World history begins with the emergence of the homo sapiens around 250,000 years ago. Homo sapiens sapiens emerged between 200,000 and 150,000 years ago in Africa. Human beings started out as hunter-gatherers and have become the most complex animal on the planet. The early stages of world history lay the foundation of what the future of human beings would become. Summarizing all of world history can be a daunting task, but one has to look at the big picture. History has a way of repeating itself and there are several themes and aspects of world history that give an excellent summary of everything that has occurred since the first humans graced the earth. The first civilizations were in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Sumerians were the first creators of civilization. After Mesopotamia and Egypt, India arises. Following that we have the Chinese, Greeks, and Romans.
Family life has an enormous impact on world history. It gives individuals support and a since of who they are. Family, along with daily life, give insight to customs and values of a society. It all starts out in the Paleolithic Age. Men and women would both gather food, and women had babies. Family then develops into something more than survival with the emergence of marriage, property, and other possessions. Family arguably plays the largest role in China. Agricultural societies place an importance on family. In China, the family is sacred, and is one of the most important aspects of social order. In ancient China, family was the most important part of survival. Filial Piety was a major aspect of the Chinese family and it involves each person knowing what there duty is. Family creates structure. That is why its one of the most important aspects of world history. People need to know their place in order to survive. We have to know are role or else we would kind of get lost. Family helps keeps homo sapiens civilized. There needs to be Someone to Make the rules(usually the man) and someone to follow them.
Along with family, gender roles play a huge role in world history, perhaps because they change sluggishly and determine several aspects of everyday life. There has always been a gap between man and woman, in terms of importance and power. And unfortunately , male chauvinism exist in every culture. It all starts back with the women being in the home during the hunter-gatherer period. Once differences between people are establish, they are no longer “equal” and the created the social difference between men and women. Women have came along way. From ancient practices like sati, that ended the lives of women in ancient India, To there being a female Indian leader during the 20th century. The conditions of women have improved vastly across the globe. After world war 1, women in countries like Germany and the United States, gave women the right to vote. Women are no allowed to seek divorce and have property rights in modern societies. They are no longer just “property”. Women still aren’t completely equal though. In Modern powers like Japan, women still make a lot less money then their male counterparts.
The rise and fall of an empire is an interesting aspect , and perhaps the most important aspect of world history. It points out the pros and cons of human nature. It shows what a nation should and should not do when attempting to reach the top. There has yet to be a civilization to maintain power over the globe for an extended amount of time. Not even the U.S. who has held its position for less than 100 years. There are sp many examples of this from the old an middle kingdoms of Egypt to the Han dynasty, to Greece and Rome to the more recent empires Including France, Britain, Germany, and Even The USSR. Once should note that some falls are more damaging then others. Nations like France, Germany and Britain continue to have a major influence on the world as a whole, as oppose to Greece, Rome, and the Ottoman Empire. Its Important to note that all of the nations fell for similar reasons; political unrest, dissatisfied commoners, greed, corruption, and bureaucracy.
With rise and fall of an empire comes those who are oppressed, along with there oppressors. In societies they differ from peasants in France, untouchables in India, and slaves in Africa. There counterparts are the bourgeoisie, Brahmin, lords, and masters. There are those people who just have that ability to control others, and then there are those people who get stuck being controlled. There’s always been a class gap from those who are becoming increasingly more opulent to those who continue to live in squalor. Personally, I believe the Untouchables stand out as one of the most pressed groups during a time period. The oppression of Jews during the holocaust in Germany also stands out. Nothing stands out though like the whole entire continent of Africa. Its been stripped of a lot of its natural resources, including people. Colonization and imperialism prevented Africa from making any real progress. A majority of the people still live in poverty, except in places like, South Africa. Africa even has to deal with new problems like AIDS.
