Mesopotamia And China Comparison Essay

Although Mesopotamia and China had similarities in politics, economics, social organization, and religion between 8000 BCE - 600 CE, they also had differences. Both Mesopotamia and China followed the same pattern to state and empire building (Supanick, Notes 2012). They both also had agricultural and trade societies (Supanick, Notes 2012). Both also had social inequities and were both polytheistic (Supanick, Notes 2012). They also had important differences, Mesopotamia's empires were replaced by outside groups as in China's empires being replaced by other chinese (Supanick, Notes 2012). Also, Mesopotamia had a lot of long distance trade, while China trade more internally, with the exception of the Han (Supanick, Notes 2012). They also had differences in their social stratification, Mesopotamia had a major priest class. China had one but is was not important as the one in Mesopotamia (Supanick, Notes 2012). Religiously, China had a diversity in religion, as in Mesopotamia's one religion (Supanick, Notes 2012).

China and Mesopotamia had many political similarities. Both civilizations were threatened by invaders. Mesopotamia was threatened by many invaders that sometimes conquered and established empires in the area, like the Assyrians and Babylonians. The biggest invaders of China were the Xiongu, a nomadic group from the north.
In Mesopotamia, their empire were conquered by external invaders, as in China their empires were conquered by other chinese civilizations. In Mesopotamia, the Babylonians were conquered by the Assyrians, an external invader. In China, the Qin empire eventually replaced with the Han, a chinese civilization. Like other differences this happens because of invaders and geography. Mesopotamia has many invaders and is open to invasion while China is composed of many neighboring chinese civilizations protected by some parts of great wall and only have some