The most ancient state in the world. The most ancient countries in the world

Today there are 257 countries in the world, 193 of which are members of the UN, while others have a certain status. Many of these countries became independent only recently, while others are just fighting for their right to be sovereign.
Historians are well aware of the dates of the founding of young states, and as for the first countries on planet Earth, their history is shrouded in the darkness of millennia, hidden under a layer of ancient dust.
There is a lot of controversy over the very methodology for determining the most ancient states. After all, every nation has its own myths and legends about the founding of their state. For example, the legendary foundation of one of the smallest modern states, San Marino, dates back to the beginning of the 4th century. According to legend, in 301, a member of one of the first Christian communities found refuge in the Apennines, on the top of Monte Titano. Thus, formally San Marino has been considered an independent state since September 3, 301. In fact, we can talk about some kind of independence of the founded settlement only from the 6th century, when Italy broke up into many dependent and independent territories.
According to Japanese myths, the Land of the Rising Sun was founded back in 660 BC. e., but the first state on Japanese territory, Yamato, arose during the Kofu period, which dates back to 250 - 538.
Ancient Greece is considered one of the most ancient civilizations, the cradle of philosophy, culture, and science. But Greece became a truly independent country only in 1821 after it left the Ottoman Empire.
Therefore, in order to compile a correct rating, we took into account only those forms of organization of society that correspond to the modern characteristics of the state: sovereignty, own territory, state symbols, language, and so on. In addition, only those states that are on the modern world map were taken into account.
So, the rating of the most ancient states was made up of 10 modern countries from three continents.

1. Elam, 3200 BC e. (Iran)

The modern state in southwest Asia - the Islamic Republic of Iran was founded on April 1, 1979 as a result of the Islamic Revolution. But the history of statehood in Iran is one of the oldest in the world. For centuries, this country played a key role in the East. The first state on the territory of Iran - Elam - arose in 3200 BC. e. The Persian Empire under Darius I extended from Greece and Libya to the Indus River. In the Middle Ages, Persia was a strong and influential state.

2. Egypt, 3000 BC e.

Egypt is the oldest state in the world, about the history of which a lot of interesting information has been preserved. It was in this mysterious and mysterious country of the pharaohs that many types and forms of art were born, which later developed in Asia and Europe. They served as the basis for ancient aesthetics - the starting point of all the arts of our time.
Egypt is the largest country in the Arab East, one of the centers of its political and cultural life, the “tourist Mecca” of the world. Egypt occupies a unique geographical position, located at the junction of three continents - Africa, Asia and Europe and the world's two largest civilizations - Christian and Islamic.
Egypt arose on the territory where one of the most powerful and mysterious civilizations once existed, the history of which dates back centuries and millennia. In 3000 BC. e. Pharaoh Mines united the Egyptian lands and created a state that Egyptologists today call the Early Kingdom.
Echoes of that era are the Great Egyptian Pyramids, the mysterious Sphinxes and the grandiose Temples of the Pharaohs.

3. Wanglang, 2897 BC e. (Vietnam)

Vietnam is a state in Southeast Asia located on the Indochina Peninsula. The name of the country consists of two words and is translated as “the country of the Vietnamese in the South.” The Viet civilization arose in the Red River basin. According to legend, the Viet were descended from a dragon and a fairy bird. The first state on the territory of Vietnam, Van Lang, appeared in 2897 BC. e. For some time, Vietnam was part of China. In the second half of the 19th century, Vietnam became colonially dependent on France. In the summer of 1954, Vietnam became an independent state.

4. Shang-Yin, 1600 BC e. (China)

China is a state in East Asia, the largest state in the world by population (over 1.3 billion); ranks third in the world in terms of territory, behind Russia and Canada.
Chinese civilization is one of the oldest in the world. According to Chinese scientists, its age may be five thousand years, while the available written sources cover a period of at least 3,500 years. The long-standing presence of administrative systems, which were improved by successive dynasties, created obvious advantages for the Chinese state, whose economy was based on developed agriculture, compared to its more backward nomadic and mountaineer neighbors. Chinese civilization was further strengthened by the introduction of Confucianism as a state ideology (1st century BC) and a unified writing system (2nd century BC).
The Shang-Yin state, which existed from 1600 to 1027 BC on the territory of modern China, is the first state formation, the reality of whose existence is confirmed not only by archaeological finds, but also by narrative and epigraphic written sources.
In 221 BC. e. Emperor Qin Shi Huang united all Chinese lands and created the Qin Empire, the territory of which corresponds to modern China.

