Compare And Contrast The Indus River Valley Civilizations

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The Nile and Indus River Valley civilizations were both unique civilizations in their own way in comparison. Yet despite being separated by thousands of miles there are similarities in these two ancient civilizations. It is seen that amongst ancient civilizations, rivers are fundamental for them to prosper and provide for a relatively stable society for which a people can grow and develop. There are general similarities with pinpoint differences as well as general differences with pinpoint similarities. Both civilizations have left their influence on human civilization and history, with their unique characteristics of their religion, way of life, social classes, cultures, technological advancements, government systems, rulers and notable …show more content…

The Egyptians honored the river for providing food for them by nourishing the land and making it fertile with its yearly flooding. The Nile also provided for quick transportation between Upper and Lower Egypt, allowing for Menes, the King of Upper Egypt, to unite the two and creating the first unified state. In the Indus River Valley civilization the river is also given honor as it can be reflected by one Indian name for “river”: lok-mata or “mother of the people.” The Indian people’s way of life was also defined by the monsoon, a seasonal wind. This shows the similarities in the civilizations areas that led to their early uprisings, common for all ancient civilizations, is a river to provide for food and water, so that they may become farmers and cultivate the land in a single settled area. Rivers and a water source were most important for these ancient civilizations as it can be seen, that gods were thought of to provide for them, leading to polytheism in these …show more content…

Both civilizations relied heavily on farmers being the life of the civilization and providers of food and other useful materials. Though farmers were essential for each of the civilizations, in both, they were at the bottom of the social ladder. However, in Egyptian society farmers can have their children learn a different skill, such as to become merchants and craftsman, and eventually, with a slight slim chance, get into the ruling class. This was not the case in the Aryan civilization as each person was born into a caste and could not move up or change their level in the caste system – the order being Brahmins (the priests and king), Kshatriyas (the warriors and aristocrats, the ruling class), Vaishyas (the cultivators, artisans, and merchants, and the Shudras (the peasants and surfs). Another major differentiation is that women did not have many rights in the Indian civilization, only men could own land and receive an education. Women were solely responsible for bearing children and maintaining the household. On the other hand, Egyptian women enjoyed a much higher status and greater independence then women elsewhere in the ancient world. As Ramses II declared “The foot of an Egyptian woman may walk where it pleases her and no one may deny her.” In comparison to the women of the Indus River Valley, Egyptian women lived the high life, as Egyptian law allowed for women to inherit property, enter

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