Would you mind reading my essay?

DavidRobrtsn1231
Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:53:01 +0000

Dear readers, this was one of my timed writings that i did by myself for the AP World History Test. If you wouldnt mind critiqueing it I would be very happy. Also tips for the AP test are helpful too!!!

Thank you!

“Compare and Contrast the ways that civilization took shape in two of the following regions: sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Mesoamerica”
BY: David Robertson
Throughout the millennium before year 1 of the common era, the world was filled with societies that were just in their lower stages of growth. Two prominent examples were the societies of classical India and Mesoamerica. Despite the similarities in the origins of civilization in India and Mesoamerica, the differences in this area were more influential in India’s establishment as a more prominent society in global affairs.
As India and Mesoamerica started to become more populated, civilizations began to form in similar ways. Both India and Mesoamerica both started on the foundation of agriculture. Small villages, like Teotihuacan and villages along the Indus river, started to become populated with more and more people because there was a greater agricultural yield leading to a more healthy and long living population. Another similarity between these societies was that they both organized into prominent states. In India, the society of Harappa was formed and was a prominent society, as well as the Olmec people in Mesoamerica. By having strong states in these areas, a distinct culture and society formed which led to their overall success because of their better organization. Civilization in India and Mesoamerica started similarly in that they both had distinct religions. The Mayan people and Aryan people both had distinct gods, like India’s Vishnu, which governed their philosophy behind their culture. These polytheistic religions explained natural disasters, death, birth, aging and even creation, like the Chavin cult which believed that people were made from corn. The origins of these societies also were similar because they both had a distinct social hierarchy. The Indian Aryan civilization used the very rigid caste system, which separated people into Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras and the Mesoamerican societies used social distinctions to show that religious leaders, warriors and kings were at the top of their society and peasants, workers, and slaves were at the bottom. The common presence of societal distinctions made both of these societies had a more effective organization to maintain the status quo and quell uprisings which led to a more peaceful, and in turn, successful society.
Although there were many similarities in the early civilizations of India and Mesoamerica, the differences really exemplify that India was the overall more successful society. While the early Mesoamerican societies like the Maya, Olmec and Aztec all traded a small amount, the Indian subcontinent and the societies on it traded a great deal more. The Mesoamerican cultures were forced to trade among themselves due to the fact that they were isolated mostly on the isthmus that is Mesoamerica. The India societies, however, were able to trade a long distance because of their strategic location on the Indian ocean. Because empires like the Mauryan and Gupta were able to trade more easily and readily, their societies were able to experience a greater wealth and prosperity than Mesoamerica. Also, the Indian subcontinent had a very strategic location in that it was protected on most sides by things like the Himalayas, Hindu-Kush mountains, and the Indian ocean. This contrasted greatly with the societies of Mesoamerica who were all vying for land in the smaller space. Because India didn’t have as much fighting of regional wars, they were able to focus more on the cultural aspects of their societies, like the invention of algebra in the Gupta empire or the use of sewage systems in Harappa. The presence of draft animals also was a great contrast between both societies and how they originated. In Mesoamerica there were no large draft animals, but in India, the presence of cows, and later horses from the Aryans who took over, allowed that society to travel faster, build faster and even have a more nutritious and protein rich meal, enhancing the quality of life. The agricultural techniques of these two societies also contrasted greatly and were essential in their unique developments. The society of India, had a large amount of fertile land because of the presence of rivers like the Indus river. This meant that the more temperate and nutrient rich soil was better for farming. In Mesoamerica however, techniques like slash and burn, or the Aztec system of chinampas, were difficult to accommodate a large number of people. Therefore, it was harder to maintain a larger population of people especially if they were growing when compared to India.
Ultimately, the differences between the evolution of India and Mesoamerica were more influential in the realization that India was a more successful and stable society. The presence of a stable agricultural system was key in the maintenance of a healthy society as well as its strategic location with protection from other groups of people on much of its borders. There were similarities in these two societies’ evolution, like the presence of polytheism and a distinct social class system, but overall their differences were more favorable to India, who later used its stronger base of civilization to become a very prominent player in the world of trade in the Indian ocean basin in the postclassical era.

*** I didn’t look at the book 1 time…. If it sucks… OH WELL!***

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