The reason states first emerged thousands of years ago – new research
13 days ago
- #state-formation
- #grain-agriculture
- #taxation-systems
- Globalisation, migration, climate change, and war are putting pressure on modern nation states.
- The first states emerged around 5,000 years ago, with Mesopotamia being the earliest known.
- Traditional theory links state formation to agriculture, but a 4,000-year gap challenges this.
- James Scott's theory suggests states formed in societies growing cereal grains due to their taxability.
- Grain agriculture (wheat, barley, rice, maize) was easier to tax, supporting state formation.
- Writing was adopted to record taxes and maintain hierarchical state structures.
- Research supports Scott's theory: grain agriculture predicted state formation, while non-grain crops declined.
- Printing press and mass literacy later influenced democracy and state functioning.
- Modern challenges (digital tech, AI, globalisation, climate change) echo ancient state pressures.