Civilizations and space 2 ( cosmopolitan civilizations and local civilizations )

4 Cosmopolitan civilizations

 

Civilizations that are separated from each other but share some common values and have active exchange of information and trade are called cosmopolitan civilizations.

 

Such civilizations include Islamic civilization (after the Umayyad dynasty) and European civilization (from the late Middle Ages through the emergence of capitalism to the present day). At first, there was a strong focus on the introduction of the monetary system and common languages (Arabic and Latin)*1, but it later became politically divided into nations and transformed into a world-economy*2.

  

*1 The earliest example of the introduction of a monetary system and a common language at about the same time may be that of the First Emperor of Qin (around 213 BC). At first, China was also a collection of several nations, but after the Qin and Han dynasties, it went beyond the cosmopolitan type to a despotic type of government, and became a regional civilization. Later, during the Umayyad period, Abbul-Malik (ruled 685-705) introduced a common money and language (Arabic). In European civilization, Latin was the common language in the west and Greek was the common language in the east. A common currency did not materialize, especially in the west. In European civilization, money was used in each region, and a network between cities was gradually formed over a wide area, resulting in the establishment of a cosmopolitan civilization.

 

*2 world-economy  Fernand Braudel's concept: It does not mean the world economy, but refers to the state in which several nations gather to form a single economic system.

 

 

5 Local civilizations

 

What are the characteristics of local civilizations in contrast to cosmopolitan civilizations? A civilization that has a strong center and is strongly controlled by politics or culture at the center is called a Local civilization.

 

I mentioned Chinese civilization and Indian civilization as such civilizations.

 

Chinese civilization was modeled by Qin Shi Huang, and Indian civilization was modeled by Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty. However, as mentioned earlier, Indian civilization was often politically divided. Both the Chinese civilization and the Indian civilization may have initially had a situation like the "world economy" mentioned earlier, but they could not expand outward like European civilization and Islamic civilization.

 

Chinese civilization*1 and Indian civilization*2 were classified as local civilizations in that expansion was slowed down and internal despotism and control increased. It may be said that Chinese civilization is controlled by politics, and Indian civilization is controlled by culture. The impetus for Chinese civilization to become such a civilization was the introduction of the imperial examination system by the Sui Dynasty, the establishment of a financial state in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the development of control over the surrounding ethnic groups through economic policies, followed by the conquests of the Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Qing dynasties. It became a civilization ruled by a dynasty.

 

*1 The order is Qin, Former Han, Later Han, Wei and Jin Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms , Northern Song/Liao , Southern Song /Jin, Yuan , Ming , Qing , Republic of China,  the People's Republic of China (underlined parts are dynasties ruled by non-Han people).

 

*2 Transition of Indian civilization Indus Civilization Early Vedas, Late Vedas, Kosala Magadha, Maurya, Satavahana Kushana , Gupta Pallava Pandya, Vardana Charukya Pallava, Three Kingdoms (Puitihara: Rajput dynasties, Rashtrakuta, Pala )・Chola, Slave Dynasty , Delhi Sartanat Vijayanagar, Mughal Empire , Indian Empire , Indian Republic

The rise and fall of dynasties in Indian civilization was violent in the north and relatively stable in the south.

 

In contrast, what is interesting is that Indian civilization became a local civilization because Buddhism and Jainism, which were commercial powers during the Gupta dynasty, declined, and Hinduism, which was linked to the dynasty, became a local indigenous religion. This is the point of absorbing religion, and rather the complex caste system deepened during the Rajput dynasties. After the Gupta Dynasty, although there were differences between the north and the south, India was culturally common, but politically divided, a state similar to European civilization in the Middle Ages.

 

But unlike European civilization, Indian civilization was conquered by Islamic civilization. The slave dynasty, the Delhi sultanat, the Mughal empire, the Indian empire and the Indian civilization also became a civilization dominated by the conquering dynasty.

Around the time of the Mongol Empire, the cosmopolitan Islamic civilization came to encompass the Chinese and Indian civilizations, both of which were local civilizations, for a short period of time.

 

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