Why was the Nile River important for the rise of successful states in North Africa - Essay Example

Why was the Nile River Important for the Rise of Successful s in North Africa? The Nile River is regarded as the longest waterway in the world, with its origins in East-central Africa is serviced by hundreds of tributaries, among them are the White and Blue Nile that link in Sudan. The river flows for more than 4000 miles through the Sahara desert, farmlands, swamps, villages, and large cities. Across its length, the Nile divides into several streams to form a delta before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is regarded as international waters shared among countries along its source, flow, and mouth including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. Since time in memorial, rivers have shaped the course of human history creating and sustaining great civilisations along its banks. River Nile is the birthplace of the greatest civilisations in the ancient world in Northern Africa and its importance remains vital to date. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of the Nile River for the rise of successful states in North Africa. The Nile forms large water basin along its length that has proven essential to nations in North Africa. The Sahara desert extends to nations serviced by river Nile including Egypt and Sudan creating varying climate regions. In North Africa, Egypt and Sudan receive sparse rainfall while as the south receives heavy downpour, contributing flooding in the north. The floodwaters drain to the north carrying with them fertile soil that formed the foundation of life in North Africa. The regular flooding of the Nile River emptied in valleys leaving them highly fertile and ready for growing season. Ancient civilisations established farming techniques to cater for their population, providing enough food for consumption and excess for trade purposes. Besides the fertile lands, river Nile provided water for irrigation purposes in farms along the river during the dry season. Farmers practised basin irrigation, which was a prolific adjustment of the natural rise and fall of the river where they regulated the flow of floodwaters into the basin through a network of earthen banks along the river. Irrigation allowed cultivation of large tracks of land even during the dry summer to provide food for the emerging civilisation. This saw a significant expansion of agricultural practices making Egypt and surrounding settlements the breadbasket for other civilisations such as the Roman Empire. Agricultural production received a boost with the construction of the Aswan High Dam, which saw the water harnessed for irrigation purposes leading to increased food production (Awulachew et al 12). The farmers cultivated wheat, barley, flax, and vegetables while rearing fowl, cattle, sheep, and goats. Agriculture played an important role in the economies of countries along the Nile basin by providing food to sustain the population. The existing government became wealthy and strong among the neighbouring nations leading to prosperity among its population. Owing to the increased production of food, there was an influx of population along the river valleys. The increase in population necessitated amicable governance for a harmonious existence. In addition, the population increase strained available resources leading to the expansion of the existing settlements to accommodate new families. This contributed to the establishment of towns and cities along the fertile valleys of river Nile and with the intensified population growth, the leaders established territories governed through stratified government organs. The Nile River provides a stable source of water for both domestic and industrial use, which ensured a low cost of production of goods and services translating to increased efficiency and level of production. In regard to this, the economy thrives owing social security creating unlimited potential in terms of growth. This is especially because the government can focus on other economic sectors by committing large proportions of the gross domestic product. Growing along the banks of river Nile were papyrus reeds that were of great economic value in North Africa as it was used in the manufacture of ropes, writing material, and caulking of boats. The capacity of the papyrus stem to absorb water was instrumental in transforming the plant into writing materials (papyrus). This illustrates the level of innovation among the civilisations that settled along river Nile. The establishment of civilisations is attributed to the emergence of prosperous cities at the length of the river Nile. The cities saw the inhabitants specialise in various aspects of ancient economies. Since not all people could be farmers, others developed talents and perfected them to provide services that were a necessity to the population. Areas of specialisation included sword smiths, ironsmiths, doctors, embalmers, fishermen, brick makers, among other professionals. This precipitated exchange of ideas and civilisation that were instrumental in the rise of successful nations in North Africa. The emergence of specialities generated the need for the products and services offered by the new professions. Consequently, trade was developed among the population seeking to rid the excess of their production in exchange of a variety of goods and services. A barter trade system was widely practiced in cities along river Nile where basic necessities were exchanged. Domestic trade entailed the exchange of grains, dried fish, and vegetables for clothes and bricks, which served as the standard system of trade before the introduction of money. However, domestic trade was not sufficient owing to overproduction and replication of goods and services and as such, traders travelled to neighbouring nations for trading purposes. Cities and towns known for trade were conveniently located astride the Nile, which served to attract traders from west, Central Africa, Palestine, and Asia. Foreign neighbours offered rare and exotic goods such as gold, spices, ebony, ivory, timber among other goods. This saw increased trade activities leading economic prosperity among the traders. