Question #2
Technology and innovation played arguably the most important role in the development of early Asian societies. However, with that being said, the impact of these important cultural facets were not equally spread amongst these societies, as some flourished while others were lost along the way. Perhaps the best example of this can be seen by looking at the early Southeast Asian state of Harappan and the early dynasties of China. Furthermore, the movement and spread of the earliest technologies was particularly critical in determining which early Asian societies developed into well-established countries. This can be seen in the parallels that exist between the development of India in comparison to China.
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During the middle of the third millennium BC, the roots of civilization in Asia were taking place in the fertile Indus River valley through the development of the Harappan society, which occurred over a thousand years before civilization took shape in China. Farmers in Harappan were some of the first to ever begin growing crops on Asia’s irrigated floodplain. Despite living in a climate essentially devoid of any substantial rainfall, these ancient Asians were able to develop a rich culture and economy by innovatively using rivers as a water source for agriculture and establishing walled cities along their shorelines. Unfortunately, the Harappan were unable to use their vast irrigation works and advances agricultural technology to fend off natural catastrophes and nomadic intruders from other parts of Asia, and by the middle-to-end of the first millennium BC the society’s cities were left in ruin.
Yet before perishing, some of the most key elements of Harappan society were imparted on other civilizations that had developed later in Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, namely the countries that would come to be known as China and India. In China, agricultural innovation dates back to as early as between 8500 and 6500 BC, when its society began to thrive based on the innovative mass cultivation of rice and millet. Furthermore, the cooking of rice and the transformation of millet into what we would now recognize as traditional noodles are contributions unique to ancient China. Expanding upon the technologies introduced by the Harappan, China’s innovative advancements included the use of crude forms of modern-day forks made out of animal bone, and even earlier, the invention of wooden oars that they used as tools for rowing canoes. Perhaps even more importantly, especially to the development of early society in China, was its technologically basic, yet historically novel farming plow, which allowed it to more efficiently and effectively establish its agricultural society.
On the other hand, China’s success largely depended on it departing from the agrarian ways of the Harappan, and instead using its historical pottery-making cultural roots to transform itself into a fully functioning and expanding society. Ultimately, through its dynasties and empires that ran through the BC years and into the Common Era, Chinese innovation honed in on this aspect of cultural and societal development. China’s early society was able to identify magnetic force and harness it in ladle-and-bowl style compasses, which they used for practices of divinity. While this alone had a profound impact on religious and cultural beliefs, the full importance of the compass came to light when it began to be used as a directional tool for sea navigation. Much like noodles, silk is another invention particularly identifiable with Chinese culture, having its origins in ancient China going back as far as 3500 BC. Yet silk played perhaps its most critical role later on in time and in accordance with the development of the compass, as it was the key product that spawned the interlinking routes of trade known as the Silk Road during the turn of the Common Era. The combination not only contributed to the flourishing of early Chinese society, but also to the rise of society in India as well.
However, even before Chinese silk influenced the Diaspora of Asian societies across the entire continent and Indian subcontinent, India had developed its own brand of civilization through technology and innovation as well. While the early Chinese society was transitioning from agricultural innovation to technological advancements, Indian society was innovatively producing luxury goods to attract trade from the East. This included things like pearls, spices, dyes, cotton, and most importantly at the time, ivory. All of these were based upon the advancement that India had made in standardizing weights and measures, and through the use of devices used to determine angles and construction measurements that were used for uncovering these rich materials. At the same time, India had developed its own innovative advancements in sea-based technology, which served it well once the Silk Road opened. Like its standardizations systems, calibrations were used and porting docks were able to be located away from silt-bearing waters. This knowledge of the waterways and workings of the tidal system are likely the most distinct aspect of society that was passed to India from the early Harappan society.
Ultimately, although the Harappans were long lost, their technological advancements spread and influenced two of the most successful societies throughout all of Asia and the Indian subcontinent. As time marched on, these two countries continued to use their technology to interact with one another, spreading the culture of one into the other. The end result was two distinct societies that blended enough culturally to impact the religion, politics, and way of life of people living across the continent from them.
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