When, Where, and Why did the State Arise? Ancient Mediterranean History

Immense size of empires achieved through

mix of coercion and consensus

Vital political institution at center of empire building both for ideological building and military force was

kingship (one man rule)

Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution) c. 9500-5000 BCE

Planting of seeds, domestication of crops, and rise of farming, Various possibly independent origins of agriculture, Certain that earliest place of development is Mesopotamia

Around 5000 BCE and especially after 3000 BCE development of larger scale agriculture

Enabled permanent settlements, development of “societies” around 4000 BCE

3000 BCE

State shows up for first time in Mesopotamia between Tigris and Euphrates rivers 

farmers producing more than just what they need to survive in order to feed other people

Allows for division of labor, not all people still preoccupied with growing food to eat

Rainfall in Mesopotamia is not sufficient to grow crops but Tigris and Euphrates exist, except they flood uncontrollably preventing growth

Development of irrigation (aka alluvial) agriculture to direct floodwaters, allowed for larger scale agriculture to sustain larger populations with fewer people involved in agricultural labor