History of Human Civilization

Early Beginnings

• ~3 billion years ago: Tiny atoms floating in a primordial world.
• ~6 million years ago: Emergence of the first hominids (primates including humans).
• ~1.9 million years ago: Homo erectus leaves Africa, colonizes other parts of the world.
• ~400,000 years ago: Neanderthals emerge, adapted to cold European environments.
• Present: Homo sapiens become the only surviving species of the genus Homo.

Development of Civilization

• Mesopotamia (4000 BCE) — Sumerian City of Uruk: Development of agriculture

  • Harvesting of cereal grains like wheat and barley.
  • Use of hand mills to make food, marking the beginning of agriculture.
  • Population grew to over 50,000 residents.
  • Changes in human body due to agriculture: Height reductions.

• Early Kingdoms and Legal Systems

  • King Gilgamesh (3000 BCE): Quest for immortality, creation of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  • Babylon under King Hammurabi (1772 BCE): Creation of a legal system with 282 laws.

Ancient Civilizations

• Egyptian Empire

  • Pharaohs and pyramid-building: A quest for immortality.
  • Key Pharaohs: Joser, Snefaru, Khufu (Great Pyramid of Giza), Kafre, and Menkaure.

• Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BCE - 1300 BCE)

  • Advanced toilet systems for hygiene.

• China

  • Xia Dynasty under Yu the Great (2100 BCE): Flood control and merit-based rule.

Greece and Rome

• City-States of Greece (800 BCE)

  • Colonization due to infertile land.
  • Rise of Athens and Sparta.
  • Democracy in Athens vs. Military Oligarchy in Sparta.

• Rome (753 BCE)

  • Founding Legend of Romulus and Remus.
  • Roman expansion and eventual dominance over Greece.

Key Military Campaigns

• Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE)

  • Conquests from Greece to India.

• Hannibal’s Campaign

  • Second Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome.

Religious and Philosophical Developments

• Confucianism and Taoism in China (Later period of the Zhou Dynasty)

  • Confucius emphasizes respect, loyalty, and social order.
  • Laozi's Taoism stresses living in harmony with the Tao (the way).

• Christianity and Jesus Christ (0-33 CE)

  • Jesus's life, crucifixion, and the spread of Christianity.
  • Apostle Paul's missionary work.

• Islam and Muhammad (570-632 CE)

  • Muhammad's revelations, hegira to Medina, and spread of Islam.
  • Islamic conquests following Muhammad's death.

Middle Ages Developments

• Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire (800-814 CE)

  • Centralization of Europe, spread of Christianity.

• Viking Age (793-1066 CE)

  • Raids and explorations, affecting European and Russian territories.

• Feudalism

  • Social structure with serfs, knights, nobles, kings, and the pope at the top.

Crusades (1095–1291 CE)

• Series of religious wars between Christians and Muslims primarily over control of Jerusalem.

Asian Advances

• Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan (1162-1227 CE)

  • Military conquests spanning from Japan to the Caspian Sea.

• Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE)

  • Rise after the fall of Mongol rule.

Renaissance (14th to 17th Century)**

• European Cultural Rebirth
  • Improvements in arts, science, and philosophy.
  • Figures: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and William Shakespeare.

Age of Exploration (15th to 17th Century)**

• Discovery and colonization of the Americas by European powers.
  • Notable explorers: Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés (Aztecs), Francisco Pizarro (Incas).

Revolution and Change

• American Revolution (1776)

  • Declaration of Independence from British rule.

• French Revolution (1789)

  • Overthrow of the monarchy, rise of Napoleon.

Modern Developments and World Wars**

• Industrial Revolution (18th to 19th Century)

  • Technological advancements and urbanization.
  • Birth of Communism: Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' Communist Manifesto (1848).

• World War I (1914-1918)

  • Triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

• World War II (1939-1945)

  • Led by Adolf Hitler, ending with Nazi defeat and atomic bombings in Japan.

Cold War Era (1947-1991)

• Ideological and geopolitical tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union.
• Space Race: Neil Armstrong lands on the moon (1969).

Conclusion

• Continuous cycle of civilization: Growth, decay, and rebirth.
• Technological advancements linking modern society globally.
• Ongoing societal evolution with enduring questions about governance, war, and human nature.