The Similarities and differences

The Indus River Valley Civilization had almost nothing in common with the Egyptians and the Babylonians; where Babylonia and Egypt had clearly defined and stratified social classes Harappa did not, where there was slavery in Babylonia and Egypt there was probably none in the Indus River Valley. This might prompt some to believe that the Indus River Valley Civilization is alien to most of the ancient world there are still a few similarities. For instance the vast majority of citizens were engaged in agricultural jobs and men were the dominant sex in Babylon and Egypt however women had certain rights, (for instance in Babylonia a women could decide to divorce without her husbands permission) however in the Indus River Valley Civilization women had almost no rights.

Ancient Egypt on the other hand is a textbook example of the average social class system of the ancient world. It was ruled over by a divine monarch who wielded absolute power. One rung down and one will find the pharaoh’s inner circle of advisors and the vizier who was a chamberlain and a High Priest (demonstrating another common characteristic of ancient civilizations; the combination of government and religion). Followed by the Pharaoh’s inner circle was the nobility followed by scribes who not only kept records but played an administrative role in ancient Egypt, followed by the farmers and finally the slaves. Without much tweaking this social pyramid could be applied to almost any ancient civilization.

There were also however some unique aspects to the society of the ancient Egyptians. Women who although did not have equal rights to their male counterparts were nonetheless slightly less second class citizens than in Babylonia and the Indus River Valley. Queens could rule in the own right and were not merely the woman married to the pharaoh.

Babylon continues this trend of stratified social classes with the divine unquestionable king at the top and the slave at the bottom who was little more than chattel and could be abused or otherwise at their master’s whim. Babylon and Egypt have very little difference in social classes.