In Ancient Human Societies

So let us now look at how humans evolved their own Laws and Rules, to allow for a smooth functioning of densely populated Societies such as existed in the Indian, sub-continent along the many river valleys in ancient times and whether such Laws and Rules were also, in accordance with Nature’s Laws.

In most other places across the world, throughout history, population groups were small, and geographic conditions allowed for them to live in reasonable isolation over large geographical areas thus enabling them to ‘vote with their feet’ and move away from any perceived restriction to live as they pleased. In most places the dispersion of available resources actually compelled people to live in smaller, semi-isolated communities. Though, even here the ability to live within the constraints of the ecosystem, and even community mattered. This was also, the case for the sparse populations living in remote habitats in the deep forests or in the high mountains. There the strict social constraints of life, as applicable in more densely populated areas did not apply as rigorously.

However, in India and in a few other regions in the West Asia, North Africa and Central America, the dependence on the river valleys for valley gave rise to much greater density of pulation population and as there was not much scope for people to mother areas, to move to other areas, they had to necessarily smooth functioning of their Society wherein every member had an acceptable niche to occupy and live in. The limitations of monsoon rainfall did not allow proper sustenance in India away from river valleys, as the wider spread and regular rain did in other regions.

In places other than in India, the Laws and Rules they evolved and lived by, allowed them to work together to live and grow for only a few centuries or at best a millennium. They did not have the depth and flexibility that the Indian Laws had.

All Societies are based on functional hierarchies; but not necessarily the same hierarchies. What accounts for the difference? Why did traditional Indian Societies classify people according to occupation or Craft, while the Ottoman Society did according to religion and the American Society according to race and wealth?

In India, Laws and Rules were evolved with the concept of Dharma, as the righteous and ethical way to live and relate to other human beings, in fact with all other living creatures, and the acceptance of the concept of Karma and Reincarnation that stated that the responsibility for their own actions have to be borne by them as lessons to be learnt, either in this life or in later lives. These concepts are unique to India and hence, the Society that has been built on such concepts is also, unique to India and this helped the Society here last for so long. (For a proper understanding of Karma and Reincarnation – See – “Parental responsibility – Re-incarnation & Karma’’).

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