Evolution of Human Societies

1. Evolution of Human Societies
Sr
.
#
Characteristics Hunting and
gathering
Pastoral and
herding
Horticultural Agricultural Industrial
01 Size of society Verysmall insize Relativelylarge insize Relativelylarge insize Rapidincrease in
population
Rapidincrease inpopulation
02 Social
organizations
All restingwithin
family
People livedwithin
familyandtribes.
People livedwithin
familyandtribesand
social interaction
increasedingroups
People livedinemperor
kingdomsandjointfamily
systemdeveloped
Familylosesimportance andmany
of itsfunctions.
 Responsibilityof education
 Kinshipties
03 Availabilityof food Verylimitedand
unstable
Limitedbutstable.
Due to domesticated
animalswhichcanbe
use humanfood
Foodsupplyismuch
betterbecause of
domesticationof plants.
Rice,wheat
Due to cultivationand
irrigationsystemfood
available insurplus
Due to advance technologyof
agriculture andtransportfood
productivityincreased
04 Level of
technology
Verylimitedorsmall
level
Limitedtechnologyof
herdingandsurplus
foodaccumulation.
Inventslashandburn
technologyforirrigation
of land.Metal toolsand
weapons
More advance technology
of irrigation,seeds,
inventionof plough.
Inventionof steamengineatomic
Energy.Machines.Advance
transportation.Communication
channels.Advance toolsfor
agriculture.
05 Social classes No social stratification Due to surplus
accumulationsome
people whohave
betteraccessto
surplusbecome more
powerful thanothers.
Surplusproduction
allowssome wealthy
people tobecome more
powerful thanothers
and thensocial
stratificationstarts.
Theyare the firstknown
to supportslavery
Newinstitutionsemerge,
social classesarise.
Produce relativelygreater
wealth,whichisunequally
shared. Firsttime two
distinctsocial classes,those
whoownedthe landand
those whoworkon land.
In thisera social stratification
become mostharmful forhumanity.
Difference betweenpoorandrichis
veryhighand some people owned
mostpart of resources.

2. Characteristics Hunting and
gathering
Pastoral and herding Horticultural Agricultural Industrial
06 Mobility Low level of social
mobilityandhighlevel
of physical mobility
Theirnomadicwayof
life oftenbrings
pastoralsinto contact
withothergroups.
Thishelpsthemto
developtrading
Social mobilityincreased
and physical mobility
decreasedbecause they
bettersettledthenearly
societies.
Social mobilityincreased
and physical mobility
slowingdown
Social mobilityincreasedand
physical mobilityslowingdown
07 Dependence on
nature
Veryhighinteraction
& dependence on
nature
Veryhighinteraction
& dependence on
nature
Dependence of nature
relativelydecrease.
Dependence of nature
relativelydecrease.
Dependence of nature relatively
decrease.
08 Level of security Verylowlevel of
securityandpersonal
safety
Due to social group’s
level of security
increased.
Due to inventionof
weaponsandsocial
institutionspersonal
securityandsafetylevel
improve.
Due to increasing
populationsocial and
political institutions
createdand that’swhy
securitylevel improve
relatively.
Due to conceptof state govt take
responsibilityof securityof every
citizen.Butdiscoveryof atomic
bombshumanityasa whole in
danger.
09 Economicsystem Bare subsistence.No
surplus
Simple crop
cultivation
Simple cropcultivation.
Some surplusand
exchange
 Larger agricultural
 Much surplus.
 Increase market
exchange and
substantial trade.
 Industrial
 Fewengage Inagriculture or
directproduction
 Much surplus
 Fullydevelopedmarket
economy
10 Desire of wealth No desire forwealth
because notsocial
classestoachieve
Due to foodstorage
some people started
surplustheir
resourcesforbetter
social status
Due to creationof social
groupsand trading
social classescreated
Desire of wealthincrease
for personal securityand
maintainingsocial political
status.
Desire of wealthincreasedrapidly
because of industrializationand
betterlife style.
11 Political
institutions
No political
institutions
No political
institutions
Informal political and
social institution
developed
Political institutions
developedformallyonthe
basisof tribesand territory
In industrial societyverypowerful
political institutionsdevelopedand
functioningasstate.Nobodycan
challenge state authority

3. Characteristics Hunting and
gathering
Pastoral and herding Horticultural Agricultural Industrial
12 Divisionof labor/
genderinequality
There isgenderbase
divisionof laborbut
not genderbase
inequality
Beginningof
inequalitytodue to
surplusresources
More complex division
Because of surplus
resourcesdemandsfor
specialistof production,
trade increased.
Divisionof laborincreased
and genderinequalityalso
increase.
Large scale divisionof laborbecause
Societycreatesthousandsof new
specializedjobs.Inthissociety
statusof politicians,teachers,
doctorsetc. couldbe achieved.
13 Religiousbeliefs Simple religious
beliefs
Theydeveloptheir
ownreligiousbeliefs.
Commonly belief In
god or godswho take
care of theirhuman
affairs.
Some rare practices
start such as:
 Cannibalism
(eating
enemies)
 Headhunting
(take as courage
& skill of war)
 Human
sacrifices
Religionbecame separate
issue andsome people
specializedaspriests
because otherpeople have
to time forworship.
Religionlosingholdoverpeople.
Religionnolongerplayimportant
role incontrollingthe behaviorof
people.
It isno longergod-centered,itis
man-centeredworld.
14 Settlement Nomadic20 to 40
people
NomadicbutSemi-
permanent
Some cities
Occasionallykingdoms
 Permanent
 Urbanization
becoming
important.
 Empire coving
continent
 Permanent
 Urban livingpredominating
 Citiesnowcontainmostof
the population
15 Societyconflict No conflict No conflict Beginningof conflict Conflictedsociety Verycomplex conflictsamong
differentsocieties
16 Slaverysystem No slaverysystem Beginningof slavery Rapidgrowthin slavery Relativelydecreasein
slavery
No slaverysystem
17 Healthcare No systemforhealth
care
No formal systemfor
healthcare
Because of divisionof
laborhealthcare
facilitiesbegan
Because of strong social
intuitionshealthcare
problemsrelativelysolved
Because of advance technologyand
specialiststherenohealthcare
issues