3000 B. C.. Large and efficient irrigation and drainage projects created channels, dikes, or dams to control floodwaters and to improve the fertility of the land. There was a need for social and economic hierarchies. The city was a society of strangers. There were single people as well as nuclear families in monogamous relationships. Civil rights came because you lived in a city. With individual freedoms came more responsibilities. There were five main social classes. The first class was the royal family, which marked the first form of government - monarchy. The position of king or queen was inherited. If there was not an eldest son, the daughter became queen. The second class in the hierarchy was the aristocracy. The third class was made of the burghers or the artisans, mechanics, teachers, accountants, scribes and translators. The fourth class was made of the serfs. Serfs could not be bought or sold, but could not leave the land on which they worked, they had specific jobs.The river valley society developed into city-states, independent political units that each contained a rural countryside with villages controlled by a capital city. The urban landscape's most visible sign of centralized authority was the temple. The temple was the most important authority in religion, politics and economics. Temples were wealthy and powerful and commanded loyalty because only a strong institution could control the large amount of manpower required to build these elaborate works of architecture. Religion and politics went together, and this was the monarchy's way to prove their legitimacy. The religions at this time were polytheistic. For instance there could be 3 gods per city and 1 national god.There were military forces in early civilizations. The original "police" were the king's guards and temple guards. There were special military drills developed to train the armies to address the military's main concern, ho...
