by Michael Wood
dharma 66, 67, 72, 79, 80, 82
Diaz, Bernal 145, 160
Dravidian languages 56–7, 78
Tamil 56, 57
Dravidians 56–7, 74, 75
Dryton, Greek cavalry officer 133
East India Company 79
economics
and Old World civilizations 174–6
and Sumerian writing 29
Eden, Garden of 12, 23–4, 59, 190
Egypt 8, 10, 64, 115–64
Abydos 124, 126, 127, 135, 138
agriculture 121
Akhmim 136–7, 138
Alexandria 132–3, 134, 135
Assyrian attacks on 115, 131
Byzantine rule in 115
Cairo 127, 141–2
and China 86, 120
and classical Arab civilization 142
dynasties 118–20
Edfu 125, 138, 139
end of paganism in 136–8, 139
geography of 119, 121–2
Greek rule in 115, 116–18, 125, 129–30, 132–3, 136, 143, 173
Heliopolis 118, 120
Hierakonpolis excavations 122–6
Horus kings 122, 123–4, 126
Ibn Khaldun on Egyptian history 143–4
and India 54, 118, 120
and Iraq 31
Islam in 115, 121, 126, 130, 134–5, 136, 137, 138–41, 142, 143
Luxor 139–41, 173
Medinet Habu 138, 141
Memphis 127, 133, 142
Middle Kingdom 129
New Kingdom 129, 130
Old Kingdom 128–9, 131
optimistic civilization in 121
Ottoman conquest of 142, 143
Persian conquest of 115, 131
Pharaonic 115, 122, 129–31, 134
pre-Dynastic period 124–6, 128–9
Pyramid Age 125, 127–8, 130
religion 117–18, 120, 122, 125–6, 132–3, 134–41
Roman rule in 115, 116, 130, 133, 135, 136, 143
unification of 118, 120
Eighteen Rabbit, Mayan king 157–8
Elamite (ancient language of Persia) 20, 56
England
Anglo-Saxon 7, 180
Dark Ages 178–9
Maldon 184–5
population growth 25
English language, in India 80
Enki, Sumerian god 23
Enlightenment 184–5, 188
and Greek civilization 171–2
and Hinduism 49
Epic of Gilgamesh 26, 27, 30–1, 46 191
Epictetus 135
Eridu 20, 22–4, 31, 35, 43, 59, 124
Etana, story of (Sumerian poem) 26
Euphrates, river 13–14, 15, 16, 31, 43
family size, in Western Europe 180–1
Fatehpur Sikri 71, 72–3
Frankfort, Henri 131
Franklin, Benjamin 186
Fraser, J. Baillie 12
Galileo 185
Gama, Vasco da 106
Gandhi, Mahatma 64, 66, 72, 80–1, 82
Ganges civilization 59–63
Ganges, river 51, 57, 72, 82, 124
Genesis, Book of, and Iraq 12, 13
Gilgamesh, King of Uruk 30–1, 38
Girsu 31
globalization 8
Gnostic Gospels 135
Gnosticism 134, 137, 177
Gobi Desert 95
Greek civilization
Athens 172, 181, 188
and Central America 166, 168
and China 90
and Egypt 115, 116–18, 125, 129–30, 132–3, 136, 143, 173
Greek conquest of Asia 173–4
and India 60, 63, 64, 65, 67, 76, 172, 174
and trade 175
and Western civilization 171–3, 179, 182, 188
see also Hellenism
Green, F.W. 122, 123–4
Greenwich meridian 185
Guadalupe, Virgin of 164–5
Guatemala 145, 146, 164, 165, 166, 168
Highland Mayo in 148–53
Momostenango 168
Tayasal 167
Gujerat 56, 57, 64
Gulf Wars 9, 21, 44
Hallaj 37, 38, 73
Harappa 47–8, 52, 55, 56, 57
Harun al Rashid 41
Heliodorus 116
Hellenism
in Egypt 116–18, 132–3, 134, 135, 136–8, 143
Hellenistic Age 172–4
and Iraq 34
Heraclitus of Ephesus 63, 64
Herodas, Greek poet 132
Herodotus, Greek
traveller 116, 117, 118, 136, 141, 173
Hinduism 47, 63, 68
and Akbar 71, 72, 73
ancient cosmic pillars 66
and Aurangzeb 74
and British rule in India 80
and Dara Shukoh 73–4
fundamentalism 70
and Islam 68, 69–70, 71
and Mohenjo-Daro 53–4
pilgrim stalls 57, 68
and Sanskrit sacred texts 49, 51, 52
in Tamil Nadu 74–8
Hisarlik (site of Troy) 47
Hobbes, Thomas 186
Homer, Iliad 58
Honduras 145
Horapollon 137, 138