Agriculture is another aspect of world history that is hard to overlook. It is the main reason why people dominate. Human beings made the switch from hunting and gathering to systematic agriculture. Agriculture is the prime reason for civilizations. Civilizations sprung up in areas such as the Indus river valley and the Yellow River in China. The Nile River Played a major role in the development of agriculture in Africa. Agriculture has come a long way. It develops from something small to something that supports six billion people. Irrigation systems in China and Egypt create more land for cultivation. More crops get produced. The Improvement of metal tools also made Agriculture more productive. Grain, rice, and barely are single handily the most important crops in agriculture. Other crops also became prominent during the end of the Neolithic age. Ox and horses also played a major role in agriculture because they were a good method of transportation an for hauling materials. Another important aspect of agriculture is the emergence of feudalism. The manor was the basis of feudalism. Manors consisted of strips of land, and could contain several small villages. The people in power were the lords, and peasants worked the land and had to pay taxes. Agriculture makes another shift as technology continues to develop. Exploration and collimation because the way of the world powers and ore crops began to be cultivated. As more people became more urbanized, so did agriculture. Crops such as sugar, cotton, and tobacco were valuable aspects of colonies that belonged to nations such as Britain and France. Agriculture continues to thrive during the Renaissance and Industry revolution. It becomes based on formulas and economics. It is no longer a means for survival. The development of roads, canals, and rail lines also contributed to forming what is modern agriculture. Now days a much smaller percentage of people feed the entire human raise. Still more then half of the world are farmers.
Science And technology is very telling of the history of human beings. It shows the gradual development from Hominids to the sophisticated creatures we are today. People are the most successful specie of the animal kingdom because of our Intelligence and rationality. When one looks from a far its amazing to see the Change from societies to ancient Egypt, who were created the foundation of science and technology, to modern industrialized nations like Japan and the United States. Technology as a profound impact on a society because it effects the daily life of human beings, and the overall success of a society. Our understanding of the world around us is reflected in developments in science. Notable figures in the development of this field include Archimedes, who created Geometry, Darwin, along with his whole theory of evolution, along with brilliant minds of scientists such as Mendeleev, Copernicus, and Kepler. Copernicus can be noted as one of the fathers of modern day astronomy, because of his heliocentric thoughts. He was one of the first to claim that the earth revolved around the sun. As humans developed, they had a natural curiosity, and began to be able to explain the world around them. Inventions like paper, printing presses, and the cotton gin also contributed to technology. People began to do things more efficiently. Creating time for leisure. Technology is the sole reason for leisure. In the modern world, Most people don’t make their own clothes, houses, furniture, etc, because of the rapid rate of technology.
Once of the most important and debatable aspects of world history are religion and philosophy. People have this desire to live based on specific beliefs. There this sense of moral right and wrong. The most popular religions in the world are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. It is important to note that Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, have striking monotheistic similarities, and all have a similar background. Hinduism and Buddhism are the religions of the Asians. What is the purpose of religion though? Are these “gods” actually real? Or did religion start out as a tool to control a large number of people? Religion ahs caused a lot of conflict on the globe, from European missionaries during the crusades, to the fight between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Religion can be blamed for the deaths of millions of people. Important philosophers include, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Locke, Sartre, and my personal favorite, Machiavelli. These philosopher’s ideals are important because they have been absorbed and studied by the masses. Existentialism and Confucianism are the most relevant today. Machiavelli’s theory that the end justifies the means can be translated into many modern leaders actions, including some U.S. Presidents.
Wars are definitely an important part of world history. Some of the most famous include the Peloponnesian war, 100 years war, French Revolution, American Revolution, War of 1812, and several others including civil wars in America and China. War World 1 and 11 stand out though as the most significant. They are definitely the most tragic. The modern wars show how deadly sophisticated war has become with the innovation of weaponry. Guns, grenades, cannons, airplanes, and boats have all contributed to warfare. One has to ask themselves what is the purpose of war exactly? Is it to cause fear? Is it for freedom? Or is it simply to gain power.
My favorite aspect of world history is art and literature. It tells so much about a society. Art equals communication. People articulate there thoughts and opinions in their art work rather it be paintings, sculptures, novels or plays. Some important works of art include Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Homers’ Iliad and the Odyssey, the lyrical poems in Roman Literature, Oedipus Rex, Shakespearian plays, Mozart along with artists like Picasso, and Michelangelo. Art is Important because it also shows the values of a culture, such as the large Baroque churches. Art is part of the documentation of world history because it lets people today get a first hand look at what life was like in the past by interpreting an artist’s work.
Democracy is hands down the most important thing to look at when analyzing world history. It is the only way a government can ever truly be successful. People need to have their voices heard. It all starts with the Greeks, who were the pioneers of democracy. Democracy also existed in Rome. A nation cant be successful if they are ruled by a king or an emperor, because when people are given that kind of status, they become tyrants. The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, made England closer to democracy with the creation of the parliament. John Locke is the most important figure in democracy, with his belief in natural rights. America is also responsible for spreading democracy across the globe after the American revolution. Democracy is important because peace is a result of equality and understanding.
