Writing Defines an Empire's People

Abstract

Writing Defines an Empire’s People Jonathan Fuentes Abstract Writing plays a crucial role in the development of nation-states across time. This paper argues that written language largely determines productivity and the creation of order in empires, providing examples of how writings provided a means of effective communication, leads to the creation of political and social order, and stimulates overall expansion of civilizations over time. Cuneiform: The Origin of Writing D ating back to its earliest forms, writing allowed growing civilizations a means to ad- vance, grow, and establish many powers. Written language has helped to organized societies past and present, both socially and politically. Cuneiform usage developed and enforced social hierar- chies, which became more complex as time passed. For instance, the relatively simple Mesopota- mian legal systems eventually gave way to the more complex systems and hierarchies of Rome and Han China. This form of organization called for civilizations to dominate and conquer terri- tories because those within the empire understood their roles and places in a singular society dic- tated by writing, enhancing empires’ abilities to send messages, keep records, collect taxes and provision armies. 1 Growing civilizations, such as those found in early Mesopotamia around 3000 BCE, re- quired methods of tracking and accounting for food. The agricultural era gave rise to cuneiform, an early form of a singular writing system, which began to appear on various tablets from the an- cient Uruk civilizations. 2 Cuneiform helped ancient societies manage food production and con- sumption, making it easier to create a unified class system. Scribes of the time kept track of the distribution of goods which allowed an accurate depiction of their numbers and the resources need to sustain it. Mesopotamian society flourished and the chaos of expanding populations ne- cessitated a greater use of cuneiform. Simultaneously, writing also provided means of promotion and propaganda for their con- quering empires and their hierarchy. Writers used their skills to enable effective communication between neighboring civilizations, spreading propaganda to promote their ideals. The develop- ment of written language was a major turning point in history for early human civilizations be- cause it allowed them to communicate their ideologies and religions. Writing in forms of legal texts and narrative stories became vital tools in an empire’s ability to sustain itself leading to the creation of legal standards creating order and establishment of social classes as well as the over- all spread of religions. Ikeda, Jun, and Shigeo Yamada. The World’s Oldest Writing in Mesopotamia and the Japanese Writ- ing System. In Ancient West Asian Civilization, pp. 157-163. Springer Singapore, 2017. Montgomery, David. Rivers of Life. In Dirt: The Erosion of Civilization. Berkeley: University of Cal- ifornia Press, 2007.