Technology in Ancient and Medieval Islamic Cities

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Introduction

The most fundamental developments in human history are the transitions from rural to urban ways of living. The main focus is on the contribution of technologies to the physical form and fabric of ancient and the medieval towns and cities. The technological activity has undergone a major change while the old activities are still pursued, there is the use of modern technology to improve on the ways to transfer information and develop new materials.

Importance of Technology in Explaining the Form of Ancient and Medieval Islamic Cities

Technology is the application of knowledge to facilitate the obtaining and the transformation of natural materials and it involves the creation of material instruments used in human interactions with nature. The technology development led to more and more economic activities becoming a positive- sum games and therefore conflicts became relatively less profitable and cooperation became more profitable. The innovation in information technology changed the optimal structure of the contracts and raised the productivity of the human capital and a theoretical explanation based on transaction costs, and the test the theory predictions with data on urban demographic growth the information technology increases the capacity of the neoclassical growth. (Goodman, 1999)

The medieval cities were dominated by military needs and the fortifications altered to address innovations in tactics, weapons and the siege techniques. The walls were strong and thick enough to withstand the current siege weapons and carry a long vaulted gallery and the strong walls protecting expanded urban territory could be constructed more easily. The main streets and roads were well paved and wide and the most distinctive features of the cities were monumental public areas and the less wealthy lived in more chaotically laid out areas characterized by relatively high rise apartment building.

Cities first arose after the discovery of agriculture but the pre- industrial urbanization rose with technological advances in agriculture and transportation which fostered the population growth and trade but fell with famine and diseases. With the industrial revolution urbanization rose as the population shifted out of agriculture into manufacturing and services and the cities become the dominant landscape of human civilization. It is extremely difficult to determine the casual factors why cities arose in ancient times but agriculture caused cities to form because it increased population growth and provided surplus food for a non- agricultural population.

The urban concentration of the secondary and tertiary employment enabled the exploitation of the division of labour while the exact causes of the rise of these territorial empires have been due to the growing benefits of trade over longer distances and the changes in military technology which allowed for the control of larger areas. The industrial revolution transformation of the urban order began in the rural country side and the early factories arose in rural villages and towns rather than in the established major urban centres and the less urbanized places industrialized more rapidly. The pillars of civilization could not exist without the urbanization and the industrial era gives way to the information era. (Goodman, 1999)

Conclusion

The urbanization brought about a number of advantages from a variety of market and non- market factors such as the division of labour, lower search costs of matching specialized workers and the firms, information spillovers, market size, and the non- traded intermediate inputs. With this technology then the traditional methods have to be abandoned in order top increase the productivity in several areas which leads to rise in employment and the income per capita of the people raises leading to better living standards and other basic needs needed in such areas like food which will not be a problem to the people and it is clear that if there is a new innovative activity then the future of civilization is likely to rest on the success of its citizen

Reference:

Dana J Stewart, (2002). Middle East urban studies 11: growth, environment and economic development, urban geography 23, 388.

Colin Chant and Goodman, D. (1999): The Pre-industrial Cities & Technology Reader; Routledge Publishing.

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Technology in Ancient and Medieval Islamic Cities

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