Chapter 3

Brief History of Human Civilization

Beginnings (from beginning to 3000BC)

Universe: Evolution theory: Big bang theory, 10 to 20 billion years ago

Solar system: Sun at the centre and eight planets, age of sun: about 5 billion years

Earth and life: some facts

• Third planet that orbit the sun
• Formed from cloud of dust and gas drifting through space about 4.6 billion years ago.
• First primitive life: algae and bacteria appeared around 3.4 billion years ago.
• Human being
o Separation of human lineage from primates: about 2 million years ago.
o Modern human (homo sapiens) appeared in Africa around 100,000 years ago.
o Beginning of human civilization: about 5000 years ago

Stone Age
• Age prior to the beginning of civilized society (up to 3000BC)
• Tools: stone, wood, animal bone, horn
• No use of metal tools
• Potter’s wheel (around 6500BC)
• Nomadic culture: Humans moved from one place to another place searching for the
foods
• At the end, more settled

3.1 Early Civilizations (between 3000BC to 1660 AD)

a. First civilizations (3000 BC to 1100 BC)

Bronze Age
• Cupper: First discovered metal
• Bronze (Mixture of Cu and Tin): Second discovered metal

Sequences
• By 4000BC, quasi-civilized society in Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Around 3000 BC: human civilization began.

Civilizations
a. Egyptian civilization: in the valley of Nile
b. Sumerian civilization: in plain of Tigris and Euphrates in Southern
Mesopotamia c. Assyrian civilization: in upper Tigris
d. Maya civilization: in Peru
e. Civilizations in China
 f. Civilizations in India: Flourishing of Hindu religion in India, Vedas and
Upanishad g. First Babylonian empire
• Semitic (dark white or brownish people from Syria and Arabia) people conquered
Sumeria by
2750BC, made Babylon the capital
• Hammurabi: 6th king of Babylonia, made code of laws, which is first written
code of laws
h. Jews (Hebrews)
• Semitic people settled in Judea long before 1000 B.C.
• Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) around 1000 BC
• Prophets of Jews: Abraham, Mosses
• Solomon: king of Hebrew Monarchy, builder of the first temple in
Jerusalem i. Spreading of Aryans
• Tribes of fair and blue eyed Nordic race
• Spread from central Europe to Asia
Inventions/ Developments during Bronze age
• Discovery of bronze, Metal working, Glass working
• Invention of Potato in Peru
• Animal domestication: cattle, sheep, goats and asses
• Cultivation
• Navigation technology
• Techniques of Yoga and meditation
• Invention of first writing system (wage-shaped) by Sumerians
• Invention of picture writing system by Egyptians
• Invention of Semitics writing system by Hebrews by mixing Sumerian and Egyptian
writing
o All other major languages, e.g. Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, French, Arabic etc.
derived from Semitics
• Construction of cities, temples, tombs, systematic irrigation, and war chariots

b. Iron Age (1100 BC to 500 AD)

First use of iron for implements and weapons
Historical sequences in Iron Age
a. Gautam Buddha (nearly 550 BC)
b. Confucius and Lao Tse in China (around 6th century BC)
c. Emperor Ashoka in India: spread Buddhism to Kashmir, Persia, Ceylon, China and
Alexandria (capital of Roman empire)
d. Jesus Christ
e. Victory of Aryan: from 900 to 600 BC over the whole ancient world: Semitic, Egyptian,
Greek, India except China
f. Greek civilization
Greek people: trades, travelers, enthusiastic
Greek Philosophers
ƒ Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Euclid, Archimedes
ƒ Plato, Aristotle: most prominent
 Plato (400 BC): Mathematics and Astronomy
o Plato published a book named Utopia which deals with the plan to
form a different and better than the existing one. Utopian society
defines the process of development in three steps: plan, public, and
law.
Aristotle (300BC)
o Gathering information, analyzing and solving the problem in a
systematic way (beginner of science).
o Father of history and founder of political science
g. Roman civilization
ƒ Autocratic Roman Empire in Europe (from 200 BC)
ƒ No scientific development
ƒ Focus of Romans on health and well being
h. Spreading of Mongolians all over the world by two century BC.

