Many inventions such as use of fire, rearing of animals for milk and meat, new weapons, tools, utensils, fishing nets, clay pots, discovery of weaving and building of huts and houses, new means and methods of transport, such as animals and carts etc. have brought revolutionary changes and given rise to new arts, crafts and occupations.
Most of the civilizations in the world developed on the banks of the rivers. The places where humans settled first were naturally those parts of the world where the soil was rich and water available for drinking and irrigation, wide and flat lands through which great rivers ran and had a warm climate. Humans appeared about 5.6 million years ago but started civilized life only 7000 years ago.
Around 6000 B.C.E humans made the most important discovery i.e. the ‘Discovery of the cultivation of land Agriculture’ which brought a great change in the way of their living. Agriculture bound humans to the soil assured them food throughout the year and fodder for their animals.
1. The quotation “Moving wheels made the Civilizations”: Is noteworthy. The invention of moving wheel by humans brought major changes in the profession of potters, carpenters, blacksmiths, rope makers and transport system. It also increased the pace of growth of civilizations. Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, etc were the first sites of human settlements. In these regions, humans first formed groups to live together, Valleys of the rivers like the Nile, Euphrates, and Tigris, Indus, Huwang-Ho, and Yangtse-Sikiang, etc., have helped the great civilizations to flourish. Hence the river valleys are called the Cradles of Civilizations.
The factors that helped the growth of Civilizations are as follows:
1. Deposition of fertile alluvial soil caused by the river floods.
2. Continuous and uninterrupted supply of water for irrigation and domestic purposes.
3. Favorable climate generally found on the river valleys.
4. Plenty of food, fruits, and vegetables for the humans and fodder for their animals.
5. River valleys helped fishing.
6. They helped the growth of trade and communication by providing means of transport.
The above factors reduced the burden on the humans in wandering for food and the risk of life. They started to settle down at one place and formed groups and communities, which later evolved into villages, towns, and cities. They started to become civilized. The leisure gave them the opportunity to discover metals, make tools and weapons, start building their homes, etc.
The characteristics of a civilization are as given below:
1. Group of people having a specific livelihood and specific settlement patterns.
2. Group of people having a specific pattern of administration.
3. Group of people having a specific social pattern and unique cultural traits.
4. Humans during different ages invented various metals and learnt their uses.
5. The growth of civilization necessitated the need for internal and external security.
6. It gave rise to a complex administrative system with bureaucracy and accounting which necessitated writing.
