Comparing and contrasting the ancient civilizations of Egypt and China

Essay by catfire889Junior High, 9th gradeA, December 2002

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The ancient civilizations of Egypt and China were very similar in many different aspects. Their governments and their geography were extremely alike and the religions of the two civilizations had only tiny differences. The early Egyptians also had the same concept of writing as the Chinese people who lived across the continent from them. Suprisingly, these two ancient civilizations that existed very far away from each other show a enormous amount of similarities in almost every area.

The government of Ancient Egypt was headed by a king (in the New kingdom, the king assumed the name "pharaoh") with absolute power. Different dynasties, or a line of rulers from the same family, would rule Egypt. Each ruler was considered to be a god whose orders were undisputable. However, the government was not only a monarchy; it was a theocracy. The king would perform religious rituals to help the harvest because this would ensure prosperity in Egypt.

Likewise, the Chinese government also consisted of an emperor that would belong to a dynasty. Like in Egypt, a dynasty could rule until it would be eventually overthrown. The Chinese kings would also perform religious duties; they prayed, sacrificed, gave offerings and used oracle bones to call upon their ancestors. Both the Chinese and the Egyptian governments had similar structure and duties.

If one took a look at China and Egypt's geography, one would notice that they are quite similar. The natural barriers of the two civilizations are akin to each other. China has the Pacific Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to protect it from an attack on land. Equally, Egypt has the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea as an effective natural barrier against non-naval attacks. Also, deserts protect the two civilizations. While Egypt has the Libyan and Nubian Deserts, China is equipped...