The Rise of Early Empires and Their Characteristics

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Axial Age Thinkers and Their Ideologies
Reference

Introduction

Modern historians identify four key factors that changed the worldview in the first millennium BC and contributed to the emergence of the early empires, Neo-Assyrian and Persian. These are “climate change, migrations, new technologies, and administrative innovations” (Pollard et al., 2019, p. 157). It is noteworthy that researchers often combine the first two related forces into one historical event called the Late Bronze Age collapse.

Climate Change

The first contributing phenomenon that triggered the entire subsequent chain of events was climate change. According to Pollard et al. (2019), “beginning around 1200 BCE, another prolonged period of drought gripped Afro-Eurasia” (p. 157). It led to dryness of the soil and a decrease in water resources in many areas of Afro-Eurasia. As a result, many regions of Egypt, the Hittite Kingdom, Mycenaean Greece, Shang China, and the states of Central and East Asia experienced food shortages and famines (Pollard et al., 2019). These disasters significantly affected the relationship between rulers and governors.

Migration

Large-scale and perennial drought has forced many people to leave their homes searching for food, water, and better living conditions. Large-scale domestic migrations took place in the former ancient states during this period. However, the main migration flows came from outside, namely from the Mediterranean, Central, East, and Northwest Asia (Pollard et al., 2019). It is necessary to clarify that it was an invasion rather than a migration. Pollard et al. (2019) note that “invaders … assaulted the urban centers and territorial kingdoms of mainland Greece, Crete, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and East Asia, causing the collapse of many of these once-powerful states” (p. 160). Climate change and external invasion led to numerous upheavals in many of the former states of Mesopotamia. Together, these factors allowed the early empires to rise and prosper.

New Technologies

After a long period of climate catastrophes and social disasters, the time has come to restore civilizations and invent new technologies. The historical period after the Bronze Age is called the Iron one because people began to use iron agricultural tools and weapons widely. It is made possible by “innovations in metalworking” (Pollard et al., 2019, p. 161). Moreover, people domesticated camels and invented seagoing vessels.

Administrative Innovations

All of the new technologies mentioned above allowed early empires to build long-distant trade routes, greatly expand their territorial influence, and establish strong control over the conquered lands. New societies also bring new policies; the Neo-Assyrians were the first to apply mass deportations and tributes (Pollard et al., 2019). Neo-Assyrians were also pioneers in public road construction; they built the road infrastructure throughout their empire. The Persian Empire, built by the tribes of nomads from Central Asia, was less violent and had a different administrative model that contributed to the balance of power between the metropolis and the regions (Pollard et al., 2019). It is noteworthy that the Persian rulers often borrowed effective management practices from the conquered nations and tribes and allowed them to preserve their traditional cultures.

Axial Age Thinkers and Their Ideologies

The new age and civilizations brought innovative ideas and ways of thinking. Greek philosophers such as Thales of Miletus, Pythagoras, and Democritus were the first to develop a naturalistic worldview (Pollard et al., 2019). Socrates and Plato were the first to analyze humans’ nature and societal structure(Pollard et al., 2019). Greek philosophers and artistic creators constantly competed and criticized each other, contributing to the continuous development of philosophy, theology, and realistic art. In Asia, the school of thought went in the direction of ethics, spirituality, and the environment. Confucius wrote an entire set of ethical standards that the Chinese civilization still adheres to (Pollard et al., 2019). Siddhartha Gautama has developed a new way of living and an alternative spiritual value system opposite to the existing one at that time.

Reference

Pollard, E., Rosenberg, C., Tignor, R., Karras, A., Adelman, J., Aron, S., Brown, P., Elman, B., Kotkin, S., Liu, X., Marchand, S., Pittman, H., Prakash, G., Shaw, B., & Tsin, M. (2019). Worlds together, worlds apart with sources: Volume one: Beginnings to the fifteenth century (Concise 2^nd ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

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