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Posted by Chester Morton / Friday 7 December 2018 / No comments
The contribution of the Kushite Kingdom to civilization
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE KUSHITES TO CIVILIZATION
Introduction
The kingdom of Kush can be found in the present state of
Sudan. It was located near the Nile Valley. The Kushite kingdom is noted to
have made a lot of contribution to the civilization of the world.
Iron technology
One of the ways in which the Kushites contributed to world
civilization was in the area of iron technology. There were lots of iron ore deposits
in the kingdom and there were also large tracks of wooded forests where timber
could be obtained to fire the furnaces in order to produce raw iron for the
manufacturing of iron implements. The special skills of the Kushite iron
artisans to manufacture implements from iron made a great contribution to world
civilization. The Kushites developed tools that revolutionized agricultural
production. They also produced weapons of war that helped their army to protect
the kingdom for as long as possible.
Contribution to agriculture
The Kushite civilization also contributed to the development
of agriculture. Their long association with the Egyptians enabled them to learn
a thing or two from the Egyptian methods of agricultural production. To the
northern parts of the kingdom were arable lands. Thanks to the annual flooding
of the area by the Nile and the depositing of silt, this created a fertile land for
the production of crops to feed the kingdom. The development of the iron
industry with its attendant production of farm implements gave a boost to grain
production. The ability to turn otherwise a not so good land into cultivable land
through irrigation contributed a lot to modern agriculture.
Trade and commerce
The Kushites, like other kingdoms, were able to develop trade
with the rest of the then known world. The Kushites traded gold and other
products with Egypt, India, and countries to the Far East. They also sold grains
and animal hide. Like China and other developed economies today, which are able
to trade with the rest of world and bring back so much wealth into their
countries, the Kushites did similar things and so much wealth poured back into
the kingdom.
Political organization
The political organization of the kingdom of the Kush was a highly
centralized one. It was ruled by kings based on the consent of the people.
Kingship was hereditary but the elaborate system put in place, ensured that only
the best-suited person ascended to the throne. The king was chosen from among
the members of the royal family in line to be crowned kings but all the nobles
must agree that was the best choice that could have been. After that, the
approval of the Priesthood was required. Under the Kushite political
organization, the Queen-mother was not the wife of the king, she was rather the
mother of the king. Her major political role was to ensure stability in the
kingdom and that there was always a smooth transition from one king to
another.
Architecture
The Kushites, like the Egyptians, were good builders. They had
developed the skills and ability to design and build pyramids and burial
grounds which were used as tombs. The only difference was that the Kushite
pyramids, which were mostly located in the city of Meroe, were smaller,
compared to the Egyptian pyramids. Their architectural skills may have
contributed to modern architecture.
SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. Highlight five ways in which the kingdom of Kush contributed to the civilization of the world.
ALSO READ:
The factors that contributed to rise of the kingdom of Kush
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