Introduction
A civilization can be defined as a human society that is shaped by technological and cultural development. It is a complex society that is composed of cities that have unique technological and cultural development properties. The assembly of people characterizes the beginning of civilizations. When people begin living in clusters and groups, then a civilization starts taking shape. The exact definition of civilization is still under much debate, with anthropologists offering different meanings. Civilization came from the Latin word “Civitas,” also known as “City.” This paper will compare three civilizations: the Babylonian empire, the Mongolian Empire, and the British Empire.
The Rise of The Three Empires
The three empires came about for different reasons, and that is the first basis of the comparison. The Babylonian empire came up mainly to attain military power and the desire for one center of power and rule. Under Hammurabi, the Amorite King, the Babylonians became a military powerhouse, ruling from 1792 to 1750 BC. Hammurabi was driven by a desire to improve the lives of his people, and his empire was able to conquer and control the whole of Southern and Central Mesopotamia (Ramesh, 2018). On the other hand, the Mongolian Empire was known for its efficiency in warfare but was ultimately celebrated its peace.
Their leaders were steppe dwellers who were humble but very successful because they had mastered the advanced technologies of that era (Osinsky, 2020). Like the Babylonian and Mongolian empires, the British Empire began was also driven by a desire by the British to extend the country’s rule far beyond its borders.
Like the Babylonian and Mongolian empires that wanted control and influence over more territories, the British wanted more land to build colonies that would then provide Britain with raw materials to trade in. By extending its rule, the British also hoped to accumulate more power, and they used imperialism to achieve this expansion (Bratton et al., 2017). The Babylonians succeeded in bring the Southern and Central Mesopotamia region into a unified rule under one King and one army. The Babylonians were the first to come up with comprehensive written codes that governed their society.
These codes were collectively referred to as the Code of Hammurabi. Similarly, the Mongolians succeeded in unifying the whole of China and bringing it under the rule of Kublai Khan. In a similar fashion to the other two empires, the British also successfully brought together different territories under British rule. Compared to the Babylonian Empire, the Mongolian Empire’s rise rose to become the second-largest kingdom in history. During its peak, the empire covered the largest territory that any civilization would ever cover (Bratton et al., 2017). The area controlled by the Mongolian Empire was much larger than that held by the Babylonian empire.
Under the leadership of Genghis Khan, the Mongolian empire extended its territories and covered much of Eurasia. They achieved this expansion because of a combination of two factors: its enormous army made up of nomadic warriors and advanced technology (Osinsky, 2020). Compared to the other two empires, the combined territories controlled by the British Empire eclipsed those controlled by both the Babylonian and Mongolian empires.
The British empire was not one unified territory but several regions around the world that Britain ruled. The British empire was built over several years and at its peak included North America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and pockets of territories in South and Central America. At its peak in 1922, the British Empire covered a quarter of all the land on earth brings over 458 million people under its rule.
The Fall of The Three Empires
The Babylonian civilization fell when the Achaemenid Empire conquered it in 539 BCE. Several factors contributed to the fall of the Babylonian empire. The main one, perhaps, was the restive nature that the Babylonian population had acquired. In his attempts to suppress the Marduk priesthood and elevate the moon-god Sin, Nabonidus created recently towards himself from his subjects. His alienation of the local priests did not sit well with the Babylonian population, who resented the moon god (Ramesh, 2018). Similarly, the Mongolian empire eventually fell because of a lack of competent leadership as well. The fall of the Mongolian empire came after the death of Kublai Khan. Kublai had been proclaimed the Khan after the death of his brother.
Under his rule, Kublai went on to unify the whole of China. He did this by bringing all the different rulers under his control. Even though Kublai was an able leader, the vast nature of the unified Chinese territory presented governing challenges (Osinsky, 2020). It became difficult for him to assert his control over that vast territory effectively. After his death, his successors were inept and incapable, which led to succession disputes that eroded the central government’s authority. In contrast to the other two empires, the British Empire did not fall due to leadership at the top but a culmination of factors.
The British Empire collapsed after the end of the second world war that saw its influence around the world weakened. The British Empire could no longer have a firm grip on its colonies worldwide after spending many resources fighting in the second world war (Bratton et al., 2017). This led to revolts and rebellions in many of its colonies. Having come from a costly war that had led to many deaths, the British were weary. This made it harder for them to put down rebellions from their colonies. So, while the Mongolian and Babylonian Empires fell primarily because of poor leadership, the British Empire fell because of its involvement in the second world war, which left it too stretched militarily to exercise its authority over its colonies.
The British Empire’s Influence in the Society Today
Of all the three civilizations discussed in this paper, the British Empire had the most significant influence on society today. A big reason for this influence is because the British empire was the most recent of all the three empires. Another reason why it has had the most significant impact on society today is because of how its colonies were spread throughout the world. This means that the British influence was not localized in one part of the world but extended worldwide wherever it had colonies. The most significant symbol of the British empire’s civilization is the Commonwealth (Bratton et al., 2017).
The Commonwealth of Nations is 54 independent countries, all former colonies of the British empire. Through the Commonwealth, the British empire’s influence remains to date. Several former colonies, upon gaining independence, also adopted constitutions that were heavily influenced by the British and are still in use to date. Many former colonies also adopted English as the first language.
References
Bratton, J. S., Cave, R. A., Gregory, B., Holder, H. J., & Pickering, M. (2017). Acts of supremacy: the British empire and the stage, 1790–1930. Manchester University Press.
Osinsky, P. (2020). The rise and fall of the nomad‐dominated empires of Eurasia. Sociological Inquiry.
Ramesh, S. (2018). The Babylonian Empire: 1900 BC to 539 BC. In The Rise of Empires (pp. 89-116). Palgrave Macmillan.