Change over Time in Southwest Asia and Asia in 1500 Ad

In the year 3000 B.C., man had just started his conquest of the world. Early societies began to arise, as well as political and social organizations. Now fast forward four-and-a-half thousand years. The date is 1500 AD. Many monumental developments and changes have occurred. As time passes by, many changes occur throughout the world. In Southwest Asia and Asia, many changes and continuities in society and life occurred.

An important change was that of gender affairs. Near the foundations of civilization, most societies were patriarchal, having the man of the household control all his property and make all the important decisions concerning his household. The women were treated as inferior beings, subject to the rule of their husbands and treated as property. In the ancient society of Mesopotamia, women could be sold to pay off their spouses' debts (p. 45)! Women were not allowed to hold any governmental or social positions, nor were they allowed much freedom. Their only purposes in life were to bear children and keep up the home. If a Mesopotamian lady was found guilty of adultery, the punishment could be as severe as death! However, if a man was found guilty, there was no punishment at all. In East Asia, patriarchal society was extremely dominant, and increased as time went by and with the development of the large independent states (p. 125). As time does however, some changed and some remained the same. During the later postclassical and early middle ages, women had gained more strength and influence. In Islamic society, the Koran gave them more rights and security, but not complete equality with men. Muhammad gave an example for men, in that they should treat women as equals and with respect, at least theoretically (p. 374). In China, women were still oppressed, and through great measures to be as wonderful and pleasing to their husbands, even though it might mean tormenting themselves, as seen in the prime example of foot binding (p. 394). A clear example of changing gender relations is the support of romantic love by the European noblewoman, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

A main theme throughout history is population growth and decline. As technology and other innovations developed, population surged. The most dramatic of which occurred during the Neolithic revolution. After early humans developed methods for cultivating food crops, they were able to plant roots and create villages. This allowed for a massive population bloom, rising from 4 to 100 million people over the course of several thousand years (p. 23). As towns popped up, so did specialization of labor and crafts. This attracted more people, leading to a never-ending cycle of growth. This continued throughout time, with the world population reaching