Essay on South Asian and Mesopotamian Society

South Asian Society

            The early society of South Asia can be traced back to the existence of Indus Valley Civilization. This ancient civilization flourished over four-thousand years ago in the sub-continent of Indo-Pakistan. The name was derived from the Indus River because it was the main river of the area. The main characteristics of South Asian society include:

Sanitary Facilities and Plant Medicine: One of the most significant characteristics of this society is the finest facilities of sanitation. People living in Mohenjo-Daro had a decent drainage system, bath facilities, and sense of personal hygiene. Upon the exploration of areas, there were signs of drainage systems which were relatively modern, considering the state of society and people. In the past, finding such facilities was considered to be quite unique. This discovery indicated that people of Indo-Pakistan were conscious about cleanliness and created systems which could make it easier to clean themselves.

            Other than cleanliness, those people also considered it important to have proficiency in making medicine from plants. People utilized different herbs and plants for making medicines which they could consume to remain healthy. This means that using herbs in antidotes were present even at that time. Since medicine was not prevalent in a contained form, antidotes were made directly from plants and they were consumed by people suffering from different diseases.

Town Planning: Upon the exploration of Indus Valley Civilization, it has been determined that people were also aware of making houses. They used their natural resources for creating houses. The architecture of houses was moderate and it cannot be considered the finest but it was still advanced at that time. People specialized in the art of creating their houses because there was no system of workers. In order to live properly, people had to make their homes themselves.

            In addition to town planning, traces also suggest that women used to wear clothes made up of cotton. Both males and females wore distinct clothes and it was common for women to wear ornaments as well.

Mesopotamian Society

            The existence of this society can also be traced back to thousands of years in the past. Before agriculture emerged, people used to be hunter-gatherers. Each and every year, they moved to find food. When agriculture started, people stopped hunting and settled into villages. With the improvement in techniques of agriculture, surpluses were also produced by farmers. Gradually, cities were created and the need of specialized workers increased. Both society and culture became more complex than before. All of these changes led to an advanced culture and that is when it was referred to as Mesopotamian civilization.

Sanitary Facilities: In the early urban culture, there were no facilities of sanitation. As explained above, people used to be hunters and there was little information about cleanliness and its importance for a person. Hunters moved in troops and they had no specific home, which means that they didn’t have the need of creating sanitary facilities. The characteristic of plant medicine cannot be compared because there is no information or traces available which can indicate that people of Mesopotamia had any proficiency in making medicines from plants. It wasn’t until villages were created that people gained any knowledge in agriculture and medicines.

Town Planning: When the town planning of South Asian society and Mesopotamian society is compared, it can be said that the latter were more proficient in architecture and house development. People of South Asian society specialized more in how they lived and not in a specific area. However, people of Mesopotamian society specialized in craftsmanship. They focused more on architecture than on other areas of their lives. The architecture and drawings found in the Mesopotamian society suggest that people were not only specialized in architecture but also in ornaments. The jewelry that people wore was exquisite and complex. Meanwhile, the habit of wearing ornaments was moderate in the people of South Asian society.

            Actually, if these societies are compared directly with each other, it would be determined that Mesopotamia was more advanced than South Asian society in terms of both architecture and town planning. The development of villages had more complex with time and it can be identified by analyzing the map of Mesopotamia. Although the society had begun to flourish after consuming more time than the Indus Valley civilization had consumed, it began to advance in a rapid manner. With sufficient time, both the agriculture and town planning had advanced more than the advancements which occurred in Indus Valley (Smith, Mieroop, Glahn, & Lane, 2012).