7.4.1 PRE-HISTORY

Pre-history was before development of writing. In the paleolithic pre-historic era, humans were food gatherers. They used stone tools. They discovered fire for warmth and cooking. They lived in caves and wore skins. Later they started hunting and living in villages. Civilization developed in the settled farming communities. The first civilizations developed in the fertile valleys of rivers: Euphrates & Tigris, Indus, Nile, and Huang Ho in China. Civilizations arose when people settled down in stable farming communities. Trade and manufacture developed. Growth of civilization was generally associated with deviation from tauhid to various forms of shirk. With time they decayed and were replaced by others.

7.4.2 MESOPOTAMIA RIVER VALLEY

Civilizations of Mesopotamia were Sumer, Akkadia, Assyria, and Baylon. Sumer (3500-2000 BC), controlled river flooding, built irrigation canals, invented the wheel and the plough, developed writing, developed a number system, developed a calendar, had city-state governments with laws. Its power started waning about 2400BC and it was conquered by Akkadia. Assyria (800 BC-612 BC) possessing iron weapons controlled Mesopotamian cities and trade routes to build a powerful empire with good roads. The empire was destroyed by Babylon (1700-530 BC) that emerged as the new conquering power whose borders reached the Mediterranean. Under Hammurabbi, it repaired irrigation canals, expanded trade, improved taxation, and issued laws. It developed mathematics, agriculture, irrigation, land surveying, engineering, astronomy, medicine, a number system, and clocks controlled by falling water. Chaldeans, descendants of Hammurabi’s empire, conquered many people under Nebuchadnezer. They extended their power to Syria and Palestine. They built the new Babylon city. It had 1 million people, was rich trading city, was famous for the hanging gardens and the tower of Babel, and developed science especially astronomy. Control of the large empire became difficult and the Persians had taken over by 539 BC.

7.4.3 THE NILE RIVER VALLEY

Civilizations of the Nile Valley were Egypt and Kush. The ancient Egyptian (3100-525BC) developed agriculture and trade managing to support a total population of 5 million at its zenith. By 1000BC Egypt started had declined due to internal conflicts, rebellions, and external invasions and lost its independence. Egyptian contributions to civilization were: papyrus paper, mathematics (decimal number system, fractions and whole numbers, and geometry), the calendar of 365 days, medicine (splints, bandages, and compresses; treatments for indigestion and hair loss), 3 types of writing including hieroglyphics. Their pyramids were an architectural achievement but also a monument of human exploitation since thousands of slaves died in their construction. Kush’s history started in about 2000 BC. It adopted Egyptisn religion and writing during 500 years of Egyptian occupation. Kushites worked in metals (copper, bronze, iron, and pottery) and built pyramids. With the decline of Egyptian Kush reclaimed its independence. Starting in 750 BC Kush invaded Egypt and controlled it for 70 years. Kush expanded agriculture and remained a trading empire until defeat by Aksum (from Ethiopia) in about 350AD.

7.4.4 THE INDUS RIVER VALLEY

Harapa and Mohanjodano near the Arabian sea were the first planned communities in the world. They produced claypots, metallic vessels, jewelery, and cotton cloth. By 1500 BC Harappan civilization declined for unknown reasons. By 1200 BC Aryan invaders took over the Indus valley and forced Dravidians to the south of India. They introduced a rigid caste system, developed Sanskrit, and developed Hinduism from polytheistic Aryan religions.  Buddhism was started by Siddharta Ghautama born around 566BC as a reform of Hinduism. The Indus valley civilisation (2000-1500 BC) developed flood control, agriculture, brick cities, roads, sewers, mathematics and other branches of knowledge, and cotton cloth. It suffered from successive external invasions and internal conflicts.

7.4.5 HUANG HE (CHINA)

Chinese were good farmers who built their first cities in 1766BC. During the Shang dynasty (1700-1000BC), the Chinese used bronze weapons, developed writing, produced silk and pottery, and building cities. The Zhou dynasty (1000BC – 200BC) built roads, expanded foreign trade, developed military technology (horse-drawn chariots and the cross bar), elaborated picture writing, invented iron plows, developed irrigation and flood control systems. The Chinese did not develop a religion with a dogma and fixed rites but worshipped spirits and believed that dead ancestors affected their lives. They were profoundly affected by the 2 thinkers: Confucious and Laozi. The Chinese Empire (1027-256 BC) isolated behind mountains developed a a uniform culture over a large area and a strong sense of national identity. Its achievements were in iron, literature and the arts. The Chinese discovered paper, gunpowder, porceline, printing, and silk. The empire broke up due to internal quarrels.