Every society is greatly influenced
by the environmental setting it emerges in. Although there’re some similarities
in the paths of development between different civilizations, great
differences may exist. Political systems in Mesopotamia and Egypt differed and
so did their environmental settings.
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To begin with, the natural
fertility of Mesopotamian land was vital to the emergence of its civilization.
Although the climate is generally hot and arid, the existence of the Tigris -Euphrates
reveries made the land more fertile. In effect, the two rivers became critical
in the development of the irrigation system that farmers established around
different parts of Mesopotamia, especially in the South. Incidentally, although
Mesopotamia is generally fertile, the Northern and Southern parts differ in
their climate. The North part is cooler and has greater rainfalls, while the
Southern part is arid and hotter. Because of the hot weather in the South,
early settlements there exploited their proximity of the Euphrates River and
developed an irrigation system that would later prove to be vital in the
development of the first civilization of the world. The irrigation system was
easy to develop because, at that time, the Tigris and Euphrates topography were
more complex and interlinked than they’re now. Also, the Persian Gulf coast was
much closer to the earlier settlements in the South, contributing to Marine and
fishing industries as well as further trade.
Initially, the establishment of the
irrigation system attracted more people to settle and farm. Gradually the
population increased and community leaders gained greater authority. The people
of the Ubaid period took advantage of their geographical position and interacted with
other neighboring areas. The need for raw materials that the fertile plains of Mesopotamia
lacked sparked the Ubaid to establish an exchange system of trade with Iran,
Oman, Anatolia and Dilmun. This would intensify the population of the villages,
and eventually this cluster of Villages would be dominated by a more
significant village, which would later develop into an urban center. The Ubaids were
just the first to exploit the geographical features of their land. The Uruks
and the following periods of Mesopotamian civilization developed more
sophisticated irrigation canals and trade networks.
The Egyptian land was far simpler
than that of Mesopotamia. The arid climate and the deserts that surround
Egyptian land contributed to their veneration of the sun; it reflected a spiritual
significance. For instance, just as the sun provides light and warmth and is
associated with the hot nature of the desserts, the desserts, at the same time,
protect Egypt from foreign invasions.
However, the most vital feature of
the landscape of Egypt is the Nile River. The Nile to Egypt was as vital as the
irrigation system to Mesopotamia. The Nile provided food into ways. First,
fishing developed. Secondly, the inundation of the Nile was essential to the
Egyptian agricultural industry. Every year, the annual flood would end a hot
arid summer and start a cool autumn in which crops can be developed. On the
other hand, the Nile was a means of travel and trade. The Nile stretched from
the middle of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea. Hence, it crossed different
civilizations that Egypt can trade with; most notably Nubia.
What’s more, the Nile provided a
means of communication and unity between Upper and Lower Egypt, which symbolize the
dualistic aspects of Ancient Egyptian philosophy. To
maintain the balance of the cosmos, there had to be a consolidation of the two
parts. That consolidation is strongly influenced by the Nile and is then
accomplished by the Pharaohs.
Moreover, to build their huge
monuments the Pharaohs needed raw building materials that the Nile area lacked.
Hence, they would go to the desserts through different expeditions to find
rocks and precious stone. Through the Nile and the desserts, Egypt was both
united and isolated by its geography.
In conclusion, the numerous
Mesopotamian city-states reflect the diversity and complexity of the
Mesopotamia landscape. On the other hand, the unity and the establishment of
the Egyptian nation-state are reflected in the uniformity and simplicity of its
environment. In addition, the Nation-state experience in Mesopotamia eventually
failed. This could possibly be attributed to the difficulty of controlling a
diverse landscape under one rule.
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