ÇAĞDAŞ DÜNYA UYGARLIKLARI - Deneme Sınavı - 10

African Civilization is as old as Africa. It is scientifically proven that Africa is the origin of humans. For this reason, African Civilization germinated in the indigenous African soil with its own civilizational features that expressed purely African thoughts and actions.

Using the population size of cities as an indicator of a well-formed civilization, David Wilkinson identified regional civilizations in Africa. Wilkinson was meticulous in focusing the defining characteristics of civilization into states with cities of over 10,000 population, possessing oral or written legal traditions, defended by established defence forces, and governed by ruling elites whose authority is rooted in legitimately constructed legislative and judicial foundations

This region can be singled out as the origin of man, the origin of the Nile, and the origin of the three monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The civilizations that originated in the Rift and the Nile Valleys were heavily influenced by
two things: the ancient Egyptian Civilization and the three monotheistic faiths mentioned above.

It has been seen that historical Africa serving as a source of the Nile Valley Civilizations and as a shelter and protector of the three monotheistic religions. These important contributions to the survival of the human faith, cultures, and civilizations are integral parts of African Civilization.

The seeds of all civilizations, including Western civilization, are to be found in their cultural manifestations.

The interior of Africa was shrouded behind thick forests and jungles, making it not so easy for outside contact with Europe. For this reason, Africa was often referred to as the “Dark Continent,” indicating the ignorance of Europeans regarding Africa.

The anthropological and sociological contexts reflect societies’ indigenous identities.

The extent to which linguistic characteristics of ancient Egypt are cognate to Greek, Latin, Nubian, Yoruba or Ethiopic languages tell us the anthropological relationship of the ancient Egyptians and their neighbours.

George Murdock makes cogent observation of how ecological fallacy can beguile scholars into making conclusions fraught with inaccuracies. European botanists visiting India discovered “the origin of many cultivated plants” and declared that they were of Indian origin.

The Egyptian Civilization emerged around 3100 BCE, interacting with its geographical orientations.

Western Civilization has been less successful at finding mechanisms to avoid the development of totalitarian (Nazism), semi-totalitarian (Fascism), and populist regimes which have trampled on individual freedoms and human dignity, practicing brutal racism.

In 476 the Roman Empire ended – although part of it continued and evolved as the Byzantine Civilization – and the Dark Ages in Europe began, lasting almost to the Italian Renaissance of the 15th century.

Greek Civilization first developed the idea of political freedom and the possibility of democratic and other political institutions.

North America was principally colonized by the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch. The Portuguese colonized South America along with the Spanish.

Knowledge and gunpowder-equipped armies prompted local feudal supremacy structures to give way to centralized, absolute, well-managed monarchies.

The Italian Renaissance (14th century– 17th century) directed attention to new scholarship and increased curiosity for beauty and innovations.

Protestants advocated a new, simpler style of Christianity, based on an individual relationship with the divine, and its emphasis on individual spirituality unlocked the way to more personal choice in other aspects of life. This became a crucial feature of Western civilization, and among other effects it yielded the rise of the contemporary Western secular society.

The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), one of the all-time most dazzling generals, guaranteed that Revolutionary France conquered much of Europe, diffusing as it went not only the ideals of the French Revolution, such as the rights of man, but also more efficient and equalitarian governments and societies across the continent.

Its members were France, West Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, Holland, and Italy.

Liberals opposed traditional conservatism and sought to replace absolutism in government with representative democracy and the rule of law.