Basic Concepts of Civilizations: Meaning,

Features & Importance

Dr. Md. Faruk Shah

Adjunct Faculty Member
Department of History and Philosophy
North South University
 Lecture Outline
Definition of civilization
Characteristics of civilization
Factors behind the birth of civilizations
Theories of the origin of civilization
Life-cycle-stage of civilization
Importance of studying the history of civilization
 Definition of Civilization
Civilization was an act of human creativity.

The term ‘civilization’ is derived from the Latin word ‘civitas’ which means a city.

A key in the development of a civilization is the creation of cities.

It indicates a particular stage in the evolution of human history.

 Ogbarn & Nimcoff perceived civilization as the latter phase of the super-organic culture.

Civilization is the outward behavior of human being. Thus civilization is what we use or
have.
Civilization can be defined as highly organized society marked by advanced knowledge of
trade, government, arts, science and often time written language.

We call civilization- a highly developed, complex and stratified society, which
Development of Civilization (cultural evolution)

Savagery

Civilization Barbarism
Ethnic Periods Technological Development
Lower Savagery Invention of speech
Subsistence on fruits and nuts

Middle Savagery Fish subsistence & the use of fire

Upper Savagery Bow and arrow
Lower Barbarism Pottery
Middle Barbarism Domestication of animals
Irrigation in agriculture

Upper Barbarism Iron tools

Civilization (Ancient) Phonetic alphabet, writing, etc.
Civilization (Medieval) Architecture, aristocracy, etc
Civilization (Modern) Steam engine, printing, telegraph, etc
 Characteristics of Civilization
Urban centers
Agricultural manipulation, storage & irrigation
Written language
Social stratification
State government
A common religion and/or ideological outlook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAQAAJo1fI0
 The Growth of Cities
 A City is an area where a large number of people live close together.
 People usually move from rural to towns, to cities.
 It was surrounded by high walls for protection.
 Cities emerged as farmers produced surplus food.
 Conditions in the river valleys favored the development of cities.
 Agriculture manage population.
 The Growth of Cities: Cultural Changes in Transition to Cities

 Agricultural innovation
 Labour diversification
 Emergence of government system
 Social stratification
 Stable Food Supply

 Ensures a stable supply of food

 Domestication of animal and agriculture
 Government System
 Existence of govt. system that directs peoples’ behavior.
 Rules and organizations establish order in society
 Govt. issues laws and collects taxes
 City dwellers contribute to government either by giving labor or harvest
 Practice of bureaucracy
 Govt. ensured food supply and protection in early civilization
 It organizes defense and military
 Govt. builds things for its people, such as roads, bridges, etc.
 Religious System
 Each civilization had a religious system
 Role of religion in the society is significant
 Religious and political leaders often the same in early civilizations
 People engage in religious rituals in hopes of pleasing the gods
 Cities had temples for performing religious rituals
 Gods control natural forces and human activities
 Presence of full-time priests
 Social Structure
 Cities possess a complex social structure
 Breakdown of populations into different classes based on hierarchy
 Division of labour based on social status
 People generally could not move from one social class to another in early civilization

King

Priests and
Nobles
Warriors, officials &
merchants
Peasant farmers and
workers

Slaves
 Job Specialization and Technology
 Creation of job to meet the need of people
 Development of special skills/job specialization
 Invention of technology to enhance the quality of life
 The higher the level of technology, the more advanced culture.
 Writing and Recordkeeping
 Writing systems use symbols to represent spoken sound
 People preserve information
 Merchants keep record of purchases and sales
 Rulers record laws and taxes
 Writing enables to preserve all records accurately
 Scribes (trained writer) kept needed records in early city.
 Increasing use of documents
 Writing is the means of passing knowledge from one generation to another
 Arts and Architecture
 Expression of beliefs and values through literature, drama, music, painting, etc
 Temples and Palaces
 Construction woks done by skilled workers
 Culture of Civilization
• Permanent Institutions
• Social: Rise of classes
• Gender: Patriarchy
• Political: Monarchy, aristocracy, militaries, etc
• Religious: polytheism
• Technology: advanced and complex
• Trade and Commerce
• Systems of Record Keeping
• Intellectual Traditions
• Arts, Architecture
• Literatures
Factors that influence the change of a civilization

• Social evolution
• Cultural diffusion
• Environmental changes
• Migration
• Expansion and warfare
 Theories of the Origin of Civilization

Geographical Theory: geography was the paramount force behind a society’s development.

Nomad Theory: nomads were the founders of state and of complex society.

Social Surplus Theory: improved agricultural technology leads to increasing production,

which allows the formation of larger populations and settlements, and finally cities (the
“Urban revolution”).
Challenge and Response Theory: people achieve civilization as a response to challenge in
a situation of special difficulty.
 Classical theorist Arnold J. Toynbee.
The challange-response theory
• For Toynbee, a civilization might or might not continue to
thrive, depending on the challenges it faced and its responses
to them.
• Toynbee presented history as the rise and fall of civilizations,
rather than the history of nation-states or of ethnic groups.
He identified his civilizations according to cultural or religious
rather than national criteria.
• When a civilization responds to challenges, it grows.
Civilizations declined when their leaders stopped responding
creatively, and the civilizations then sank.
 Life Cycle Stages of Civilization

Growth

Social challenge Breakdown

Disintegration
Stages of a Civilization’s Change as Suggested by Quigley (1961)

Mixture

Gestation
Invasion

Decay Expansion

Universal Age of
empire conflict
Importance of Studying the History of Civilizations

 Understanding the world

 Historical insight
 Historical awareness
 History repeat
 Past lessons
Thank You and Questions???