Which country is the most ancient in the world. See what “States of the Ancient World” are in other dictionaries
The first states appeared in the southern regions of our planet, where there were the most favorable natural and geographical conditions for this. They originated around the same period, about five thousand years ago.
What is the reason for the emergence of a new type of social relations?
When and why the first states appeared, that is, their origin, is one of the controversial issues in science. According to the version of the famous German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, the state arises in the process of increasing the role of property and the emergence of a class of wealthy people. They, in turn, need a special apparatus to protect their interests and maintain influence over their fellow tribesmen. Undoubtedly, this phenomenon took place, but it was not the only thing that contributed to the emergence of the state. There is also a theory according to which a new type of organization of society was a consequence of the need to control and distribute resources, a kind of supreme manager of economic objects, in order to effectively develop them; this method of organizing the state is most applicable to Ancient Egypt, where the irrigation system was the main economic object.
Criteria for their appearance
When and why did the first natural process arise, which occurred everywhere, but in different periods. In ancient times, the basis of life for all people was agriculture and cattle breeding. In order for it to develop successfully, appropriate natural and climatic conditions were necessary. Therefore, they settled mainly along the banks of large rivers, which made it possible to fully satisfy people's needs for this important resource. The location of the water source was of particular importance: the further south it is, the warmer the climate and, accordingly, more favorable opportunities for agriculture. Here you can harvest not just once, as in most of the world, but several times a year. This gave the peoples living in these regions an undoubted advantage in developing methods of livelihood and obtaining surplus product.
The most ancient regions of state building
Mesopotamia, or Mesopotamia, is a very favorable region for agriculture, a mild, warm climate, excellent location and the presence of two large rivers of Western Asia - the Tigris and Euphrates - provided the necessary amount of water for the development of the irrigation system and irrigation method of land use. The people inhabiting these lands were less dependent on the vagaries of the weather than others, so they could receive stable and rich harvests. Approximately the same situation developed in the valley of the largest river in Africa - the Nile. But in order to build complexes, it was necessary to organize the collective work of a large number of people, otherwise it was simply impossible to create effective agriculture. This is how the first prototypes originated and this is where the first states appeared, but these, strictly speaking, were not yet completely state formations. These were their embryos, from which the most ancient countries of the world were subsequently formed.
The vicissitudes of socio-economic and political components in ancient countries
The city-states emerging in these territories begin to control a strictly defined area. Relations between neighbors were always tense and often led to conflicts. Many independent associations hampered the economic development of this region and the stronger rulers realized this, so they gradually try to subjugate a large territory to their power, where they establish uniform orders. It is according to this scheme that two strong and large kingdoms appear in the Nile Valley - Northern, or Upper, Egypt and Southern, or Lower, Egypt. The rulers of both kingdoms had fairly strong power and an army. However, luck smiled on the king of Upper Egypt, in a fierce struggle he defeated his southern rival, and around 3118 he conquered the kingdom of Lower Egypt, and Mina became the first pharaoh of a united Egypt and the founder of the state, which is when and why the first states appeared.
Egypt - the first state
Now all the fruitful resources of the Nile were concentrated in the hands of one ruler, all the conditions appeared for the development of a unified state system of irrigated agriculture, and now the one who controlled it had significant material resources. The fragmentation that was weakening the country was replaced by a strong, unified state, and the further development of Egypt perfectly demonstrates all the positive aspects of this process. For many years, this country dominated the entire Middle East region. Another favorable region of the Earth, Mesopotamia, could not overcome the centrifugal forces; the city-states that existed here could not unite under the rule of a single monarch. Therefore, constant conflicts destabilized the political and economic situation, which made it possible for Egypt to get ahead, and soon the Sumerian states fell into the sphere of influence of the Egyptian state, and then other powerful states in the region. But it is not possible to say which state appeared first with chronological accuracy, so Egypt is considered the first state on the planet.