5. Kush, 1070 BC e. (Sudan)

The modern state of Sudan in northeast Africa is equal in area to the entire Western Europe, and its population is only 29.5 million people. The country is located in the middle reaches of the Nile River with surrounding plains, plateaus and the adjacent Red Sea coast.
Kush (Meroitic Kingdom) is an ancient kingdom that existed in the northern part of the territory of modern Sudan from 1070 to 350 BC. e. The existence of the kingdom of Kush is confirmed in the remains of temples, sculptures of gods and kings. There is evidence that writing, astronomy and medicine were already developed in Kush at that time.

6. Sri Lanka, 377 BC e.

Sri Lanka (“Blessed Land”) is a state in South Asia, on the island of the same name off the southeastern coast of Hindustan. The history of Sri Lanka begins with the Neolithic period when the first settlements were discovered in Sri Lanka. Written history begins with the arrival of the Aryans from India, who spread the rudiments of knowledge of metallurgy, navigation, and writing among the local population.
In 247 BC. e. Buddhism penetrated into Sri Lanka, which had a decisive influence on the formation of the country and its political system.
In 377 BC. A kingdom arose on the island with its capital in the ancient city of Anuradhapura.

7. Chin, 300 BC. e. (Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea)

Korea is a geographical territory that includes the Korean Peninsula and adjacent islands and is united by a common cultural and historical heritage. In the past there was a single state. In 1945, after the defeat of Japan in World War II, the territory of Korea, which was at that time a Japanese colony, was delimited into two zones of military responsibility: the Soviet one - north of the parallel of 38 ° N. w. and the American one to the south of it. Subsequently, in 1948, two states emerged on the territory of these zones: the Republic of Korea in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north.
According to legend, the first Korean state was founded by the son of a bear woman and a celestial being, Tangun, in 2333 BC. e. Historians call the earliest stage of Korean history the period of the Ko Joseon state. Most modern historians agree that the date is 2333 BC. e. is greatly exaggerated, since it is not confirmed by any historical documents other than individual medieval Korean chronicles.
It is believed that at the dawn of its development, Ancient Joseon was a tribal union consisting of separately governed city-states, and it became a centralized state in 300 BC. e. Around the same time, the proto-state of Chin was formed in the south of the peninsula.

7. Iberia, 299 BC e. (Georgia)

Modern Georgia is considered a young independent state. But the history of the formation of Georgian statehood goes back to antiquity. Georgia is one of the places where the most ancient monuments of human civilization were discovered.
Historians believe that the first states on the territory of Georgia were formed back in the 3rd-2nd millennium BC. e. These were the kingdom of Colchis, located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, and Iberia, modern eastern Georgia. In 299 BC. e. Pharnavaz came to power in Iberia. During the reign of Farnavaz and his immediate descendants, Iberia achieved great power and became a state with significant territories. In the 9th century, a new united state arose on the territory of Georgia, the ruler of which was a king from the Bagrationi dynasty.

8. Greater Armenia, 190 BC. e. (Armenia)

The first mentions of Armenia are found in the cuneiform writings of the Persian king Darius I, who reigned in 522-486. BC e., also in Herodotus (5th century BC) and Xenophon (5th century BC). On the maps of the largest historians and geographers of antiquity, Armenia is marked along with Persia, Syria and other ancient states. After the collapse of the empire of Alexander the Great, the Armenian kingdoms arose: Greater Armenia, Lesser Armenia and Sophene.
Greater Armenia, a large state stretching from Palestine to the Caspian Sea, created in 190 BC. Historians call it the first state on the territory of the modern republic.