Inventions/technological development during Iron Age

• Prosperous China: Construction of great wall, invention of paper, tea, wood block
printing
• Development of Iron technology
• Literature: around 200 BC

c. The middle ages (500 to 1450)

Sequences of middle age
a. prophet Muhammad (600AD)
• Dictated a book, Koran, which he declared was communicated to him from God
• Beginning of Islam religion
b. Arab’s supremacy
ƒ Powerful Arabian Empire: Arabians were Masters, Europeans pupils
ƒ Stretched from Spain to China
ƒ Learnt paper and printing from China
ƒ came in touch with Indian Mathematics
ƒ Translated Greek literature
c. Mongolian’s conquest
Jengis Khan (1200 AD): conquered China, Turkmenistan, Persia, Armenia, part of India
down to Lahore, South Russia and Hungary
Ogdai Khan: completed the conquest of whole China and all Russia (former Soviet Union)
ƒ Other emperors: Mangu Khan, Kublai Khan, Hulagu Khan
d. Mogul dynasty in India (Mongolian: Mogul in Urdu)
Baber: Descendent of Mongolian, conquest India
Akbar: completed the conquest of whole India
Inventions/Developments in middle age
a. From Arab world
• Great advances in Math, Physics, Chemistry and Medical science
• Spreading of Arabic figure invented by Hindus, sign zero invented by Arabs
• Metallurgical and technical devices made by Arabs
b. From Mongolian
• Opening of Silk Road by Mongolians to link Asia and Europe for trade
c. From renaissance of European
• Good quality paper and printing
• Advance in education and science
• Mariner’s compass
d. Towards the modern world (1450 to 1660)
Sequences
a. Period of growth for scientific knowledge
• Birth of many scientists: Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo, Kepler, Blaise Pascal,
Robert Hooke, Newton: Influenced the world of science
b. Age of mechanical revolution
• Process of mechanical invention and discovery
• Technological development due to organized science
• Mechanical power and the machine doing the labour work of human and animals
c. Advance in popular education throughout the Westernized world

Inventions/Developments
• Invention of saw mill, microscope, telescope, clocks

3.2 Great Renaissance of Europe: Intellectual revival

ƒ From 1200 AD: revival of European intelligence
ƒ Commercial and industrial activities boomed in northern and central Italian cities (1250)
ƒ Development of cities
ƒ Growth in trading
ƒ Arabian literature and scientific experiments translated into common language
Roger Bacon: father of modern experimental science, deserves prominence in our history
second to that of Aristotle
ƒ University at Paris, Oxford, Bologna and other cities
ƒ Exploration: Marco Polo, Columbus, Vasco De Gama
ƒ By 1500 AD, Europeans became intellectual and material leader

3.3 Industrial Revolution

Early Part (1660 to 1815)

The mechanical revolution was followed by the industrial revolution.

Sequences
• Age of social and financial development
• Scientific discoveries, application of science and technology
 • Began from England around sixties of seventeenth century after the invention of
steam engine by James Watt
• Mass production, factory system and improved machinery and machine tool
• Further advancement due to the invention of electric power
• By the early 19th century, industrial revolution spread to other parts of Europe

Inventions/Developments
• Friedrich Staedtler founded a pencil factory in Nuremberg, Germany.
o Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. the oldest manufacturing companies in the
world.
• Many books on industrial development
• water-powered mill
• Processing of iron from ore using blast furnace technique in 18th century
o Rolled iron sheet in 1728 and rolled rods and bars in 1783.
• First modern steam engine by James Watt (1765)
• Use of steam power: cotton factory, boat, ship
• First locomotive by Trevithick in 1804
• Electricity: Investigation of Franklin, Volta, Faraday and Galvani
• Chemistry advanced
• American System of Manufacturing (1813)
• Steam powered train

Maturity (1815 to 1918)

Sequences
a. By early 19th century, science has come to be revolutionized.
Prominent scientists e.g. Alfred Nobel, Faraday, Graham Bell, Charles Darwin, Albert
Einstein
b. Age of engineering: Technological development

Inventions/Developments
• Electric motor by Faraday (1821)
• First railway between Stockton and Darlington in 1825
• Discovery of electric telegraph in 1835, first under seas cable laid in 1851 between
France and England
• Analytical engine by Charles Babbage (1834), father of computer
• Steam hammer (1838)
• Bessemer process (1856) and open hearth process (1864) for processing of iron
and steel
• Telephone by Alexander Graham Bell (1876)
• Steam turbine (1884)
• Petrol car by Carl Benz (1888)
• Internal combustion diesel engine by Rudolph Diesel (1893)
• Wireless telegraphy by Marconi (1896)
 • Medical science and agricultural science advanced
• In 1903 testing of the first air craft by Wright brothers in the USA, availability of
airplane for humans from 1909
• Book on scientific management by Taylor in 1911
• Moving-assembly-line techniques for car manufacturing by Ford (1913)
• Project management techniques (Gantt Chart -1917)

