The origin of civilisation in China and America

By Amal Hewavissenti

Chinese legends give primacy to a famous leader named Huang Di who established Chinese civilisation on the high banks of the Yellow River valley about 2,700 BC. Around five hundred years later Yu the Great founded China's first dynasty (Xia) who were eventually succeeded by the Shang dynasty. However, early China had bitter memories of Yu the Great who proved to be an extremely tyrannical and unpredictable ruler.

The Shang dynasty absolutely was highly militarised and possessed the capability of mustering an Army exceeding ten thousand or more when needed. Interestingly, Shang dynasty was a patch work of smaller states and became an elaborate “Kin Organisation” that obligated people to serve the ruler when called upon.

Early civilisation that sprang up in China was characterised by a succession of dynasties which co-existed and would occasionally complete with each other for power. Yet Chinese culture remained relatively unchanged throughout the rise and fall of these dynasties.

The early dynasties typically share some common features. First, they were ruled by “warlords” and attendants.

This practice reflect the rigid social organisation that clearly discriminated between the ruling class and soldiers, artisans, farmer and others who served them.

The Shang people were expert metal smiths who produced fine bronze vessels. It is interesting to note that deceased Shang rulers were buried in deep pits along with their chariots, hundreds of superb bronze vessels and jade artefacts with numerous sacrificial victims.

Worship

Their economy was largely based on agriculture particularly the raising of cereal crops and animal husbandry. Their ancestral worship was a practice central to their beliefs because a ruler's authority was believed to have sprung from his ancestors.

Subsequently, the Shang dynasty was overthrown by the rival Zhou whose influence continued to spread far into Southern China. Even though the Zhou consisted of multiple states, the period of their rule was marked with varied major innovations. Zhou states constantly battled with one another.

Walls of rammed earth were built around cities for protection after 700 BC. Iron work revolutionised military affairs and commerce and agriculture expanded with the development of the first Chinese coinage.

Another important breakthrough was the creation of the philosophical and religious doctrines of Taoism. which provided the Chinese with a concept of order and harmony in the universe and later it had a profound effect on China's artistic traditions and ideas of effective government.

The political disputes among the Zhou ended when the ruthless leader of the Quin State unified China into a single state after overthrowing hour.

The new leader, Shi Huang Di built an extensive road system and set about constructing a vast wall of mud brick and rammed earth that stretched across the countryside to keep out nomadic invaders. The successive dynasties fortified and lengthened the wall into what is “the Great Wall of China” today. Later, the Han empire expanded foreign trade along an extensive route popularly called Silk Road linking China with the West. Hans readily embraced Confucianism - a teaching that promoted the idea of a centralised monarchy and an educated supremo to run the state.

The major inventions made during this period were the wheel barrow, paper and crank handle. The infirm imperial rule caused the centrally-controlled empire to break apart and 350 years of political chaos followed as China cut itself from the western countries. People in the Mekong Delta (now Vietnam) traded extensively with the Han dynasty of China by AD 100.

During this period the greatest political power in the region was absolutely wielded by the Khmer which, like many ancient South East Asian peoples, were basically influenced by Indian culture and they adopted Indian belief in Hinduism and Buddhism as well as Indian styles of art and architecture. They even established an empire.

The Khmer empire that centered itself on the city of Ang Kor in a fertile region of current Cambodia. The dynamic Khmer monarch Jayavarman II developed a highly centralised form of government and promoted the idea that he solely represented divine power.

Territory

Civilisation in the Americas arose first in Mesoamerica (a name which is popular with historians in their references to a territory in central America that stretches from Central Mexico to Western Costa Rica.

The second was in South America snuggled in the shadows of the Andes mountains (currently Peru).

At a time when ancient Egypt was at the peak of its power and prosperity, the first complex roots of civilisation in Mesoamerica appeared in the lowlands by the Gulf of Mexico at least three thousand and five hundred years back.

Later in 1500 BC the Olmecs established an array of Kingdoms in Mexico, along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.

Their homeland was extremely rich in fish and other animals that were obviously featured in a sophisticated style of art that eventually spread throughout Mesoamerica.

The Olmec rulers built great pyramids and mounds surrounding plazas to impress their followers with their overwhelming power.

At places such as San Lorenzo and La Venta, huge carved heads depict these whose identity is still unknown. However, they viewed themselves as links between the human world and the super natural realm.

Olmec's simple form of writing which remains largely undeciphered, was probably the first developed in the Americas.