The Civilizations of Asia and the Middle East Before the European Ch
This book offers a comparative view of the world-views, values and institutions in Asia and the Middle East. The account takes the form of a historical narrative, focused on the most relevant events and features in the process of continual change.
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Before the European Challenge
Also by Jaroslav KrejCi ETHNIC AND POLITICAL NATIONS IN EUROPE (with V. Velimsky) GREAT REVOLUTIONS COMPARED: The Search for a Theory *NATIONAL INCOME IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, POLAND AND YUGOSLAVIA *SOCIAL CHANGE AND STRATIFICATION IN POSTWAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA SOCIAL STRUCTURE IN DIVIDED GERMANY SOZIALDEMOKRATIE UNO SYSTEMWANDEL (editor)
*Also published by Macmillan
The Civilizations of Asia and the Middle East Before the European Challenge
Jaroslav Krejci
Professor Emeritus, University of Lancaster
Assisted by Anna Krejcova
M
MACMILLAN
© Jaroslav
Krejci 1990 Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1990 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended), or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 33-4 Alfred Place, London WCIE 7DP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. First published 1990 Published by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS and London Companies and representatives throughout the world British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Krejci, Jaroslav The civilizations of Asia and the Middle East: before the European challenge I. Asian civilization, history I. Title II. Krejcova, Anna 950 ISBN 978-1-349-11149-7 ISBN 978-1-349-11147-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-11147-3
To the memory of my parents
Contents Preface and Acknowledgements
xi
A Note on Spelling and Dates
xiv
1 Introduction
l
2 The Rise of the Levant: The Cuneiscript and Pharaonic Civilizations 2.1 The General Setting 2.2 The Spirit of Egypt 2.3 The Spirit of Sumer 2.4 Geography and Polity 2.5 Egypt: The Struggle for Harmony 2.6 Egypt as a Great Power: Between Machiocracy and Hierocracy 2. 7 Sumer and Akkad: From the City States to the Empire 2.8 The Multi-ethnic Cuneiscript Civilization 2.9 The Social Structure of Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt 3 The Contrasts of Syria: Peoples of the Script and People of the Book 3.1 From Sheba to Carthage: The West Semitic Civilization 3.1.1 The Phoenician Venture 3.1.2 The Broader Context 3.2 Seclusion of the Jews: From the Judges to the Prophets 3.3 From the Prophets to the Law: The Constitution of Judaism 3.4 The Dilemma of Judaism: What Kind of Identity? Vll
7 7 9 14 18 21
26 31 34 39 45
45 45 50 53 59 65
Vlll
Contents
4 The Great Iranian Ventures: The peripeties of Ahura Mazdah 4.1 The General Setting 4.2 From Zarathushtra to Mazdaism 4.3 The Persian Levantine Empire and the Hellenic Counterstroke 4.4 The Renaissance of Zoroastrianism 4.5 The Heresies and the Orthodoxy 4.6 Revolution and Reform 4.7 Rally, Collapse and Transfiguration 5 The Ways of Islam: Integration and Disintegration
5.1 The General Setting
