The contribution of the Kushite Kingdom to civilization

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE KUSHITES TO CIVILIZATION

Introduction

The kingdom of Kush can be found in the present state of Sudan. It was located near the Nile Valley. The Kushite kingdom is noted to have made a lot of contribution to the civilization of the world.

Iron technology

One of the ways in which the Kushites contributed to world civilization was in the area of iron technology. There were lots of iron ore deposits in the kingdom and there were also large tracks of wooded forests where timber could be obtained to fire the furnaces in order to produce raw iron for the manufacturing of iron implements. The special skills of the Kushite iron artisans to manufacture implements from iron made a great contribution to world civilization. The Kushites developed tools that revolutionized agricultural production. They also produced weapons of war that helped their army to protect the kingdom for as long as possible.

Contribution to agriculture

The Kushite civilization also contributed to the development of agriculture. Their long association with the Egyptians enabled them to learn a thing or two from the Egyptian methods of agricultural production. To the northern parts of the kingdom were arable lands. Thanks to the annual flooding of the area by the Nile and the depositing of silt, this created a fertile land for the production of crops to feed the kingdom. The development of the iron industry with its attendant production of farm implements gave a boost to grain production. The ability to turn otherwise a not so good land into cultivable land through irrigation contributed a lot to modern agriculture.

Trade and commerce

The Kushites, like other kingdoms, were able to develop trade with the rest of the then known world. The Kushites traded gold and other products with Egypt, India, and countries to the Far East. They also sold grains and animal hide. Like China and other developed economies today, which are able to trade with the rest of world and bring back so much wealth into their countries, the Kushites did similar things and so much wealth poured back into the kingdom.

Political organization

The political organization of the kingdom of the Kush was a highly centralized one. It was ruled by kings based on the consent of the people. Kingship was hereditary but the elaborate system put in place, ensured that only the best-suited person ascended to the throne. The king was chosen from among the members of the royal family in line to be crowned kings but all the nobles must agree that was the best choice that could have been. After that, the approval of the Priesthood was required. Under the Kushite political organization, the Queen-mother was not the wife of the king, she was rather the mother of the king. Her major political role was to ensure stability in the kingdom and that there was always a smooth transition from one king to another.

Architecture

The Kushites, like the Egyptians, were good builders. They had developed the skills and ability to design and build pyramids and burial grounds which were used as tombs. The only difference was that the Kushite pyramids, which were mostly located in the city of Meroe, were smaller, compared to the Egyptian pyramids. Their architectural skills may have contributed to modern architecture.

SAMPLE QUESTION(S)
1. Highlight five ways in which the kingdom of Kush contributed to the civilization of the world.

ALSO READ:
The factors that contributed to rise of the kingdom of Kush

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