Impact of industrial revolution

• Mechanization: Change of power source from muscle power and animal power to
steam engine which was more economical, easier to handle and efficient than
previous sources.
• Social, cultural and economic change
• Revolution in transport and communication
• Easier and more comfortable life, better health condition
• Advance in education, science, medicine, textile and agriculture
• Relocation of large portions of the population from the countryside to the towns
and cities
• Growth in trade and business
• Availability of great variety of materials
• Rise of wealthy people especially businessman became richer, while workers also
got good wages.
• Start of automation replacing human operations
• Negative points: break up of joint family, women and child labor, gap between
poor and rich
• Material growth and subsequent colonization
- Demand of raw materials and nationalist pride led colonization to produce
and trade goods Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (North and South
America), French, England

Negative impact of Colonization

Conflict and internal strife in colonized countries
Extraction of vast amounts of natural resources from the colonies by British Empire

3.4 Transformation of Industrial Society into Information Society (1945 to present)

Sequences
• Postindustrial era: information age
• Liberation of colonized countries aftermath of war
• Development of computer technology (modern computer in 1950)
• Introduction of era of global satellite communication
1957: start of globalization of information revolution after Sputnik launched by
Russians
• Human beings in space (1961)
 • Communication satellite (1962)
• Human being on moon (1969)
• Space shuttle (1981)
• Optical fiber
• Laser
• Exploration of space using manned/unmanned satellite
• Supercomputer (1976) and Laptop computer (1989)
• Robot: most vivid example in technological history
• Internet: vast sources of information

3.5 Influence of First and Second World wars on technology

World War I (WWI) (1914-1918)

Main Causes:
o Beginning: Beginning of war after the assassination of Ferdinand, heir to the
Austro- Hungarian throne, by, a Bosnian Serb citizen of Austria-Hungary . The
retaliation by Austria-Hungary against Serbia activated a series of alliances that
set off a chain reaction of war declarations. Within a month, much of Europe
was in a state of open warfare. Alliance of France, UK, Russia, Italy, US
Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary
o Continuing French resentment over the loss of territory to Germany in the 19th
century
o The growing economic and military competition between Britain and Germany
o German desire to become more established countries of Europe.
End of war: The war was ended by several treaties, most notably the Treaty of Versailles,
signed on 28 June 1919.

Technical inventions during WWI

• Chemical advancement: high explosive, poison gases, fixing of atmospheric N2
• Telephone, wireless communication, armoured cars, tanks
• Development of ship and aircraft, military weapons
• Automatic rifle

Impact of world war I on technology

• Development of the mechanical equipment and scientific development of weapons
accelerated
Between two wars (1918 to 1939)

• The construction and developments were done throughout the world.

• Inventions of radar (1922), talking film (1922), helicopter (1924), Electronic TV
(1927), Jet Engine (1937)

The Second World War (1939 to 1945)

Causes
a. Hitler’s Aims to dominate Europe and the World
b. The aggression of Hitler’s Allies: Italy and Japan
c. Democratic (USA, Britain and France) powers were passive
d. The League of Nations failed to keep peace

Sequences
• Involved a majority of the world's nations, including all of the great powers
organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis
Axis: Germany, Japan, Italy
Allies: UK, France, Poland, Russia, China, USA etc.
• Starting with the German invasion of Poland in 1939 and subsequent declarations of war
on Germany by the United Kingdom, France and the British Dominions
• Ended with Allies victory in 1945

Inventions/ Technical developments

• Development of military weapons
• Jet plane, Crewless plane, Modern rockets, Helicopters
• Advance in tank design
• Advance in communication
• Airplanes used to carry bombs.
• Development of nuclear weapons
• Development of artificial harbors
• Oil pipelines under the English Channel.
• Acquaintance of atomic energy
• The modern era of automatic digital computer began during world war II
o 1939 to 1944: first automatic digital computer
Impact
• New technological developments in speed and arms advanced.
• Emergence of the Soviet Union and the United States as the superpowers.
• Creation of the United Nations
• Decolonization movement
• Integration of western Europe
• Beginning of computer age

Negative impacts of world wars

Loss of life: Great human disaster; Destruction of property; Air, water and soil pollution,
Spreading of disease
Population Explosion

The rapid increase in numbers of a particular species, especially in the world's human
population since the end of World War II, attributed to an accelerating birthrate, a
decrease in infant mortality, and an increase in life expectancy.

Population explosion refers to the rapid and dramatic rise in world population that has occurred
over the last few hundred years, and especially after the 2 nd World War. Between 1959 and
2000, the world’s population increased from 2.5 billion to 6.1 billion people. UN estimated it
to be 7.2 billion in 2013. According to United Nations projections, the world population will be
between 7.9 billion and 10.9 billion by 2050.