Theories of the genesis of political entities
The most objective theory on the question of when and why the first states appeared is the one according to which a fairly stable social structure of society has already been formed, and the state that is formed as a result of these processes and phenomena is only a pattern designed to ensure the necessary stability of the entire social system. That's when and why the first states appeared. This path applies to all power relations in human history. But much more, it can also be a hostile environment, which contributes to the consolidation of society, strengthening the role of the individual, which is the ruler. Borrowings from surrounding more developed nations also play an important role. The religious and ideological component also contributes to this; it is enough to recall Muhammad, the founder of the new religion of Islam, and the importance it played in the formation. Therefore, the first states appeared as a result of a set of conditions, but the main criterion was still the level of economic development.
Summing up
The first states were mainly based on force; power always presupposes submission. And in the conditions of the ancient world, it was the only way to preserve vast territories, often inhabited by very different and dissimilar tribes. Therefore, many states arose as unique organizations for fruitful development, but did not interfere in local affairs, demanding only the fulfillment of certain duties and obedience. Often it was of a formal nature, because of this the first states were extremely unstable.
February 04, 2014
Old light
No wonder Europe is called the “old world”. A continent with a long history, located in the Northern Hemisphere between Africa and Asia, received its name from the Phoenician princess Europa, the heroine of ancient mythology.
On the territory of modern Europe there are 43 states. It is known that the first people came here 35 thousand years ago from India and Africa. And the oldest countries of the European continent arose in the 4th-6th centuries BC. e. Many of them disappeared or became part of other states. For example, the oldest state on the island of Crete, which appeared 500 years before the founding of ancient Greek settlements, died as a result of a volcanic eruption. But there are countries that have existed for many centuries in a row.
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is considered the oldest existing country on the European continent. A small country is located in Italy in the east of the Apennine Peninsula. Its area is 61 square meters. km. Despite its more than modest size, San Marino has all the attributes of statehood: its own flag, anthem, parliament, which exercises control over 9 fortress districts. The state fully justifies its motto - “Freedom!” Throughout the 17 centuries of its existence and to this day, the country has not been involved in political confrontations and wars.
San Marino
The founding day of the free Republic of San Marino is considered to be September 3, 301, and the state constitution dates back to October 8, 1600. The first settlement was founded by the stonecutter Marino on Mount Titano, where to this day the capital of the same name, San Marino, is located, bearing the name of its founder.
Marino was one of the first representatives of Christianity who, with like-minded people, fled from his native Dalmatia from the ancient Roman ruler Diocletian, who was famous for his cruelty towards Christians. A Christian community led by Marino settled on the plateau of Mount Titano, which became the beginning of the settlement.
Bulgaria rightfully belongs to the category of old countries and has 1332 years of history. The first ancestors of the Bulgarians moved to the territory of the Black Sea region, the Azov region and the North Caucasus in the 1st-3rd centuries. The emergence of Old Great Bulgaria dates back to 632. The state was founded by Khan Kubrat, who managed to liberate the territory from the power of the Avars. Before this period, the Bulgarians were not united into one state; their lands passed from one powerful warrior to another.
Under Khan Kubrat, the Bulgarian Khanate became a major military-political force. But, after a few decades, the country fell apart. In 681, Danube Bulgaria appeared, which expanded its lands to neighboring territories in the Danube Delta and Moesia.
One of the most beautiful cities in Bulgaria is Sofia, where the oldest cathedrals and historical architectural monuments are located. The construction of the Church of St. Sophia dates back to the 6th century. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church on the Balkan Peninsula with an area of 2600 square meters. m.
Bavaria, a region on the territory of modern Germany, has retained its name unchanged since the 7th century. These lands were inhabited in ancient times by the Celts, whose nation later mixed with the Romans and Germans.
Bavaria begins its history with Roman settlements. The Romans founded a number of fortified cities: Regensburg, Augsburg, Passau. Then there were duchies conquered at the end of the 8th century by Charlemagne. The Bavarian lands became part of the Frankish Empire.
Open air museums
Today Bavaria is a free, dynamically developing state on German territory.