9. Yamato, 250 (Japan)

Japan is an island nation in East Asia located in the Pacific Ocean on the Japanese Archipelago, consisting of 6,852 islands. According to Japanese legend, in 660 BC. e. Jimmu founded the Land of the Rising Sun and became its first emperor.
The first written mentions of ancient Japan as a single state are contained in historical chronicles of the 1st century AD. e. Chinese Han Empire. In the 3rd century compendium of the Chinese Wei Empire, 30 Japanese countries are mentioned, among which Yamatai is the most powerful. Its ruler, Himiko, is reported to have maintained power using "charms."
From 250 - 538 , Kofun period, the Yamato state emerges. It is assumed that Yamato was a federation.
The Kofun period is so named because of the Kofun mound culture that was prevalent in Japan for five centuries. The photo shows the Daisenryo Mound, the tomb of Emperor Nintoku, early 5th century.

10. Great Bulgaria, 632 (Bulgaria)

Bulgaria is a state in South-Eastern Europe, in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The first state of the Bulgarians about which accurate historical information has been preserved was Great Bulgaria, a state that united the tribes of the proto-Bulgarians and existed in the Black Sea and Azov steppes for only a few decades from 632 to 671. The capital of the state was the city of Phanagoria, and its founder and ruler was Khan Kubrat. This is where the history of Bulgaria as a state began.

The Great Sphinx and the Pyramid of Khafre in Giza Ancient Egypt is one of the first states in human history, which arose on the African continent in the Nile River valley around the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. e. and existed until 30 BC. e., when... Wikipedia

The art of the state located in the lower reaches of the river. Nile (North East Africa), where one of the oldest centers of civilization arose. In the history of ancient Egyptian art, the following periods are distinguished: Ancient Kingdom (31–22 centuries BC),… … Art encyclopedia

The art of the state that arose on the Apennine Peninsula, which subsequently spread to the western and southeastern parts of Europe, Asia Minor, the coast of North Africa, Syria and Palestine (8th century BC - 4th century AD). The history of Roman... ... Art encyclopedia

Map of Palestine in 1759, showing the settlement of the Twelve Tribes of Israel Part of a series of articles on the History of the Jewish People ... Wikipedia

Map of Eretz Israel from 1759 showing the settlement of the Twelve Tribes of Israel ... Wikipedia

This article or section needs revision. Please improve the article in accordance with the rules for writing articles... Wikipedia

Priesthood of Ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians, according to the testimony of Herodotus, were the most God-fearing and religious people of the Ancient World. Young Seti I as the priest Maa Previously, it was generally accepted that the control of priests was negatively reflected... ... Wikipedia

Ramesseum ... Wikipedia

See also: Chronology of Ancient Egypt History of Ancient Egypt Predynastic period & ... Wikipedia

History of Ancient Egypt Predynastic period Dynastic period Early kingdom Old kingdom First transition period Middle kingdom Second period ... Wikipedia

Books

• , Nikishin V.O.. The history of Ancient Rome represents the final, final stage of the ancient history of the Mediterranean. The goal of mastering this discipline is to form a holistic…
• Ancient world history. Ancient Rome. Textbook for academic bachelor's degree, Vladimir Olegovich Nikishin. The history of Ancient Rome represents the final, final stage of the ancient history of the Mediterranean. The goal of mastering this discipline is to form a holistic… eBook

It is believed that the oldest states on Earth appeared more than 6,000 years ago, but the most ancient ones, about which at least something is known, could not survive to this day. This list of the 10 most ancient states includes only those that have survived to one degree or another; they are like a bridge from modernity to hoary antiquity.

1. Elam (Iran, 5200 years old)

The state of the Islamic Republic of Iran, located in southwest Asia, emerged on April 1, 1979 after the Islamic Revolution. In fact, Iran is one of the oldest states in the world. For thousands of years, Iran was the key monarchy of the East. The ancient state of Elam, which preceded Iran, arose here about 5,200 years ago. Under Darius I, the Iranian empire extended from the Indus River to Libya and Hellas. Even in the Middle Ages, Iran was quite an influential and powerful state.

2. Egypt (5000 years)

This is the oldest of the states that bore the same name, and about which a large amount of historical information has been preserved. In the ancient country of countless dynasties of pharaohs, the most magnificent examples of art and culture were born, many of them were adopted by the peoples of Asia and Europe. They also formed the basis of ancient aesthetics, which became the source of the development of all modern arts.
Now Egypt is the largest state in the Arab East, an important center of its cultural and political life, and a center of attraction for tourists from all over the world. Egypt has a unique geographical position, as it is located at the junction of 3 continents - Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as Jewish, Christian and Islamic civilizations. It arose on lands where a certain powerful and mysterious civilization had previously existed, which had its own long history. About 5,000 years ago, Pharaoh Mines united the neighboring lands, forming from them the state of Egypt during the Early Kingdom. This civilization left us many material monuments - pyramids, the Sphinx, majestic temples.