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1896 encouraged European traders and explorers to North Africa. As a result, metals were introduced as a means of exchange, which contributed to economic stability in North Africa. Despite the discovery of the wheel, its application was limited to agriculture as evidenced in the Noria used for irrigation with Nile River serving as the mode of transport in ancient North Africa. The river flowed calmly and was suitable for navigation across and along its length. Navigation of the river facilitated trade with distant nations in the equatorial region that cultivated crops not available in the north. In addition to exploration, river Nile served as a water highway for the transport of trade goods such as grains, spices, and livestock, which is a key element in the development of a unified civilisation. Exploration via the Nile established diplomatic relation with other nations and encourage cohesion among them. This worked to foster and strengthen the economic status in North Africa by increasing trade activities among the countries. Diplomacy guaranteed North African countries such as Egypt in a slot in the world as evidenced in the Pan-Arabism era. The force behind the pan-Arabism ideology was based on a common language and religion, which encourages the idea of Arab unity. The Nile provides a tactical advantage in time of war with neighbouring nations. The river was handy in transporting troops and materials as evidenced in the Egyptian warfare. River fleets played an integral role in campaigns with the introduction of large-scale campaigns on open waters (Hamblin 452). Traditionally, army commanders navigated the river with a mobile base to deploy troops during invasion. However, advances made to establish a pan-Arab state during the reign of Gamal Abdel Nasser to counter Zionism in Israel resulted in a defeat following a surprise attack. Israel was viewed as a hindrance to the unification bid through the pan-Arabism ideology precipitating armed conflict at the height of tension. However, the Arab union failed following a decisive defeat by Israel in a six-day armed of conflict. Similarly, fishing and game hunting was facilitated by the availability of papyrus boats that were later replaced with wooden ones. Fishing provided food for residents and added economic value during trade. The Nile River is known for its high quality fishes such as the Nile perch, catfish, mullets, tilapia among others that served as food and trading goods. Fishing was also a sporting event where recreational fishermen had moment of solitude or camaraderie. Ancient civilisations, especially in Egypt, held various religious beliefs based on the Nile, which was critical in shaping their culture. The river was viewed as the giver of life seeing that prosperity emerged in the midst of a desert. Notably, most religions were influenced and associated with the life-giving river to form part of their myths and rituals. The high regard accorded to Nile can be attributed to the belief that should it fail to flow at any point, the population would perish in their numbers. As a result, the heightened dependence on its resources defined cultural and religious practices as an effort to demonstrate their appreciation. In this regard, there were numerous gods and goddesses in honour of the Nile and its effects. Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile held good or bad fortune and thus prayed to specific gods when things were grim (Duiker and Spielvogel 14). They prayed to Hapi (god of the Nile) for the floodwaters during the dry summer and thanked him through sacrifices when they came. Similarly, they conducted religious festivals to celebrate planting seasons and bumper harvests. Religion plays a critical role in defining the success of a nation as it entails beliefs that govern its culture and motivation. Although civilisations residing along the Nile did not worship the river directly, their spiritual beliefs indicated that certain conditions must be fulfilled to ensure success. Success in this case refers to flooding experiences along the river’s length, which brought with it fertile soils to sustain life. The role of religion in the rise of nations in North Africa is seen to support the theory of motivation and reinforcement where residents behaved according to common beliefs in order for the gods to bless them. This worked to provide a hard working labour force that was dedicated to their role in the society according to the social hierarchy (Lockard 61). In addition, religion based on river Nile improved interactions in the society ensuring peace and tranquillity. However, the society had deceptive elements that were afforded punishment according to their crimes. Punishment included being thrown into the Nile River to appease the gods and avoid the repercussions such as drought and famine. In the technological advancements, river Nile has emerged as a key economic element in modern day North Africa with dams being used to generate electricity for domestic use and control floods. In light of its benefits, other dams were constructed adding to the nation’s investments that are of economic significance. The Nile has been a major tourist attraction feature, which serves to replenish foreign exchange. The river hosts tour boats as tourists enjoy the classic mode of transport. In addition, the Nile is regarded as one of the many wonders of the world owing to its length and capabilities. With the influx of tourists, hotels were established alongside the river to enhance its aesthetic significance. Moreover, ancient pyramids served as unique landmarks that define North Africa, especially Egypt thus generating enormous revenue through tourism. Similarly, the countries have served as archaeological sites as scientist seek to understand historical events. The above contribute significantly to nations’ revenue basket leading to substantial investments and thus the establishment of a stable economy. Overall, the significance of the river Nile cannot be understated owing to its extensive role that serves to elevate the economic status of nations in North Africa. The river has been illustrated to provide a stable supply of water to various generations of populations residing along its banks. Despite concerns such as pollution and territorial disputes, the Nile continues to demonstrate its significance as dependence on it remains solid. Political stability has also being instrumental as governments establish policies to ensure that the resource is utilised efficiently. Works Cited Awulachew, Seleshi Molden, David Smakhtin, Vladimir and Peden Don. The Nile River Basin: Water, Agriculture, Governance and Livelihoods. London: Routledge, 2013. Print. Duiker, William and Spielvogel, Jackson. The Essential World History. Stamford Cengage: Learning Inc. 2006. Print. Hamblin, William. Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC: Holy Warriors at the Dawn of History. London: Routledge, 2006. Print. Lockard, Craig. Societies, Networks, and Transitions: A Global History: To 1500. Stamford: Cengage Learning Inc, 2008. Print. Read More