European cities are rightfully considered open-air museums. Visiting the sites of ancient settlements in Europe can become a journey to ancient states with their numerous castles, cathedrals and fortresses.
The first states began to appear in Mesopotamia, Iran and in the 4th millennium BC. , which reigned before the development of silver and gold, was coming to an end in these territories, but continued to develop in other parts of the planet. However, even today in remote corners of our world you can find small settlements living in primitive communities.
What caused the emergence of the state? First of all, the main factor was the climate. If a person is engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding in relatively favorable conditions, in a warm climate and with sufficient water, then food products gradually accumulate, which makes it possible to engage in other activities with plenty of food.
With sufficient supplies of food, it was already possible to devote oneself to the craft, studying stone and metal objects, as well as dishes and jewelry. It was already possible to share your products with neighbors, who in return gave something of their own - food, for example.
The larger the village, the more important self-organization is, so almost everywhere there were some kind of leaders. As a rule, these were elderly people with accumulated experience and knowledge of rituals. If any conflicts, feuds or quarrels arose, they went straight to the elder, who, at first, had only authority, but no benefit from his position.
But with the increase in numbers, it was necessary not only to lead people, but also to plan. For example, public works were required on rivers and forests. People needed to be set up, the prospects and benefits of joint efforts explained. And if everything worked out, then the surplus of the same grain was already public property in the form of a reserve in case of crop failure or for exchange with communities nearby.
The elders could not combine such multifaceted and labor-intensive work on organizing collective labor with personal farming, so over time, leaders began to work for the common good, receiving part of the jointly produced products from the reserve.
Given the strong family ties between residents of neighboring villages, some issues had to be resolved jointly. Communities elected their representatives, chief priests, to resolve such issues.
Gradually, first cemented by family ties, and later by neighbors, the settlements unite into urban formations, which will become the first city-states.
The nobility, which led the first prototypes of states, developed as a class gradually. First, other dwellings, special forms of life and luxury goods appeared. Over time, the gap between the leaders and fellow tribesmen increased, but was not significant or fundamental.
The strength of the first state formations was evidenced by the presence of monumental structures. This could only appear with the efforts of a large number of people organized by work. For example, these are temples, megaliths and pyramids in Ancient Egypt.
According to scientists, the first state formations, headed by leaders, existed from the 3rd millennium BC. and up to the early Middle Ages.
Abstracts were prepared based on materials from the German magazine "Illustrierte Wissenschaft".
From the school history course we know about the emergence of the first states on earth with their unique way of life, culture and art. The distant and largely mysterious life of people of past times excited and awakened imagination. And, probably, for many it would be interesting to see maps of the greatest empires of antiquity, placed side by side. Such a comparison makes it possible to feel the size of the once gigantic state formations and the place they occupied on Earth and in the history of mankind.
Egypt. The empire reached its greatest size in 1450 BC. e.
Greece. The dark areas on the map indicate the lands where Greek culture flourished.
Persia. The territory of the empire in 500 BC. e.
India. The country's territory reached its largest size in 250 BC. e.
China occupied such territory in 221 BC. e.
The Roman Empire at its peak - the beginning of the 2nd century AD.
Byzantium in its heyday - VI century.
Arab Caliphate. It reached its greatest size in 632 AD. e. A118 years later, the area of the Caliphate was significantly reduced (dark shading).
The state is an ancient social entity and means a territory occupied by a settled population subject to the same authority. Ancient thinkers already thought about the essence of government. For example, the Greek philosopher Aristotle saw in the state the final natural form of community life, important for man, who by nature is a “political being.” Moreover, he considered the state “an environment for a completely happy life.”
In the Middle Ages and later, the concept of “state” began to include contractual principles between a person and the supreme power. In the state of nature, a person lacks not rights, the English thinkers of the 17th century John Milton and John Locke believed, but their security, which he finds in a state established by agreement precisely for this purpose.