Many women prefer shopping tourism as the best option to relax, have fun, and enjoy shopping. What could be nice...

3. Greece (5000 years)

Greece is the cradle of European civilization. On the island of Crete, about 5,000 years ago, the ancient Minoan culture arose, which was adopted by the Hellenes and other mainland peoples. It was in Crete that the beginnings of statehood, trade and diplomatic relations with the East can be traced, and the first writing arose here.
The Aegean civilization, which arose at the end of the third millennium BC. e., already showed clear signs of statehood. The first states on the Aegean Sea, which arose in Crete and the Peloponnese, had the features of eastern despotism and a developed bureaucratic structure. Hellas grew quite quickly, spreading its influence and culture to Asia Minor, the northern Black Sea region and southern Italy. By the way, the Greeks themselves still call their country Hellas. They are flattered every time to emphasize the historical connection of present-day Greece with the great ancient era and culture, which became the basis for the entire European civilization.

4. Van Lang (Vietnam, 2897 BC)

Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country located on the Indo-Chinese Peninsula. The name of the country can be translated as “southern country of the Vietnamese.” The Viet civilization appeared in the Red River basin, and legend says that they descended from a fairy bird and a dragon. In 2897 BC. e. The first state of Vanlang was formed on this territory. There was a period when the country was absorbed by China, and towards the end of the 19th century it was taken over by France. Vietnam gained independence in 1954.

5. Shin-Yin (China, 3600 years old)

China is located in East Asia and, with a population of more than 1.3 billion people, is the world's largest country by population, second only to Russia and Canada in territory.
Chinese civilization is one of the oldest. Chinese historians claim that it is over 5,000 years old, although the oldest known written sources in China are about 3,500 years old. During successive dynasties of emperors, systems of administrative management were always in operation, which were improved over the centuries. This gave an advantage to a state based on agriculture, which was surrounded by nomadic peoples or mountaineers. An additional cement for statehood was the introduction in the 1st century BC. e. as the state ideology of Confucianism, and a century before that - a unified writing system.
Functioning in 1600-1027 BC. e. the state of Shang-Yin should be recognized as the first, the existence of which is confirmed not only by archaeological finds, but also by epigraphic written sources. Emperor Qin Shi Huang brought together in 221 BC. e. Chinese lands to the Qin Empire, whose territory is in many ways comparable to modern China.

6. Kush (Sudan, 1070 BC)

The area of ​​modern Sudan, located in the African northeast, exceeds the area of ​​Western Europe, but the population does not reach 30 million inhabitants. It is located in the middle reaches of the Nile, on its coastal plains, as well as the shores of the Red Sea and the elevated plateau.
In the northern part of what is now Sudan in 1070-350 BC. e. there was an ancient Meroitic kingdom or Kush. Its existence is evidenced by the found ruins of temples, sculptures of kings and gods. It is assumed that medicine and astronomy were developed in Kush, and they had their own written language.

7. Sri Lanka (377 BC)

Located in South Asia, southeast of the Hindustan Peninsula on the island of Sri Lanka, the state of the same name would sound in Russian as “Blessed Land”. People lived here back in the Neolithic era; at least, the settlements found here date back to this period. Writing, and with it documented history, arose after the settlement of the island by Aryans from India. They taught the local population not only writing, but also basic knowledge in the fields of navigation and metallurgy. In 337 BC. e. A monarchy was formed in Sri Lanka, the capital of which was the ancient city of Anuradhapura. In 247, Buddhism arrived on the island, and it turned out to be a decisive factor in the process of forming the country's political system.

