CITY STATESUNIT 1

WORLD HISTORY

What are City-States?

Cities and the surrounding areas They developed their own government They functioned much like an

independent country does today

Where did City-States form?

The 1st cities formed in the cradle of civilization (Mesopotamia)

Sumer Cities such as Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma, Ur

Where did City-States form?

Phoenicians formed along the Mediterranean Sea (What is now the country of Lebanon)

Cities such as Byblos, Tyre, & Sidon

This chart gives examples of the extent of the Phoenician trade network

Where did City-States form?

The Harappans in India / Indus River Valley The largest cities were Kalibangan, Mohenjo-

Daro, & Harappa

Grid City Pattern?? What can

the grid style of this city tell us about the people that lived there?

City-States Form

A City with its own government controlled the land (farms) around it

It functioned much like its own country

Why did City-States Form??? Simply…it is the convergence of the 5 traits of civilization!!!

You can see all 5 traits within a city-state

Cultural Dominance

The surplus of food allowed for long distance trading

This allowed for many city-states in the same region to share the same culture / ideas

Cultural Dominance

The way of life in many city-states was very similar (according to the region)

The exchange of products & ideas helped spread culture

Harrappan Cultural Dominance In the Harappan

culture, there was uniformity in religion & culture

Also had similar classes of people - Trade helped to unify

Military defeat did not mean the end….

Sumer culture withstood the conquest of Sargon of Akkad

Trade, religion & culture was adopted by the Akkadians

Not the end for the Phoenicians…..

Phoenician exiles moved to Carthage to continue shipping after overrun by the Assyrians

Later the Persians & Babylonians would spread the Phoenician alphabet across Europe & Asia

The Downfall of the Sumerian City-States

Sumerian city-states were in state of constant warfare from 3000-2000 B.C.

They could not unite to fight off attacks from outsiders

Eventually conquered by Sargon of Akkad

The Downfall Harrapan City-States Around 1750 B.C., the

great cities in Harrapa fell into decay

Earthquakes & floods altered the course of the Indus river

These disasters forced people to move

The Downfall of the Phoenician City-States

While the Sumerians competed politically & militarily…the Phoenicians competed economically

So why did City-States Fall??? LACK OF UNITY!!! While competition makes everyone better, it

weakened the overall region It made each civilization vulnerable to outside

aggression

So what are the strengths and weaknesses of a City-State Structured Complex Society??? Strength: Greater cultural expression and participation

Strength: Greater civic participation Strength: Easy organization and rule Strength: Relatively easy defense system

So what are the strengths and weaknesses of a City-State Structured Complex Society??? Weakness: LACK OF UNITY!!!While

competition makes everyone better, it weakened the overall region. It made each civilization vulnerable to outside aggression.

What can defeat a City-State?