A true son of the age of enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau saw the meaning of the formation of a state in respecting the interests of each of its citizens. People need it in order to “find a form of union that would protect and ensure the personality and property of each member of society so that each, connecting with others, would obey only himself and would remain as free as before.” “Freedom is not alienable” is the main position of Rousseau.
Even 8-9 thousand years ago, people began to switch to a sedentary lifestyle. Agriculture and the first domestic animals appeared. The so-called Neolithic revolution took place, which brought people to new living conditions. Agriculture could already provide people with sufficient food, so hunting and gathering receded into the background. There was a division of labor between members of the same group, with leaders who governed communities of people. Over time, the need for public buildings arose, and the construction of palaces, temples, and fortresses began. Writing and the beginnings of arithmetic, astronomy and medicine appeared.
Rivers played a huge role in the formation of early civilizations. A river is not only a waterway, but also a stable harvest; it is no coincidence that it was in those distant times that people began to build canals and dams. But since the scattered tribes could not afford large reclamation buildings, groups of farmers united. The first state formations arose in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, where a flourishing culture developed.
Modern archaeologists and historians identify several conditions that give the right to call ancient communities of people a state. The first of them is no less than five thousand people who worship the same gods. Power is equipped with an apparatus of officials, and writing is indispensable, existing in any form. Large buildings - palaces and temples - are also an obligatory attribute of statehood. The population is divided into specialties so that everyone can no longer do everything for themselves and their family. So, along with priests and soldiers, artists, philosophers, builders, blacksmiths, weavers, potters, reapers, merchants and so on appeared.
The ancient empires that played their role in human history had all of the above conditions. But in addition, they were characterized by long-term political stability and well-established communications to the most remote outskirts, without which it is impossible to manage vast territories. All great empires had large armies: the passion for conquest was almost manic. And the rulers of such states sometimes achieved impressive successes, subjugating vast lands on which giant empires arose. But time passed, and the giant left the historical stage.
First Empire
Egypt. 3000-30 BC
This empire lasted three millennia - longer than any other. The state arose, according to the latest data, more than 3000 years BC, and when the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt took place (2686-2181), the so-called Old Kingdom was formed. The entire life of the country was connected with the Nile River, with its fertile valley and delta near the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt was ruled by a pharaoh (the word means food warehouse), governors and officials were in place, and in general social life in the country was quite developed (see “Science and Life” No. 1, 1997 - “The Stone Age is not over yet” - and No. 5, 1997 - “Ancient Egypt. Pyramid of Power”). The elite of society included officers, scribes, land surveyors and local priests. The pharaoh was considered a living deity, and performed all the most important sacrifices himself.
The Egyptians fanatically believed in the afterlife; cultural objects and majestic buildings - pyramids and temples - were dedicated to it. The walls of the burial chambers, covered with hieroglyphs, told more about the life of the ancient state than other archaeological finds.
The history of Egypt falls into two periods. The first is from its foundation until 332 BC, when the country was conquered by Alexander the Great. And the second period is the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty - the descendants of one of the generals Alexander the Great. In 30 BC, Egypt was conquered by a younger and more powerful empire - the Roman Empire.
Cradle of Western Culture
Greece. 700-146 BC
People settled the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula tens of thousands of years ago. But only from the 7th century BC can we talk about Greece as a large, culturally homogeneous entity, although with reservations: the country was a union of city-states that united during times of external threat, such as, for example, to repel Persian aggression.
Culture, religion and, above all, language were the framework within which the history of this country took place. In 510 BC, most cities were freed from the autocracy of the kings. Athens was soon ruled by democracy, but only male citizens had the right to vote.
The polity, culture and science of Greece became a model and an inexhaustible source of wisdom for almost all later European states. Already Greek scientists wondered about life and the Universe. It was in Greece that the foundations of such sciences as medicine, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy were laid. Greek culture ceased to develop when the Romans conquered the country. The decisive battle took place in 146 BC near the city of Corinth, when the troops of the Greek Achaean League were defeated.
