What do you think of when you think about a civilization? What do you feel defines the essence of what it mean to be a civilization? To me I think of modern and ancient cultures that possess the qualities to have the right to be titled a “Civilization”. Ancient India had these things. It had all seven of the characteristics that define what it means to be a civilization. Of course theses characteristics are based on the place and times the civilization was developing. These characteristics are what make that civilization special. Now, let's go in-depth on the seven characteristics that ancient India possessed.
The first characteristic of a great civilization is the maintenance of social structure. In ancient India this was done though a hierarchical class structure composed of 5 distinct classes. These were the Raja, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra classes. The Raja class was the high ruling class of all of ancient India and headed by a king who was referred to as “The Raja”. The Raja king had absolute power and control over the people and resources. Brahmins were teachers and priests, who were highly respected, because they were the leaders of education and religion. Their contribution was essential to in helping ancient India become a great civilization. Kshatriya were the warriors of India who defended the region from outside enemies. Their class was considered to be below the Brahmins. Vaisya and Sudra were the laborers and peasant classes. Even though they were below the Kshatriya class, these people were vital in the daily functioning of the overall society. This social structure kept order in the Indian domain.
The second major characteristic of a great civilization is a steady food supply. Without this food supply there could be no life. This is required in order to have a large population which makes up the civilization. In ancient India, their staple food was rice. This was the main food that they farmed. Also, a large amount of their food came directly from a major river called the Indus River which provided acres of fertile soil to grow abundant crops. In addition, they were very well-knowing of the wild life that surrounded them and knew many foods that could be used from nature. This allow for a stable food supply to maintain a steady growing population.
The third characteristic that defines a great civilization is writings that are produced. It lets the people communicate with each other over long distances and keep records of commerce, history and religions documents. Without all the writings that were produced, many things we know about ancient India would not be known today, since we rely on those writings produced so many years ago. Ancient India had two major forms of writing: Brahmi and Kharosthi. Brahmi was for formal writing, like for religious books and royal script. And Kharosthi was for common writing, like from one person to another in a friendly letter. Such writes show us the richness and height of the civilization.
The fourth characteristic is the development of technology which made life easier for everyone in ancient India. Using technology, they made life easier by cutting down on labor. India was one of the first of its time to create a type of device that helped take wool yarn and make it into a fabric that could be used to make clothing. This was done at a very high rate compared to other civilizations that did weaving by hand. They were also one of the first to use the wheel which enhanced transportation and made heavy loads fast and easy to move. These technological advancements helped make them a civilization.
The fifth characteristic is the establishment of a stable and effective government. During the early parts of ancient India, the government was based on tribal leaders because during the beginning stages of ancient India, most of the area was nomadic. Later on, they developed a government which was more unified with high-up kings. They also had government officials that would advise the king. The king was the one who kept India going, he had taxes and collected and managed the food supply. Without a government India wouldn’t have been a civilization.
The sixth characteristic of civilization is arts. Arts of ancient India had been a part in the creation on the civilization. They changed a lot though the development of ancient India. As eras changed and new rulers took over from different areas they brought in their own influences on the art. They also had many new things come into India, which brought change to the arts. Arts also included music which was a very diverse thing in this area, they had many different forms of music that had a different sound and feel. With all these arts it made civilization in ancient India possible.
The seventh and final characteristic of civilization is religion. In ancient India it was a very important part of it being a civilization. In ancient India they were 80% Hinduism, this was the majority religion, as it was the one most practiced. To many, religion is something practiced often. They went to the Hindu temples for help in times of trouble. To them, religion was a way to have joy and for enlightenment from everyday life. With religion they were able to be a civilization.
Ancient India was a civilization because it had every characteristic. It was able to grow and develop since it was advanced and able to maintain in every field of civilization. They have been able to continue to even modern day as a civilization still growing bigger and bigger. Without these characteristics, ancient India would not have advanced as well – If at all – as it is has today.
