CITY STATES
UNIT 1
WORLD HISTORY
What are City-States?



Cities and the surrounding areas
They developed their own government
They functioned much like an
independent country does today
Where did City-States form?


The 1st cities formed
in the cradle of
civilization
(Mesopotamia)
Sumer Cities such as
Uruk, Kish, Lagash,
Umma, Ur
Where did City-States form?


Phoenicians formed along the Mediterranean Sea
(What is now the country of Lebanon)
Cities such as Byblos, Tyre, & Sidon

This chart gives examples of the extent of the
Phoenician trade network
Where did City-States form?


The Harappans in India / Indus River Valley
The largest cities were Kalibangan, MohenjoDaro, & Harappa
Grid City
Pattern??

What can
the grid
style of this
city tell us
about the
people that
lived there?
City-States Form


A City with its own
government
controlled the land
(farms) around it
It functioned much
like its own
country
Why did City-States Form???
 Simply…it
is the
convergence of the 5 traits of
civilization!!!
 You can see all 5 traits within
a city-state
Cultural Dominance


The surplus of
food allowed for
long distance
trading
This allowed for
many city-states in
the same region to
share the same
culture / ideas
Cultural Dominance


The way of life in
many city-states
was very similar
(according to the
region)
The exchange of
products & ideas
helped spread
culture
Harrappan Cultural Dominance


In the Harappan
culture, there was
uniformity in
religion & culture
Also had similar
classes of people Trade helped to
unify
Military defeat did not mean the end….


Sumer culture
withstood the
conquest of
Sargon of Akkad
Trade, religion &
culture was
adopted by the
Akkadians
Not the end for the Phoenicians…..


Phoenician exiles
moved to Carthage to
continue shipping
after overrun by the
Assyrians
Later the Persians &
Babylonians would
spread the
Phoenician alphabet
across Europe & Asia
The Downfall of the Sumerian
City-States



Sumerian city-states
were in state of
constant warfare from
3000-2000 B.C.
They could not unite to
fight off attacks from
outsiders
Eventually conquered
by Sargon of Akkad
The Downfall Harrapan
City-States



Around 1750 B.C., the
great cities in Harrapa
fell into decay
Earthquakes & floods
altered the course of
the Indus river
These disasters
forced people to
move
The Downfall of the Phoenician
City-States

While the Sumerians
competed politically &
militarily…the
Phoenicians
competed
economically
So why did City-States Fall???



LACK OF UNITY!!!
While competition makes everyone better, it
weakened the overall region
It made each civilization vulnerable to outside
aggression
So what are the strengths and
weaknesses of a City-State Structured
Complex Society???




Strength: Greater cultural expression and
participation
Strength: Greater civic participation
Strength: Easy organization and rule
Strength: Relatively easy defense system
So what are the strengths and
weaknesses of a City-State Structured
Complex Society???


Weakness: LACK OF UNITY!!!While
competition makes everyone better, it
weakened the overall region. It made each
civilization vulnerable to outside aggression.
What can defeat a City-State?