The Dominion of the "King of Kings"
Persia. 600-331 BC
In the 7th century BC, the nomadic tribes of the Iranian Highlands rebelled against Assyrian rule. The winners founded the state of Media, which later, together with Babylonia and other neighboring countries, became a world power. By the end of the 6th century BC, it, led by Cyrus II and then his successors belonging to the Achaemenid dynasty, continued its conquests. In the west, the lands of the empire faced the Aegean Sea, in the east its border ran along the Indus River, in the south, in Africa, its possessions reached the first rapids of the Nile. (Most of Greece was occupied during the Greco-Persian War by the troops of the Persian king Xerxes in 480 BC.)
The monarch was called the "King of Kings", he stood at the head of the army and was the supreme judge. The domains were divided into 20 satrapies, where the king's viceroy ruled in his name. The subjects spoke four languages: Old Persian, Babylonian, Elamite and Aramaic.
In 331 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the hordes of Darius II, the last of the Achaemenid dynasty. Thus ended the history of this great empire.
Peace and love - for everyone
India. 322-185 BC
The legends dedicated to the history of India and its rulers are very fragmentary. Little information dates back to the time when the founder of the religious teaching, Buddha (566-486 BC), the first real person in the history of India, lived.
In the first half of the 1st millennium BC, many small states arose in the northeastern part of India. One of them - Magadha - rose to prominence thanks to successful wars of conquest. King Ashoka, who belonged to the Maurya dynasty, expanded his possessions so much that they occupied almost all of present-day India, Pakistan and part of Afghanistan. Administrative officials and a strong army obeyed the king. At first, Ashoka was known as a cruel commander, but, becoming a follower of the Buddha, he preached peace, love and tolerance and received the nickname “The Convert.” This king built hospitals, fought deforestation, and pursued a soft policy towards his people. His decrees that have reached us, carved on rocks and columns, are the oldest, accurately dated epigraphic monuments of India, telling about government, social relations, religion and culture.
Even before his rise, Ashoka divided the population into four castes. The first two were privileged - priests and warriors. The invasion of the Bactrian Greeks and internal strife in the country led to the collapse of the empire.
The beginning of more than two thousand years of history
China. 221-210 BC
During the period called Zhanyu in the history of China, many years of struggle waged by many small kingdoms brought victory to the kingdom of Qin. It united the conquered lands and in 221 BC formed the first Chinese empire led by Qin Shi Huang. The emperor carried out reforms that strengthened the young state. The country was divided into districts, military garrisons were established to maintain order and tranquility, a network of roads and canals was built, equal education was introduced for officials, and a single monetary system operated throughout the kingdom. The monarch established an order in which people were obliged to work where the interests and needs of the state required it. Even such a curious law was introduced: all carts must have an equal distance between the wheels so that they move along the same tracks. During the same reign, the Great Wall of China was created: it connected separate sections of defensive structures built earlier by the northern kingdoms.
In 210, Qing Shi Huang died. But subsequent dynasties left intact the foundations for building an empire laid by its founder. In any case, the last dynasty of Chinese emperors ceased to exist at the beginning of this century, and the borders of the state remain practically unchanged to this day.
An army that maintains order
Rome. 509 BC - 330 AD
In 509 BC, the Romans expelled the Etruscan king Tarquin the Proud from Rome. Rome became a republic. By 264 BC, her troops captured the entire Apennine Peninsula. After this, expansion began in all directions of the world, and by 117 AD the state stretched its borders from west to east - from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea, and from south to north - from the rapids of the Nile and the coast of all of North Africa to the borders with Scotland and along the lower reaches of the Danube.
For 500 years, Rome was governed by two annually elected consuls and a senate, which was in charge of state property and finances, foreign policy, military affairs and religion.
In 30 BC, Rome became an empire led by Caesar, and essentially a monarch. The first Caesar was Augustus. A large and well-trained army participated in the construction of a huge network of roads, their total length being more than 80,000 kilometers. Excellent roads made the army very mobile and allowed it to quickly reach the most remote corners of the empire. The proconsuls appointed by Rome in the provinces - governors and officials loyal to Caesar - also helped keep the country from collapse. This was facilitated by the settlements of soldiers who had served in the conquered lands.
