Egyptian Civilization
Background:
The North-east side of the African continent, which is now known as Egypt, was once the centre of the ancient Egyptian civilisation. From 5000 B.C to 3200 B.C, one state emerged on the banks of the Nile River. From this time onwards, Egypt began to influence the ancient civilisations through many contributions.
In the later periods from 3200 B.C, the Early Dynastic Period began, which marked the beginning of the historical eras of Egypt. In this period, Narmer or Menes (known by both names) united the Lower and Upper Egypt and became the first ruler and priest of Egypt. He is known to be the founder of the First Dynasty in Egypt and is honoured as the first Pharaoh. Hence, Egypt under the rules of the Pharaohs began to flourish and leave its mark on the world's civilisations with essential contributions.
Geographical Location:
From a geographical point of view, Egypt was situated in a significant location with three continents surrounding it. The country was located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by Asia, Africa and Europe. In the north of Egypt is the Mediterranean Sea, in the east the Red Sea, and in the west the Sahara Desert, Sudan and other African countries in the south. It has a total area of nearly 400,000 square miles.
Time Frame:
The Egyptian civilisation continued for more than 2500 years. The long and sustaining history of Egypt began in 5000 B.C., particularly in the Neolithic Age. However, Egypt was founded under the leadership of Menes and maintained its glory and zenith for 3000 years. In the 10th century B.C, a barbarous nation of Libya took over the throne from the Pharaohs. In 670-662 B.C, the Assyrians spread their dominance over Egypt. But in 525 B.C, the Persians took over Egypt, and the glorious sun of the ancient Egyptian civilisation finally came to set.
State and Society:
In the Pre-dynastic period, Egypt was divided into small administrative regions. They were called Nomes. The first ruler or the first Pharaoh, Menes or Narmer, in 3200 B.C united the entire Egypt into one state and made Memphis, located in South Egypt, the capital. From then on, Egypt became a unified state, and the dynastic rule emerged. The title Pharaoh originated from the Egyptian term 'Per-o'. The Pharaohs were mighty. They believed that they were the descendants of the Sun God. The title 'Pharaoh' was hereditary. Only the Son of a Pharaoh could inherit the title Pharaoh.
The Egyptians could be divided into particular classes based on their professions, such as the royal family, priests, elites, scribes, traders, artists, farmers and slaves of the land.
The economy of Egypt was basically agriculture-based. The staple agricultural products were wheat, barley, cotton, onion, peach, etc. In trade and commerce, they were equally advanced. The cultivated wheat, sheets of linen, earthen pots, etc., from Egypt were exported to Crete Islands, Phoenicia, Palestine, Syria and other neighbouring countries. The Egyptians imported gold, silver, elephant tusks, and wood from their neighbouring countries.
Nile River:
The Nile River originates from Victoria Lake in Africa. From there, the river ran through different countries and finally, through Egypt, it fell into the Mediterranean Sea. The father of history, Herodotus, aptly said, "Egypt is the gift of the Nile". Without the Nile River, Egypt would have been nothing but a desert. In ancient times, the Nile River flooded every year. After the flood, the land on both sides of the banks would be fertile with the black silt, and Egyptians would cultivate many crops in the silt left behind by the flood water.
Contributions of the Egyptians to Civilisation:
There is no way to dispute the contribution made by the Egyptians to ancient civilisation. Their religious beliefs, art, sculpture, script writing, invention of paper, science and everything is part of the tremendous contributions they have made to the development of civilisations. A very unique characteristic of the Egyptians was that every sphere of their lives was influenced by their religious thoughts and beliefs.
Religious Beliefs of the Egyptians:
There is no nation among the ancient civilisations that were more involved and influenced by religious rituals than the Egyptians. Because of this, many of the philosophical ideas, rules and regulations, rites and ceremonies of human civilisation came from the Egyptians. They worshipped inanimate objects, idols and also animals. Though there have been many changes in their religious views. They had a firm belief that the Sun god 'Ray' or 'Aman Ray' and the God of nature, grain and the river Nile 'Osiris' together ruled over the entire world. However, the most important God to the Egyptians was the Sun god, Ra.
The Egyptians believed that the dead would again come back to life. Therefore, they used to keep dead bodies fresh by making mummies of the dead bodies and creating Pyramids to protect the mummies. The Pharaohs ruled the nation as the representatives of God on earth. They were the chief priests, and they appointed other priests for different services.
Industry:
The paintings and art of the Egyptians are very diverse and historically significant. Similar to other countries, art and painting stemmed from the religious beliefs of the Egyptians. They first started painting to decorate their pyramids and their tombs. The popular colours of the time were black and white. In the tombs, pyramids, temples, palaces, gardens and even on the walls of ordinary households, the Egyptian artists used to draw beautiful and spectacular pictures. These pictures depicted the political, religious, social and family lives of ancient Egypt.
The Egyptian artists also had tremendous achievements in carving and sculpting. The furniture, earthen potware, gold, silver and valuable stone plates, ornaments, mommy's faces, everyday tools, elephant tusks, etc., bear the mark of excellence of the Egyptian craftsmanship.
Sculpture:
No other civilisation has been able to make such a contribution as the Egyptians to the art of sculpting. The greatness of size, diversity of style and the religious fervour found in the large-scale statues reflect the excellence of the sculpting art of the Egyptians. All the statues are influenced by the religious feelings, rituals and philosophy of life and death. Each and every one of the sculptures was in some way or another bearing spiritual artisanship. The most splendid specimen of Egyptian sculpture is the Sphinx in Giza. The Sphinx is a statue that has the body of a lion and the head of a man.
The largest Pyramid in Egypt is Pharaoh Khufu's pyramid. The temples of Egypt also reflect the beautiful work of sculpting of this great civilisation.
Writing System and the Invention of Paper:
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