8. Chin (Korea, 300 BC)

Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula and nearby islands. This ancient country has a common cultural and historical heritage. Until relatively recently, it was a single state. After the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II, Korea, which was then a Japanese colony, was divided into zones of responsibility by the victorious countries: the USSR got everything north of the 38th parallel, and the USA got everything south of it. A little later, in 1948, two states were proclaimed on both fragments of Korea - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the Republic of Korea in the south.
Koreans have a legend according to which their state was founded by the son of the god Tangun and a bear woman in 2333 BC. e. Experts call the most ancient stage of Korean history the state of Ko Joseon. True, almost all modern historians consider the legendary age of the country to be greatly exaggerated; at least, no one is in a hurry to present any historical documents confirming this, except for a few medieval chronicles. It is believed that in the early days of its existence, Joseon was simply a tribal union, which included independent city-states. Only around 300 BC. e. it became a centralized state. During the same period, the proto-state of Chin was formed in the south of the Korean Peninsula.

Several methods have been invented to determine the standard of living of people, but the one used by the UN is mainly used. On behalf of this organization...

9. Iberia (Georgia, 299 BC)

Relatively recently, Georgia regained its independence. But the history of this ancient state remembers a lot. On its territory there is the oldest evidence of the existence of civilization. Georgian historians are confident that the earliest states existed in Georgia in the second and even third millennium BC. e. We are talking about the kingdom of Colchis, overlooking the Black Sea coast, and Iberia, located to the east of it. King Pharnavaz I came to power in Iberia in 299. During the reign of him and his immediate descendants, Iberia turned into a powerful state that significantly expanded its territories. In the 9th century, the Georgian principalities were united into a single state, and kings from the Bagrationi branch began to rule it.

10. Greater Armenia (331 BC)

On the territory of the Armenian Highlands already in the 12th century BC. e. the formation of the Armenian ethnic group began, which ended by the 11th century BC. e. The main “ingredients” of the Armenian nation were the Urartians, Hurrians, Luwians, as well as tribes that spoke the Proto-Armenian language. By the IV-II centuries BC. e. The merger of the Urartians with the Armenian ethnic group was completed. It is known that in 31-220. BC e. There was an Airarat kingdom or Greater Armenia with its capital in Armavir, which is located near Yerevan. In 316 BC. e. during the reign of the Yervandid dynasty it became independent.
Then there was a short-lived conquest by the Seleucids, but already in 189 BC. e. Artashes I proclaimed the state of Greater Armenia. As Strabo testifies, already at the time of Artashes all the inhabitants of Armenia spoke a single Armenian language, although the court did not know it until the beginning of the 2nd century BC. e. they preferred to speak Imperial Aramaic, with a fair share of Iranian words.
Around 163 BC e. Commagene also declared its independence. As an independent state, Lesser Armenia was able to exist until 116 BC. e., and then it was captured first by the Pontians, and later they were replaced by the Romans.

Abstracts were prepared based on materials from the German magazine "Illustrierte Wissenschaft".

From the school history course we know about the emergence of the first states on earth with their unique way of life, culture and art. The distant and largely mysterious life of people of past times excited and awakened imagination. And, probably, for many it would be interesting to see maps of the greatest empires of antiquity, placed side by side. Such a comparison makes it possible to feel the size of the once gigantic state formations and the place they occupied on Earth and in the history of mankind.

Egypt. The empire reached its greatest size in 1450 BC. e.

Greece. The dark areas on the map indicate the lands where Greek culture flourished.

Persia. The territory of the empire in 500 BC. e.

India. The country's territory reached its largest size in 250 BC. e.

China occupied such territory in 221 BC. e.

The Roman Empire at its peak - the beginning of the 2nd century AD.

Byzantium in its heyday - VI century.

Arab Caliphate. It reached its greatest size in 632 AD. e. A118 years later, the area of ​​the Caliphate was significantly reduced (dark shading).

The state is an ancient social entity and means a territory occupied by a settled population subject to the same authority. Ancient thinkers already thought about the essence of government. For example, the Greek philosopher Aristotle saw in the state the final natural form of community life, important for man, who by nature is a “political being.” Moreover, he considered the state “an environment for a completely happy life.”

In the Middle Ages and later, the concept of “state” began to include contractual principles between a person and the supreme power. In the state of nature, a person lacks not rights, the English thinkers of the 17th century John Milton and John Locke believed, but their security, which he finds in a state established by agreement precisely for this purpose.

