India and Advanced Technological Society - Essay Example

Since Indian thinkers managed to develop philosophies ahead of the West, several disciplines to train the mind and body spiritually had been made available like yoga and other systems of principle-driven living which enabled philosophy to contribute to ancient technology in India. Considering that the mind, in association with physical strength, plays a vital role in shaping the culture, economy, as well as technology, meditative Indians had also come to the extent of discovering four religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Having promoted beliefs as karma, vegetarianism, and reincarnation, these religions influenced the old Indians to highly progress in critical thinking thereby affecting their way of life and how they facilitated themselves with tools to effect technological advancements.

            When the Caste System originated from Hinduism and classified people into severe castes, which discriminated a lower class by the upper class yet placed the society in great order. The resulting social stability made by this system provided another key factor implied through proper allocation of resources in favor of intellectuals upon whom appreciable investments were placed to enhance any scientific endeavors toward application.

            Further improvements in support of technical growth had been fueled through the diversity of India’s literature, which is known for its marvelous epics, high inclination to music, art, and architecture. Because these aspects were passionately explored altogether in the hope of seeking more creative possibilities, people had been equally interested in inventing devices that would impact better communication and delivery of articles concerning these subjects.

To what degree does it merit comparison with Mesopotamia and Egypt as the site of the first civilizations?  

            Similarly, the first civilizations of Egypt along the Nile River became politically stable as old kingdom learned to unite Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt in the same way that Mesopotamia rose to exist between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers where Sumerians first built several independent cities such as Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Umma, and Lagash. The cities, like in the early civilization of India and Egypt, expanded and formed city-states or the basic units by which Sumerians ruled their economy and established political dominion. India, Egypt, and Mesopotamia initiated their civilizations by the river valleys to sustain the large population each one had with sufficient irrigation for the agricultural fields of all inhabitants (Duiker & Spielvogel).

            Upon examination of the later consequence, it may be noted that India, in comparison to Egypt and Mesopotamia, came to the extent of centralizing authority. Often reflected through the society’s hierarchical character, such occurrence was necessitated to meet increasing livelihood demands for both social and consumer resources.

            When it comes to technical achievements, Egyptians of the past constructed several pyramids which manifested skill in engineering unique structures at the time while beside the Taj Mahal, Indian scholars displayed an equivalent degree of intelligence on inventing the zero and the numerals in mathematics. Just as ancient Indian people founded religions with several distinct gods, Mesopotamians likewise adhered to polytheism which magnified the belief of An, Enlil, and Enki, which were worshipped as gods of the sky, the wind, and the earth, rivers, wells, and canals, respectively (Duiker & Spielvogel).