and his people. Comparison: There are several singular similarities in the both the western and the eastern civilisations. The authorization of the Chinese “Chou” dynasty can be compared with the intermediary function of the Egyptian male monarch as the God of the boy.

All four civilizations have polytheist religion and faith. The bull and birthrate goddess found in the Indus Valley is besides worshiped in the Egyptian and Mesopotamian faiths. Many Egyptian and Mesopotamian divinities have similar features. The most dumbfounding similarity is the worship of forces of nature. This is the most common phenomenon in the four civilisations. This shows that the early stages of spiritual development in the four parts were charming and fabulous. Urbanization is besides another great common feature of all these civilisations. In fact these are the first urbanised societies of recorded human history.

Writing was invented independently in all four civilisations. therefore go forthing written records of their clip. On the other manus there are some unusually sole features of each civilisation. The Indus vale people have given great accent on cleansing and bathing. The self duty of the Chinese swayers the public assistance of their topics subsequently developed the doctrines which emphasized on demand of making a public assistance province. This is non found any where else. The temples and zikkurats of the Mesopotamia though are non that alone but the ziggurat’s usage as a nexus between the Earth and Eden is alone.

Decision: All the four civilisations have left profound impacts on the faiths and civilizations of their replacements. These impacts can still be observed among the modern dwellers of these parts. Most of these dwellers are the posterities of these ancient people therefore they still bear many features of their distant yesteryear. The differences in the eastern and western civilizations are due to the differences between their parent earlier civilisations. The Greeks adopted so much from the Egyptians as while the other Middle Eastern states were influenced by the Mesopotamian civilisation.

The South and South-East Asia has been influenced by the Indian and Chinese civilisations. Work Cited “Egyptian Religion” Encyclop? Defense Intelligence Agency Britannica. 2007. Reference Suite DVD 21 June. 2007. “Religion of Indus Valley Civilization” . Encyclop? Defense Intelligence Agency Britannica. 2007. Reference Suite DVD 21 June. 2007. “Religion of Mesopotamian Civilization” Encyclop? Defense Intelligence Agency Britannica. 2007. Reference Suite DVD 21 June. 2007. Sullivan. Herbert P. “A Re-Examination of the faith of the Indus Civilization” History of Religions ( 1964 ) . Vol. 4. pp. 115-125.