What Are The Similarities Between Ancient Egypt And Ancient India

Ancient Egypt and Ancient India, also called Indus, had many similarities in culture and social order. Both civilizations had unique attributes with in their cultural histories. The Egyptian people lived by the Pharaoh’s word is law. They believed in Ma’at, which means truth, order, and balance. They believed that every individual’s soul was the Ka and that Ba is the expression of people’s power, presence and personality. While in Ancient India the belief was Hinduism or Buddhism. The Indus followed in Buddha’s Eightfold Path the Right View, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Meditation. These beliefs formed the foundational base to both civilizations everyday lives. Both civilizations were polytheistic. The Egyptians saw their gods as kind, caring, and benign. In addition to the gods, the Indus believed animals were sacred, including the bull.
(Acrobatiq, 2014), (Wikipedia, n.d.)
Unlike the Indus, who developed Sanskrit much later in their history, the Egyptians developed Hieroglyphics early in their civilization.
Hieroglyphics, meaning “sacred carvings,” was a system of pictures and symbols. Initially the writing system was used to record sacred texts. It continued to develop and was used for central government and state affairs. Only those who belonged to the aristocracy class had the means to afford to master Hieroglyphics. Scribes class held an important position in the Egyptian class system. A tool called a stylus was developed, and scribes wrote on papyrus. Papyrus was a plant that grew in abundance. The stem of the papyrus plant was used to make a paper-like
product.
(Acrobatiq, 2014), (Wikipedia, n.d.) In Ancient India, a caste system was implemented to separate society based on ethnicity and occupation. Members of a particular caste had to marry, eat and drink with, follow the rules and regulations of, the caste to which they belonged. One’s caste was inherited from their family. The Brahmins were at the top of the caste, made up of priests and spiritual leaders. Next, was the Kshatriya, a warrior caste that provided protection. After, came the Vaishya, which was made up of merchants, farmers, and skilled laborers. The last caste was the Shudra, made up of mostly commoners who were primarily servants to the upper castes. The Ancient Egyptian social structure was made up of social statuses. Farmers made up the majority of the population. Artisans and craftsman were a higher status than the farmers. Scribes and officials, known as the “white kilt class,” made up the upper class. Contrary to the Indus, the ancient Egyptians viewed men and women from all classes as equal under the law.
(Acrobatiq, 2014), (Wikipedia, n.d.)

Traditional clothing in the Indus region was mostly different kinds of drapery. Women wore a sari. A sari is a long roll of fabric, wrapped around the waist and hung over the shoulder. Men wore a dhoti, a baggy pant made out of a long piece of fabric wrapped around both legs. Men also would wear a kurta, a dress like shirt. Both men and women wore jewelry, including bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. Egyptians’ main clothing material was linen. Women mostly wore long shoulder strapped dresses. While the men wore a shendyt, a wraparound skirt. They belted it and paired it with a light tunic or blouse. Feathers were commonly wore as well. Like the Indus, jewelry was part of their attire, Egyptians wore precious gems and jewels.
(Acrobatiq, 2014), (Wikipedia, n.d.) The Egyptians were innovators of technology. They created many monumental structures and pyramids. Egyptians had vast knowledge of astronomy, studied medicine and were believed to have developed geometry. They took part in massive canalization of farmland, and created irrigation systems that worked with the predictability of the Nile River’s flooding. The Indus civilization created a system of weight and measurements. They created cities in grid like patterns. Waste was removed from homes and used for fertilization of crops threw an elaborate drainage system. The Indus used baked bricks instead of sun-dried bricks, which were more durable.
(Acrobatiq, 2014), (Wikipedia, n.d.) In conclusion, both Ancient Egypt and Ancient India established civilizations with technological developments which have been expanded upon and used today. Both were in a location conducive to agriculture and trade. Culturally there are differences in beliefs, but there was a defined social hierarchy among both civilizations. Although, the Egyptians and Indus had different religious beliefs and worshiped differently, what remains the same is that their religious beliefs were the pillar of their cultures.
(Acrobatiq, 2014), (Wikipedia, n.d.)