History Week 5

The Birth of River Civilisations Asia (770 BC – AD 700)

Assess the birth of the civilisations of China and India and their relationship to Geography

(Wikipedia n.d., 'Sino-Indian Geography')

Similar to Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Chinese and Indian civilisations began because of their proximity to water, namely the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in China and the Indus and Ganges Rivers in India (Stearns 1992, ¶1). The development of agriculture allowed ancient nomadic people to settle in one area and thus the beginnings of civilisation in those regions were born (National Geographic 2012, ¶2). China and India were both agricultural societies which provide opportunities for large cities and ‘engendered significant trade’ which also promoted ‘social and economic complexity’ (Stearns n.d., ¶2). However the availability of water and agricultural prowess were not the only determinants in the development of Ancient China and India; Geography and Topography were key components to the success of these civilisations. Geographically, China contains desert and mountainous regions which not only isolated those early civilisations but also prevented them from being invaded, allowing their society and culture to flourish without disruption (Chiang 2007, ¶1-2). Similarly, India is also surrounded by mountainous regions like the Himalayas to the north and water to the south, however the early Indian civilisation utilised ‘important passes through the mountains, especially in the northwest, [linking] India to other civilisations in the Middle East’ (Stearns n.d., ¶4). Although India was not as isolated as China, invaders found India particularly ‘difficult to unite politically’ owing to its vast terrain and ‘divisions within the subcontinent’ (Stearns n.d., ¶4). Despite their comparable origins and somewhat similar topography, politically the two civilisations could not be further apart, ‘political disunity has characterised India’s history’ whereas China ‘has been united for more than 2000 years - the longest-lived political institution in world history’ which may have been owing to the aforementioned isolation and deprivation of external influences (History World International n.d., ¶3).

 

References

Chiang, J 2007, China’s Key Geographical Features, http://sasasianhistory.wetpaint.com/page/China%27s+Key+Geographical+Features, [Accessed 3 November 2012]

History World International n.d., Early India: The Asian Way Of Life, http://history-world.org/india1.htm, [Accessed 3 November 2012]

National Geographic 2012, Civilisations, http://education.nationalgeographic.com.au/encyclopedia/civilization/?ar_a=1, [Accessed 3 November 2012]

Stearns, P 1992, Asia's First Civilizations - India And China, http://history-world.org/Asia's%20First%20Civilizations.htm, [Accessed 3 November 2012]

Stearns, P n.d., Classical Civilisation, http://www.fcps.edu/ChantillyHS/StudentLife/Summer2012/Stearnspt2SummerReadingChapter3-5.pdf, [Accessed 3 November 2012]

Images

Wikipedia n.d., ‘Sino-Indian Geography’, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sino-Indian_Geography.png, [Accessed 3 November 2012]