A true son of the age of enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau saw the meaning of the formation of a state in respecting the interests of each of its citizens. People need it in order to “find a form of union that would protect and ensure the personality and property of each member of society so that each, connecting with others, would obey only himself and would remain as free as before.” “Freedom is not alienable” is the main position of Rousseau.

Even 8-9 thousand years ago, people began to switch to a sedentary lifestyle. Agriculture and the first domestic animals appeared. The so-called Neolithic revolution took place, which brought people to new living conditions. Agriculture could already provide people with sufficient food, so hunting and gathering receded into the background. There was a division of labor between members of the same group, with leaders who governed communities of people. Over time, the need for public buildings arose, and the construction of palaces, temples, and fortresses began. Writing and the beginnings of arithmetic, astronomy and medicine appeared.

Rivers played a huge role in the formation of early civilizations. A river is not only a waterway, but also a stable harvest; it is no coincidence that it was in those distant times that people began to build canals and dams. But since the scattered tribes could not afford large reclamation buildings, groups of farmers united. The first state formations arose in Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates, where a flourishing culture developed.

Modern archaeologists and historians identify several conditions that give the right to call ancient communities of people a state. The first of them is no less than five thousand people who worship the same gods. Power is equipped with an apparatus of officials, and writing is indispensable, existing in any form. Large buildings - palaces and temples - are also an obligatory attribute of statehood. The population is divided into specialties so that everyone can no longer do everything for themselves and their families. So, along with priests and soldiers, artists, philosophers, builders, blacksmiths, weavers, potters, reapers, merchants and so on appeared.

The ancient empires that played their role in human history had all of the above conditions. But in addition, they were characterized by long-term political stability and well-established communications to the most remote outskirts, without which it is impossible to manage vast territories. All great empires had large armies: the passion for conquest was almost manic. And the rulers of such states sometimes achieved impressive successes, subjugating vast lands on which giant empires arose. But time passed, and the giant left the historical stage.

First Empire

Egypt. 3000-30 BC

This empire lasted three millennia - longer than any other. The state arose, according to the latest data, more than 3000 years BC, and when the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt took place (2686-2181), the so-called Old Kingdom was formed. The entire life of the country was connected with the Nile River, with its fertile valley and delta near the Mediterranean Sea. Egypt was ruled by a pharaoh (the word means food warehouse), governors and officials were in place, and in general social life in the country was quite developed (see “Science and Life” No. 1, 1997 - “The Stone Age is not over yet” - and No. 5, 1997 - “Ancient Egypt. Pyramid of Power”). The elite of society included officers, scribes, land surveyors and local priests. The pharaoh was considered a living deity, and performed all the most important sacrifices himself.

The Egyptians fanatically believed in the afterlife; cultural objects and majestic buildings - pyramids and temples - were dedicated to it. The walls of the burial chambers, covered with hieroglyphs, told more about the life of the ancient state than other archaeological finds.

The history of Egypt falls into two periods. The first is from its foundation until 332 BC, when the country was conquered by Alexander the Great. And the second period is the reign of the Ptolemaic dynasty - the descendants of one of the generals Alexander the Great. In 30 BC, Egypt was conquered by a younger and more powerful empire - the Roman Empire.

Cradle of Western Culture

Greece. 700-146 BC

People settled the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula tens of thousands of years ago. But only from the 7th century BC can we talk about Greece as a large, culturally homogeneous entity, although with reservations: the country was a union of city-states that united during times of external threat, such as, for example, to repel Persian aggression.

Culture, religion and, above all, language were the framework within which the history of this country took place. In 510 BC, most cities were freed from the autocracy of the kings. Athens was soon ruled by democracy, but only male citizens had the right to vote.

The polity, culture and science of Greece became a model and an inexhaustible source of wisdom for almost all later European states. Already Greek scientists wondered about life and the Universe. It was in Greece that the foundations of such sciences as medicine, mathematics, astronomy and philosophy were laid. Greek culture ceased to develop when the Romans conquered the country. The decisive battle took place in 146 BC near the city of Corinth, when the troops of the Greek Achaean League were defeated.

