Sumerian and Babylonian Civilizations

Sumerian Civilization

• Emerged in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 4000 BCE.
• Developed the world's first known writing system, cuneiform.
• Created a complex system of irrigation for agriculture, which enabled surplus food production.
• Organized into city-states, each with its own ruler and temple.
• Invented the wheel and the plow.
• Developed a sophisticated mathematical system, including a base-60 number system still used today for measuring time.
• Known for their impressive ziggurats, monumental religious structures.
• Developed a hierarchical social structure, with priests, rulers, and commoners.
• Created complex religious beliefs and myths.

Babylonian Civilization

• Developed in Mesopotamia after the Sumerians.
• Famous for its law code, the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest known legal systems.
• Known for advancements in mathematics and astronomy.
• Constructed impressive structures, such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (though their existence is debated).
• Developed a sophisticated administrative system.
• Used cuneiform writing.

Assyrian Civilization

• Emerged in northern Mesopotamia around 2500 BCE and were noted for their military prowess.
• Known for its powerful military, which conquered neighboring lands.
• Created a vast empire spanning a significant portion of the ancient Near East.
• Developed sophisticated administrative and bureaucratic systems to manage a large empire.
• Practiced a sophisticated system of governance.
• Constructed large cities and palaces, such as Nineveh, indicating a level of architectural advancement.
• Known for their brutal warfare.

Persian Civilization

• Emerged in Iran around the 6th century BCE.
• Developed a vast and powerful empire through sophisticated military strategy and administration.
• Known for their extensive road systems, facilitating trade and communication.
• Implemented a system of satrapies to govern far flung regions of the empire.
• Famous for its tolerance and integration of conquered cultures (relative to other empires).
• Introduced a standardized coinage that facilitated trade.

Indian Civilization

• Complex history with various periods and empires.
• Harappan civilization (c. 3300-1300 BCE) developed independently in the Indus Valley. It featured sophisticated urban planning and advanced engineering.
• The concept of Dharma (righteousness) fundamentally influenced Indian law and societal norms.
• Varied forms of administration and governance.
• Contributions to mathematics, including significant development of the concept of zero.
• Significant contributions to philosophy, religion (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism).
• The caste system, though controversial, shapes Indian social organization.
• A rich tapestry of philosophical and religious traditions existed, shaping societal norms for millennia.
• Developed intricate art and architecture.
• Faced invasions and periods of political fragmentation but also significant periods of unity and prosperity.