The Roman state, unlike many other giants of the past, fully corresponded to the concept of “empire”. It also became a model for future contenders for world domination. European countries inherited a lot from the culture of Rome, as well as the principles of building parliaments and political parties.
Uprisings of peasants, slaves and urban plebs, and the increasing pressure of Germanic and other barbarian tribes from the north forced Emperor Constantine I to move the capital of the state to the city of Byzantium, later called Constantinople. This happened in 330 AD. After Constantine, the Roman Empire was actually divided into two - Western and Eastern, ruled by two emperors.
Christianity is the stronghold of the empire
Byzantium. 330-1453 AD
Byzantium arose from the eastern remnants of the Roman Empire. The capital became Constantinople, founded by Emperor Constantine I in 324-330 on the site of the Byzantine colony (hence the name of the state). From that moment on, the isolation of Byzantium in the bowels of the Roman Empire began. The Christian religion played a major role in the life of this state, becoming the ideological foundation of the empire and the stronghold of Orthodoxy.
Byzantium existed for more than a thousand years. It reached its political and military power during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, in the 6th century AD. It was then that, having a strong army, Byzantium conquered the western and southern lands of the former Roman Empire. But within these limits the empire did not last long. In 1204, Constantinople fell to the attacks of the crusaders, which never rose again, and in 1453 the capital of Byzantium was captured by the Ottoman Turks.
In the name of Allah
Arab Caliphate. 600-1258 AD
The sermons of the Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation for the religious and political movement in Western Arabia. Called "Islam", it contributed to the creation of a centralized state in Arabia. However, soon as a result of successful conquests, a vast Muslim empire was born - the Caliphate. The presented map shows the greatest scope of the conquests of the Arabs, who fought under the green banner of Islam. In the East, the Caliphate included the western part of India. The Arab world has left indelible marks on human history, in literature, mathematics and astronomy.
From the beginning of the 9th century, the Caliphate gradually began to fall apart - the weakness of economic ties, the vastness of the territories subjugated by the Arabs, which had their own culture and traditions, did not contribute to unity. In 1258, the Mongols conquered Baghdad and the Caliphate broke up into several Arab states.
People began to unite into large and small states a long time ago - at least 6 thousand years ago! But even such “serious structures” as states do not always live long...
We know most of the ancient states only from the records of historians, and about others we know nothing. Few of the famous and powerful cities, countries and empires have survived to this day - some of them do not even have their names left.
But, of course, there are also the most ancient states in the world, which appeared thousands of years ago and still exist. In a modified form or with a modified territory - it doesn’t matter.
Let's remember at least six states that originated in the Ancient World and still proudly bear the name given to the country by their ancestors.
Top 6 most ancient states
Ancient Armenia
The history of Armenian statehood goes back about 2,500 years, although its origins should be sought even deeper - in the kingdom of Arme-Shubria (XII century BC), which, according to historian Boris Piotrovsky, at the turn of the 7th and 6th centuries BC. e. turned into a Scythian-Armenian association.
Ancient Armenia is a motley conglomerate of kingdoms and states that existed simultaneously or succeeded one another. Tabal, Melid, the Mush kingdom, the Hurrian, Luwian and Urartian states - the descendants of their inhabitants eventually merged with the Armenian people.
The term “Armenia” is first found in the Behistun Inscription (521 BC) of the king of Persia, Darius I, who so designated the Persian satrapy on the territory of the disappeared Urartu. Later, in the valley of the Araks River, the Ararat kingdom arose, which served as the basis for the formation of three others - Sophen, Lesser Armenia and Greater Armenia. From about the 3rd century BC. e. the center of political and cultural life of the Armenian people moves to the Ararat Valley.
Ancient Iran
The history of Iran is one of the most ancient and eventful. Based on written sources, scientists suggest that Iran is at least 5,000 years old. However, in Iranian history they include such a proto-state formation as Elam, located in the southwest of modern Iran and mentioned in the Bible.