The Dominion of the "King of Kings"

Persia. 600-331 BC

In the 7th century BC, the nomadic tribes of the Iranian Highlands rebelled against Assyrian rule. The winners founded the state of Media, which later, together with Babylonia and other neighboring countries, became a world power. By the end of the 6th century BC, it, led by Cyrus II and then his successors belonging to the Achaemenid dynasty, continued its conquests. In the west, the lands of the empire faced the Aegean Sea, in the east its border ran along the Indus River, in the south, in Africa, its possessions reached the first rapids of the Nile. (Most of Greece was occupied during the Greco-Persian War by the troops of the Persian king Xerxes in 480 BC.)

The monarch was called the "King of Kings", he stood at the head of the army and was the supreme judge. The domains were divided into 20 satrapies, where the king's viceroy ruled in his name. The subjects spoke four languages: Old Persian, Babylonian, Elamite and Aramaic.

In 331 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the hordes of Darius II, the last of the Achaemenid dynasty. Thus ended the history of this great empire.

Peace and love - for everyone

India. 322-185 BC

The legends dedicated to the history of India and its rulers are very fragmentary. Little information dates back to the time when the founder of the religious teaching, Buddha (566-486 BC), the first real person in the history of India, lived.

In the first half of the 1st millennium BC, many small states arose in the northeastern part of India. One of them - Magadha - rose to prominence thanks to successful wars of conquest. King Ashoka, who belonged to the Maurya dynasty, expanded his possessions so much that they occupied almost all of present-day India, Pakistan and part of Afghanistan. Administrative officials and a strong army obeyed the king. At first, Ashoka was known as a cruel commander, but, becoming a follower of the Buddha, he preached peace, love and tolerance and received the nickname “The Convert.” This king built hospitals, fought deforestation, and pursued a soft policy towards his people. His decrees that have reached us, carved on rocks and columns, are the oldest, accurately dated epigraphic monuments of India, telling about government, social relations, religion and culture.

Even before his rise, Ashoka divided the population into four castes. The first two were privileged - priests and warriors. The invasion of the Bactrian Greeks and internal strife in the country led to the collapse of the empire.

The beginning of more than two thousand years of history

China. 221-210 BC

During the period called Zhanyu in the history of China, many years of struggle waged by many small kingdoms brought victory to the kingdom of Qin. It united the conquered lands and in 221 BC formed the first Chinese empire led by Qin Shi Huang. The emperor carried out reforms that strengthened the young state. The country was divided into districts, military garrisons were established to maintain order and tranquility, a network of roads and canals was built, equal education was introduced for officials, and a single monetary system operated throughout the kingdom. The monarch established an order in which people were obliged to work where the interests and needs of the state required it. Even such a curious law was introduced: all carts must have an equal distance between the wheels so that they move along the same tracks. During the same reign, the Great Wall of China was created: it connected separate sections of defensive structures built earlier by the northern kingdoms.

In 210, Qing Shi Huang died. But subsequent dynasties left intact the foundations for building an empire laid by its founder. In any case, the last dynasty of Chinese emperors ceased to exist at the beginning of this century, and the borders of the state remain practically unchanged to this day.

An army that maintains order

Rome. 509 BC - 330 AD

In 509 BC, the Romans expelled the Etruscan king Tarquin the Proud from Rome. Rome became a republic. By 264 BC, her troops captured the entire Apennine Peninsula. After this, expansion began in all directions of the world, and by 117 AD the state stretched its borders from west to east - from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea, and from south to north - from the rapids of the Nile and the coast of all of North Africa to the borders with Scotland and along the lower reaches of the Danube.

For 500 years, Rome was governed by two annually elected consuls and a senate, which was in charge of state property and finances, foreign policy, military affairs and religion.

In 30 BC, Rome became an empire led by Caesar, and essentially a monarch. The first Caesar was Augustus. A large and well-trained army participated in the construction of a huge network of roads, their total length being more than 80,000 kilometers. Excellent roads made the army very mobile and allowed it to quickly reach the most remote corners of the empire. The proconsuls appointed by Rome in the provinces - governors and officials loyal to Caesar - also helped keep the country from collapse. This was facilitated by the settlements of soldiers who had served in the conquered lands.

The Roman state, unlike many other giants of the past, fully corresponded to the concept of “empire”. It also became a model for future contenders for world domination. European countries inherited a lot from the culture of Rome, as well as the principles of building parliaments and political parties.