Most of the growth is currently taking place in the developing world, where rates of natural
increase are much higher than in industrialized countries. Concern that this might lead to over
population has led some countries to adopt population control policies.

However, since people in developing countries consume far less, especially of non-renewable
resources, per head of population than people in industrialized countries, it has been argued
that the West should set an example in population control instead of giving, for example,
universal child benefit.

The Definition of Over Population:

In the past, infant and childhood deaths and short life spans used to limit population growth In
today’s world, thanks to improved nutrition, sanitation, and medical care, more babies survive
their first few years of life.

The combination of a continuing high birth rate and a low death rate is creating a rapid
population increase in many countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa and people generally
lived longer. Over-population is defined as the condition of having more people than can live
on the earth in comfort, happiness and health and still leave the world a fit place for future
generations. But some people now believe that the greatest threat to the future comes from
over-population.

It took the entire history of humankind for the population to reach 1 billion around 1810 Just
120 years later, this doubled to 2 billion people (1930); then 4 billion in 1975 (45 years).

The number of people in the world has risen from 4.4 billion people in 1980 to 6.3 billion in
2005. And it is estimated that the population could double again to nearly 11 billion in less
than 40 years. This means that more people are now being added each day than at any other
time in human history.
According to a report by the United Nation Population fund, total population is likely to reach
10 billion by 2025 and grow to 14 billion by the end of the next century unless birth control
use increases dramatically around the world within the next two decades.

Both death rates and birth rates have fallen, but death rates have fallen faster than birth rates.
There are about 3 births for each death with 1.6 births for each death in more developed
countries (MDCs) and 3.3 births for each death m less developed countries (LDCs). The
world’s population continues to grow by 1 billion people every dozen years.
The Causes of Rapid Population Growth:
Until recently, birth rates and death rates were about the same, keeping the population stable.
People had many children, but a large number of them died before age of five.

During the Industrial Revolution, a period of history in Europe and North America where there
were great advances in science and technology, the success in reducing death rates was
attributable to several factors:

(1) increases in food production and distribution,

(2) Improvement in public health (water and sanitation), and
(3) Medical technology (vaccines and antibiotics), along with gains in education and standards
of living within many developing nations.

Without these attributes present in many children’s lives, they could not have survived
common diseases like measles or the flu. People were able to fight and cure deadly germs that
once killed them. In addition, because of the technology, people could produce more and
different kinds of food. Gradually, over a period of time, these discoveries and inventions
spread throughout the world, lowering death rates and improving the quality of life for most
people.

- Recent trend of low birth rate in developed countries-

3.6 Rise of Environmental Issues

Environmental issues were non-existent up to the agricultural age as the effect of human
activities on the natural environment was very less. Production of polluting gases and
chemicals accelerated with the advancement in the industrial era. This led to serious adverse
effects in the environment which led to the deterioration in human health and surrounding.
So we saw the rise of environmental issues.

Environmental issues are harmful effects of human activity on the biophysical environment.
Environmentalism, a social and environmental movement, addresses environmental issues
through advocacy, education and activism.

The carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere has already
exceeded 400 parts per million (NOAA) (with total "long-term" GHG exceeding 455 parts per
million). (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report) This level is considered a
tipping point. "The amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is already above the threshold
that can potentially cause dangerous climate change. We are already at risk of many areas of
pollution...It's not next year or next decade, it's now." Report from the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Climate disasters are on the rise. Around 70 percent of disasters are now climate related – up
from around 50 percent from two decades ago.
These disasters take a heavier human toll and come with a higher price tag. In the last decade,
2.4 billion people were affected by climate related disasters, compared to 1.7 billion in the
previous decade. The cost of responding to disasters has risen tenfold between 1992 and 2008.
Destructive sudden heavy rains, intense tropical storms, repeated flooding and droughts are
likely to increase, as will the vulnerability of local communities in the absence of strong
concerted action." (OCHA) "Climate change is not just a distant future threat. It is the main
driver behind rising humanitarian needs and we are seeing its impact. The number of people
affected and the damages inflicted by extreme weather has been unprecedented."

Major current environmental issues may include climate change, pollution, environmental
degradation, and resource depletion etc. The conservation movement lobbies for protection of
endangered species and protection of any ecologically valuable natural areas, genetically
modified foods and global warming.

