Second Wave Empires Research Paper
Juliet Ume-Ezeoke
Nave
World History AP
8 October 2014
Comparing and Contrasting Second Wave Empires and River Valley Societies
While some differences between second wave empires and river valley societies are noticeable, the similarities are far more pronounced. In comparison to the initial civilizations discussed in chapter two, the second wave empires were much larger and significantly more powerful. However this is nothing special because through much of history, empires and political organizations grew continuously stronger and held more authority, parallel to the development and understanding of humans. In contrast, second wave empires maintained many of the traits of the initial such as the practice of monarchs, patriarchy, …show more content…
If loss of egalitarian values were a detrimental factor in the formation of river valley then the scale of hierarchy, patriarchy, and monarchy in the second wave empires could be considered ruinous. This unfair treatment of human beings was an unfortunate trait that both civilizations and empires shared. Hierarchies of class came about as one of the major turning points of human history in the first civilizations though unequal distribution of wealth and resources, ant were solidified by laws that kept them in place. In Mesopotamia, the Code of Hammurabi declared that if a commoner was strike to a man of his rank he would only have to pay a small fine, but if he dared to touch a man of a senior rank he would be reprimanded severely by being publicly whipped. Likewise, class differences played an important role in second-wave civilizations. In the Mauryan and Gupta empires, the caste system was an indicator of spiritual development, one 's position, and whether or not they were pure. Additionally, under Qin and Han dynasties there was sever class hierarchy with dominance of bureaucratic elites which gave rise to peasant rebellions. Patriarchy was also present in both river-valley societies and second wave empires. What started out as men and women playing equal roles in society soon turned to women staying at home and taking care of children while men went out to farm and fight in wars. This led to ideology that men were to be regarded as higher than women in society. Evidence of this can also be observed in Mesopotamian laws which dictated that men could hold certain privileges while women could not, such as being considered as a victim of rape. This way of thinking can also be found in Roman society. Centuries of empire building and warfare led to idea that a man could hold absolute control over his wife and had the right to kill her
Nave
World History AP
8 October 2014
Comparing and Contrasting Second Wave Empires and River Valley Societies
While some differences between second wave empires and river valley societies are noticeable, the similarities are far more pronounced. In comparison to the initial civilizations discussed in chapter two, the second wave empires were much larger and significantly more powerful. However this is nothing special because through much of history, empires and political organizations grew continuously stronger and held more authority, parallel to the development and understanding of humans. In contrast, second wave empires maintained many of the traits of the initial such as the practice of monarchs, patriarchy, …show more content…
If loss of egalitarian values were a detrimental factor in the formation of river valley then the scale of hierarchy, patriarchy, and monarchy in the second wave empires could be considered ruinous. This unfair treatment of human beings was an unfortunate trait that both civilizations and empires shared. Hierarchies of class came about as one of the major turning points of human history in the first civilizations though unequal distribution of wealth and resources, ant were solidified by laws that kept them in place. In Mesopotamia, the Code of Hammurabi declared that if a commoner was strike to a man of his rank he would only have to pay a small fine, but if he dared to touch a man of a senior rank he would be reprimanded severely by being publicly whipped. Likewise, class differences played an important role in second-wave civilizations. In the Mauryan and Gupta empires, the caste system was an indicator of spiritual development, one 's position, and whether or not they were pure. Additionally, under Qin and Han dynasties there was sever class hierarchy with dominance of bureaucratic elites which gave rise to peasant rebellions. Patriarchy was also present in both river-valley societies and second wave empires. What started out as men and women playing equal roles in society soon turned to women staying at home and taking care of children while men went out to farm and fight in wars. This led to ideology that men were to be regarded as higher than women in society. Evidence of this can also be observed in Mesopotamian laws which dictated that men could hold certain privileges while women could not, such as being considered as a victim of rape. This way of thinking can also be found in Roman society. Centuries of empire building and warfare led to idea that a man could hold absolute control over his wife and had the right to kill her