A presentation on human civilization, its definition, development through the ages and its key features.

1. Human Civilization
by Shaharuf Islam
Date:01.04.2018

2. Civilization defined by various scholars
Definition of
Civilization

3. "A civilization is a human society with
its own social organization and
culture."
"Human society with its well developed
social organizations, or the culture
and way of life of a society or country
at a particular period in time."
Whatiscivilization?

4. According to Collins Dictionary of Sociology,
"The advanced cultural forms(e.g. central government, development
of arts and learning, articulated concerns with morals and manners)
associated with cities and wider societies in which these are located."
According to Jatindar Kumar Sharma,
"Achievements and attainments endow human beings with minimum
level of physical comfort, ensuring survival and preservation."
Some More Definitions
According to Albert Schweitzer,
"The sum total of all progress made by man in every sphere of action
and from every point of view in so far as progress helps towards the
spiritual perfecting of individuals as the progress of all progress."

5. Various stages of civilization from acient to modern time
Evolution of
Civilization

6. Ancient age,
Medieval age,
Modern age
Civilization in the Ancient,
Medieval and Modern Ages
 The period of civilization is divided into three phases-

7. Mesopotemian
civilization
Indus valley civilization
Ancient Egyptian
civilization
Mayan civilization
Chinese civilization
Ancient Greek
civilization
The Persian civilization
The Roman civilization
The Aztec civilization
The Incas civilization
Ancient age
 Today’s civilizations owe an immense debt to the powerful empires and mighty cities of antiquity.
 Their inventions, techniques and concepts enabled the advancement of humankind and lay the foundation
for life in the modern world.
 Invention of wheel, language, writing system, paper, democracy, farming are some of the examples.

8. Muslim empire
European monarchy
Byzantine empire
Pre-Columbian America
Medieval age
 It starts with the fall of roman empire and the establishment of muslim rule in India. India was under muslim rule for over 600 years.
 The medieval age formulated and reformulated the socioeconomic order to meet the challenges of changing time.
 Renaissance Europe paved the way for the modern age.
 Arts and cultural development was a major contribution of this age.

9. Western civilization
Eastern civilization
Middle eastern
civilization
Asian civilization
South asian civilization
Modern age
 Scientific inventions and technological revolution is evident in the modern historic period.
 Invention of microscope and telescope led to the discovery of other many things.
 Advancement in the field of agricultural industry and communication was the major support for the progress
of the civilization.

10. Key features that helped in establishing a civilization
Features of Civilization

11. Cities
01
Writing
06
Central
Government
02
Complex
Religion
03
Art and
Architecture
07
Public
Works
08
Major Features
Job
Specializatio
n
04
Social
Classes
05

12. Cities
As farmers settled in fertile river valleys, they began to
grow surplus or extra food. This extra food increased
the population of the settlements. In time, the
settlements grew into cities, such as Ur in Sumer or
Babylon in Mesopotamia.

13. Organized Central Governments
As cities developed and expanded, the food supply and
irrigation systems needed to be maintained.
Governments, such as councils or religious leaders,
began to oversee the businessand existence of the
cities.

14. Complex Religions
Religious leaders would conduct elaborate ceremonies
to appease the gods (polytheism) and insure a bountiful
harvest. Floods and droughts were blamed on the gods’
abger so rituals were conducted in the temples.

15. Job Specialization
As civilizations became more complex, artisans and
craftsmen were needed to maintain specific items and
tasks. No longer could individuals do all the work. Now
some concentrated on teaching, scribing, stone-cutting,
and so forth.

16. Social Classes
As jobs became specialized so did the status and
needs of certain individuals. The need for a
knowledgable and educated religious leader was more
respected than an unskilled worker. Herders were
needed and respected for the food, while masons were
needed for building. The slave was on the lowest rung
of the social ladder warriors and kings were on top.

17. Writing
Records were needed to keep accounts on trade goods
and food storage. Writing was needed because the
information became too great. In addition, one needed
to express more complex ideas such as "belief" and
"social order" where pictures and words simply would
not suffice.

18. Art and Architecture
This expressed the beliefs and values of a civilization.
Different styles were developed and copied by societies.
Often the art was used to impress visitors and people
about the beauty and power of a king or a community.

19. Public Works
The government would order these, although costly, to
aid and benefit the community. Such things as a wall to
protect from attack or a canal to aid in irrigation would
help insure the survival of a people.

20. The difference between civilization and culture
Civilization V Culture

21. The term ‘culture’ is a Latin origin of the world ‘cultus’,
which refers to cultivating or refining something.
In finer terms, culture is the way people live, reflected in the
language they spoke, food they eat, clothes they wear and the
Diety they follow or worship.
It expresses the manner in which one thinks and do things.
What is Culture

22. Culture & Civilization
 The term ‘culture’ refers to the
embodiment of the manner in which we think,
behave and act.
 The improved stage of human society, where
members have the considerable amount of social
and political organisation and development, is
called Civilization.
 Our culture describes what we are.  Our civilization explains what we have or what we
make use of.
 Culture is an end; it has no measurement
standards.
 Civilization has precise measurement standards,
because it is a means.

23. Continued
 The culture of a particular region can be
reflected in religion, art, dance, literature,
customs, morals, music, philosophy, etc.
 The civilization is exhibited in the law,
administration, infrastructure, architecture, social
arrangement, etc. of that area.
 Culture denote the greatest level of inner
refinement, and so it is internal.
 Civilization is external, i.e. it is the expression of
state of the art technology, product, devices,
infrastructure and so forth.
 Culture can evolve and flourish, even if
the civilization does not exist.
 Civilization cannot grow and exist without culture.

24. THANKYOU