Scientific grounding
The level of understanding of Earth has increased markedly in recent times through science
especially with the application of the scientific method. Environmental science is now a multi-
disciplinary academic study taught and researched at many universities. This is used as a basis
for addressing environmental issues.

Large amounts of data have been gathered and these are collated into reports, of which a
common type is the State of the Environment publications. A recent major report was the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, with input from 1200 scientists and released in 2005,
which showed the high level of impact that humans are having on ecosystem services.

Organizations
Environmental issues are addressed at a regional, national or international level by government
organizations.

The largest international agency, set up in 1972, is the United Nations Environment Program.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature brings together 83 states, 108 government
agencies, 766 Non-governmental organizations and 81 international organizations and about
10,000 experts and scientists from countries around the world.[2] International non-
governmental organizations include Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and World Wide Fund
for Nature. Governments enact environmental policy and enforce environmental law and this is
done to differing degrees around the world.

Solutions
Sustainability is the key to prevent or reduce the effect of environmental issues. There is now
clear scientific evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and that an unprecedented
collective effort is needed to return human use of natural resources to within sustainable limits.
For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can
be replenished.

Concerns for the environment have prompted the formation of Green parties, political parties
that seek to address environmental issues. Initially these were formed in Australia, New
Zealand and Germany but are now present in many other countries.

Film and television

There are an increasing number of films being produced on environmental issues, especially on
climate change and global warming. Al Gore's 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth gained
commercial success and a high media profile.

One of the earliest environmental regulations: A concern for environmental protection has
recurred in diverse forms, in different parts of the world, throughout history. For example, in
Europe, King Edward I of England banned the burning of sea-coal by proclamation in London
in 1272, after its smoke had become a problem.

3.7 Climate Change as a Threat to Human Civilization

Climate change means rising seas and flooded coastal cities, heat waves that will produce
wildfires and torrential rains in some places and drought in others.

More rains mean more floods, human victims, destruction of property and so on.
In addition, we can see stronger tropical storms that will destroy homes, cars and more people.

Our polluting activities that led to global warming and climate change could create an
unprecedented situation that will change our economic, social and environmental habits
relative to nature, but it could be too late.

In the history of planet Earth, we know that a very powerful eruption of a huge volcano that
released huge amounts of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere was able to
trigger the start of the ice age in only a few years after.

It seems that our planet has its own defense systems to deal with pollution, but this defensive
mechanism could mean the end of the human civilization or at least a return to a very primitive
form of living.

- In the worst case, what is today a once-in-30-year flood could happen every three years
in the highly populated river basins of the Yellow, Ganges and Indus rivers. Without
 dramatic cuts to carbon emissions, extreme drought affecting farmland could double
around the world, with impacts in southern Africa, the US and south Asia.
- the number of people exposed to extreme water shortage is projected to double,
globally, by mid-century due to population growth alone. Climate change could increase
the risk in some regions.
- very large risks to global food security, including a tripling of food prices
- Areas affected by the knock-on or systemic risks of global warming include global
security with extreme droughts and competition for farmland causing conflicts.
“Migration from some regions may become more a necessity than a choice, and could
take place on a historically unprecedented scale,” the report says. “It seems likely that
the capacity of the international community for humanitarian assistance would be
overwhelmed.”
- unprecedented migration overwhelming international assistance
- increased risk of terrorism as states fail
“The risks of state failure could rise significantly, affecting many countries
simultaneously, and even threatening those that are currently considered
developed and stable. “The expansion of ungoverned territories would in turn
increase the risks of terrorism.”
- lethal heat even for people resting in shade: “Humans have limited tolerance for heat
stress. In the current climate, safe climatic conditions for work are already exceeded
frequently for short periods in hot countries, and heat waves already cause fatalities. In
future, climatic conditions could exceed potentially lethal limits of heat stress even for
individuals resting in the shade.”

Ice age: it will snow so many years, that the snow will overcome the mountains.

This could be the reason for the creation of the Kepler Telescope, to find an Earth-like planet,
because Earth is already badly damaged by pollution.

The renewables cannot be compared yet as price and efficiency with the fossil fuels, and there
is also a strong opposition against the renewable energy sector, but we need to change
something to survive.

The change could be initiated by us, the ordinary people, if the political leaders are not aware
of the fact that the environment cannot bear another 85 years of pollution.

If we start using the renewable energy sources widely, maybe our political leaders will
understand that we want a clean environment for us and our children, we have no plans to
leave Earth, so they better create a healthy environment for us here, not just for them in another
place.

“The risks of climate change may be greater than is commonly realized, but so is our capacity
to confront them. An honest assessment of risk is no reason for fatalism.”