Governments Importance to Early Civilizations essays

Governments Importance to Early Civilizations essays Governments Importance to Early Civilizations It has been agreed upon by scholars world wide that in order for a group of peoples to be civilized they have to meet certain specifications. These include urbanization, long distance trade, occupational specialization, and a stable government. This positive step in humanities existence could not have been achieved without a form of leadership; and this leadership must co-exist with the populations beliefs. In this way, religion has influenced the governments of some of the earliest civilized groups. In all groups that were considered civilized and used agriculture for their primary food source, a stable government was a must. Irrigation had to be arranged for all the fields, a group dedicated to protecting the foodstuffs and seeds had to be created and trained, crops had to be regulated so that there was enough of each to last the entire off season, and planting and harvesting had to be timed perfectly. In addition to this, the government had to be able to fit with the religious beliefs of the population. In Mesopotamia, this meant the government had to show respect to each god evenly, and have a reason when one of the gods punished the land of Mesopotamia. This early civilization left little behind about their government however, there being no written language, it is guess work on what type of government it was; but democracy or monarchy, its hands were full. In ancient Egypt the government kept a close relationship with the polytheist religion of the time. The pharaoh had a special connection with the gods. He was chosen by them, and he was placed to create stability. When the pharaoh died he was placed in a large pyramid, where he could have a connection with both the living and the dead. In this pyramid everything that was needed in the after life was placed, including a tablet which reminded the pharaoh of what to say when he met Isis, t...