Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia civilizations
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia civilizations had many similarities and differences. In this discussion, we will focus on the Sumerian kingdom from Mesopotamia and the neo kingdom Assyria. The social system in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt were very similar. The social system was in a pyramid form. The kings were at the top, followed by religious leaders such as the priests. In the middle, were business people, craftsmen, and scribes. The slaves and peasants in society occupied the lowest ranks.
Political structure
A council of elders governed the cities in Sumer. A war leader, lugal, was selected to lead the army in wars. The lugals eventually assumed power as kings and developed their dynasties. In ancient Egypt, the King was the lead administrator in the government and was supported by provincial governors. Both governments had a practice of consulting with the gods before major decision making.
Military
The Sumerians had poor strategic positions when it came to war. Their defenses only existed to the west and the south. They were, however, susceptible to attacks when a more potent enemy appeared from the north. Its military was equipped with chariots as well as spears and javelin weapons. The Assyrian army benefited from reforms that saw them benefit from iron used to improve their swords and armors. Unlike the Sumerians, they had well-planned strategies and regularly scouted their surrounding regions to eliminate any threats.
Religion
Religion was an essential concept in Sumerian and Assyrian culture. The Sumerians worshipped many gods. Each city had its patron deity. Religion was central to every city, and so was the temple and the patron god. The Sumerians even dedicated parts of their land to the temple for its servants to farm and benefited from the harvest. The Assyrians borrowed heavily on the Sumerian religion. They, too, believed in many gods, and significant decisions of the state were made after consulting with the priests.