The first most significant Iranian state was the Median kingdom, founded in the 7th century BC. e. During its heyday, the Median kingdom was significantly larger than the ethnographic region of modern Iran, Media. In the Avesta this region was called the “Country of the Aryans.”
The Iranian-speaking tribes of the Medes, according to one version, moved here from Central Asia, according to another - from the North Caucasus and gradually assimilated the local non-Aryan tribes. The Medes very quickly settled throughout western Iran and established control over it. Over time, having grown stronger, they were able to defeat the Assyrian Empire.
The beginnings of the Medes were continued by the Persian Empire, spreading its influence over vast territories from Greece to India.
Ancient China
According to Chinese scientists, Chinese civilization is about 5,000 years old. But written sources speak of a slightly younger age - 3600 years. This is the beginning of the Shang Dynasty. Then a system of administrative management was laid down, which was developed and improved by successive dynasties.
Chinese civilization developed in the basin of two large rivers - the Yellow River and the Yangtze, which determined its agricultural character. It was developed agriculture that distinguished China from its neighbors, who lived in less favorable steppe and mountainous regions.
The state of the Shang dynasty pursued a fairly active military policy, which allowed it to expand its territories to the limits that included the modern Chinese provinces of Henan and Shanxi.
By the 11th century BC, the Chinese were already using a lunar calendar and had invented the first examples of hieroglyphic writing. At the same time, a professional army was formed in China, using bronze weapons and war chariots.
Ancient Greece
Greece has every reason to be considered the cradle of European civilization. About 5,000 years ago, the Minoan culture arose on the island of Crete, which later spread to the mainland through the Greeks. It was on the island that the beginnings of statehood were indicated, in particular, the first writing appeared, and diplomatic and trade relations with the East emerged.
Appeared at the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e. Aegean civilization already fully demonstrates state formations. Thus, the first states in the Aegean Sea basin - in Crete and the Peloponnese - were built according to the type of eastern despotism with a developed bureaucratic apparatus. Ancient Greece grew rapidly and spread its influence to the Northern Black Sea region, Asia Minor and Southern Italy.
Ancient Greece is often called Hellas, but local residents extend the self-name to the modern state. It is important for them to emphasize the historical connection with that era and culture, which essentially shaped the entire European civilization.
Ancient Egypt
At the turn of the 4th-3rd millennium BC, several dozen cities of the upper and lower Nile were united under the rule of two rulers. From this moment the 5000-year history of Egypt begins.
Soon a war broke out between Upper and Lower Egypt, which resulted in the victory of the king of Upper Egypt. Under the rule of the pharaoh, a strong state is formed here, gradually spreading its influence to neighboring lands.
The 27-century dynastic period of Ancient Egypt is the golden time of ancient Egyptian civilization. A clear administrative and management structure is being formed in the state, advanced technologies for that time are being developed, and art and architecture are rising to unattainable heights.
Over the past centuries, a lot has changed in Egypt - religion, language, culture. The Arab conquest of the country of the pharaohs radically turned the vector of development of the state. However, it is the ancient Egyptian heritage that is the hallmark of modern Egypt.
Ancient Japan
The first mention of Ancient Japan is contained in Chinese historical chronicles of the 1st century AD. e. In particular, it says that there were 100 small countries in the archipelago, 30 of which established relations with China.
The reign of the first Japanese Emperor Jimmu supposedly began in 660 BC. e. It was he who wanted to establish power over the entire archipelago. However, some historians consider Jimma a semi-legendary person.
Japan is a unique country, which, unlike Europe and the Middle East, has developed for many centuries without any serious social and political upheavals. This is largely due to its geographical isolation, which, in particular, protected Japan from the Mongol invasion.
If we take into account the dynastic continuity that has been uninterrupted for more than 2.5 thousand years and the absence of fundamental changes in the country’s borders, Japan can be called a state with the most ancient origins.