Uprisings of peasants, slaves and urban plebs, and the increasing pressure of Germanic and other barbarian tribes from the north forced Emperor Constantine I to move the capital of the state to the city of Byzantium, later called Constantinople. This happened in 330 AD. After Constantine, the Roman Empire was actually divided into two - Western and Eastern, ruled by two emperors.

Christianity is the stronghold of the empire

Byzantium. 330-1453 AD

Byzantium arose from the eastern remnants of the Roman Empire. The capital became Constantinople, founded by Emperor Constantine I in 324-330 on the site of the Byzantine colony (hence the name of the state). From that moment on, the isolation of Byzantium in the bowels of the Roman Empire began. The Christian religion played a major role in the life of this state, becoming the ideological foundation of the empire and the stronghold of Orthodoxy.

Byzantium existed for more than a thousand years. It reached its political and military power during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, in the 6th century AD. It was then that, having a strong army, Byzantium conquered the western and southern lands of the former Roman Empire. But within these limits the empire did not last long. In 1204, Constantinople fell to the attacks of the crusaders, which never rose again, and in 1453 the capital of Byzantium was captured by the Ottoman Turks.

In the name of Allah

Arab Caliphate. 600-1258 AD

The sermons of the Prophet Muhammad laid the foundation for the religious and political movement in Western Arabia. Called "Islam", it contributed to the creation of a centralized state in Arabia. However, soon as a result of successful conquests, a vast Muslim empire was born - the Caliphate. The presented map shows the greatest scope of the conquests of the Arabs, who fought under the green banner of Islam. In the East, the Caliphate included the western part of India. The Arab world has left indelible marks on human history, in literature, mathematics and astronomy.

From the beginning of the 9th century, the Caliphate gradually began to fall apart - the weakness of economic ties, the vastness of the territories subjugated by the Arabs, which had their own culture and traditions, did not contribute to unity. In 1258, the Mongols conquered Baghdad and the Caliphate broke up into several Arab states.

The first states began to appear in Mesopotamia, Iran and in the 4th millennium BC. , which reigned before the development of silver and gold, was coming to an end in these territories, but continued to develop in other parts of the planet. However, even today in remote corners of our world you can find small settlements living in primitive communities.

What caused the emergence of the state? First of all, the main factor was climate. If a person is engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding in relatively favorable conditions, in a warm climate and with sufficient water, then food products gradually accumulate, which makes it possible to engage in other activities with plenty of food.

With sufficient supplies of food, it was already possible to devote oneself to the craft, studying stone and metal objects, as well as dishes and jewelry. It was already possible to share your products with neighbors, who in return gave something of their own - food, for example.

The larger the village, the more important self-organization is, so almost everywhere there were some kind of leaders. As a rule, these were elderly people with accumulated experience and knowledge of rituals. If any conflicts, feuds or quarrels arose, they went straight to the elder, who, at first, had only authority, but no benefit from his position.

But with the increase in numbers, it was necessary not only to lead people, but also to plan. For example, public works were required on rivers and forests. People needed to be set up, the prospects and benefits of joint efforts explained. And if everything worked out, then the surplus of the same grain was already public property in the form of a reserve in case of crop failure or for exchange with communities nearby.

The elders could not combine such multifaceted and labor-intensive work on organizing collective labor with personal farming, so over time, leaders began to work for the common good, receiving part of the jointly produced products from the reserve.

Given the strong family ties between residents of neighboring villages, some issues had to be resolved jointly. Communities elected their representatives, chief priests, to resolve such issues.

Gradually, first cemented by family ties, and later by neighbors, the settlements unite into urban formations, which will become the first city-states.

The nobility, which led the first prototypes of states, developed as a class gradually. First, other dwellings, special forms of life and luxury goods appeared. Over time, the gap between the leaders and fellow tribesmen increased, but was not significant or fundamental.

The strength of the first state formations was evidenced by the presence of monumental structures. This could only appear with the efforts of a large number of people organized by work. For example, these are temples, megaliths and pyramids in Ancient Egypt.

According to scientists, the first state formations, headed by leaders, existed from the 3rd millennium BC. and up to the early Middle Ages.