Horus, Egyptian hawk
god 122, 123, 125, 126, 133
Hsuan Tsang, Buddhist missionary 59, 96–7
Hu Shih 187, 188
Huitzilopochtli, Aztec war god 160
human sacrifice
Aztecs 160–2
in Bronze Age China 87
in Egypt 126
and the Maya 161
humanism 182–3
Hussayn, Imam 69
I Ching 87, 89, 110, 114
Ibbi Sin of Ur 32
Ibn al-Fakih 142
Ibn Battuta, Arab traveller 104, 120, 141
Ibn Jubayr, Arab traveller 136
Ibn Khaldun, Islamic
historian 143–4, 182, 190
Ibn Sserabh 35
Imhotef, Egyptian architect 127
Inanna (Ishtar), goddess 25, 36
Incas 8, 145, 156, 164–5
India 7, 8, 10, 47–82
agriculture 55
Archaeological Survey of 48
Axis Age 60, 64–5, 67, 90, 134, 172
Benares (Kashi) 49, 62–3, 69, 70, 74, 174
British rule in 78–80, 81
Buddhism 63–5, 68
caste system 58, 63, 64, 70, 81
and China 84, 89, 90, 111
crafts 55
and Egypt 54, 118, 120, 124, 126, 134
failures of 81
Fatehpur Sikri 71, 72–3
Ganges civilization 59–63
and the goals of civilization 82
and Greece 60, 63, 64, 65, 67, 76, 172, 174
Harappa 47–8, 52, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59
Independence 67, 80–2
Indian ‘Mutiny’ 47, 79
Indus civilization 54–7, 58, 78
and Iraq 53, 54–5
Judaism in 67–8
Kerala 67, 69
lost cities of the Indus 52–4
and the Mahabharata 48, 58–9
Mauryan Empire 48, 52, 65–7
and Mesopotamian civilization 46
Moghul Empire 7, 61, 71–4, 78, 183
Mohenho-Daro 52–4, 56, 87
Patna 65, 174
population growth 179
rediscovery of the prehistory of 48–52
religion 47–8, 59, 62–5, 67–70, 71–8
and Rome 177
secular constitution (1950) 70
South India 56, 57, 60, 74–8, 175
technology 187
trade with Iraq 54–5
and Western civilization 169, 170, 181, 189
see also Hinduism;
Tamils
Indian Ocean 7, 175, 176
individualism, and
Western civilization 171, 181, 185, 186
Indo-European languages 49–50
Indo-Eur
opeans 50–2, 56, 57
Indus civilization 54–7, 58, 78
Indus, river 16, 18, 47, 54
Iran
and Greece 172
and the Indus
civilization 55, 56
Revolution 8
Iraq 8, 10, 11–46
agriculture 28
Basra 37, 43, 55
Brethren of Purity 181–2
Batthist regime 44
and China 87, 97
decline of medieval 43
and Egypt 120, 121, 124
Eridu 20, 22–4, 31, 35, 43, 59, 124
and Greece 172
house design in ancient cities 27
and India 53, 54–5
irrigation systems 14, 26, 28, 31, 42, 43
landscape and climate 13–16
legacy of ancient
civilization 45–6
literature 30–1
Marsh Arabs of southern Iraq 9, 12, 21, 45
as a pessimistic civilization 30–1, 45, 190
religion 11–12, 16–17, 34–8, 40–1, 46, 64, 134, 177
Shiite holy cities 43–4
southern 11
Sumerian writing 29
Warka 10, 12–13, 20
see also Baghdad; Sumer
Isis, Egyptian goddess 117, 133, 138, 139
Islam
and Arab scholars 181–2
in China 98, 99, 101, 105
in Egypt 115, 121, 126, 130, 134–5, 136, 137, 138–41, 142, 143
in India 47–8, 57, 68–70, 71–2, 73–4
in Iraq 11, 30, 34–8, 40–1, 43–4
Islamic empires 183
and monotheism 65
and the Near East 169
and Old World civilizations 176
and Western civilization 190
Jainism 63–4, 65, 68, 71
Japan 7, 10, 63, 66
and China 111, 112
Jarrow, monastery of SS Peter and Paul 178
Jaspers, Karl 64
Java 75
Jefferson, Thomas 186
Jesus Christ 37, 90
John the Baptist 38
Jones, Sir William 49–50
Judaism
and Akbar 71
and China 90, 98, 101
in Egypt 137
in India 67–8
in Iraq 11, 35, 36, 37, 40
and the Romans 177
Julius Caesar 49
Jumna river 82, 124
Jung, Carl 135
Kabir 69–70, 81
Kaccayana, Ajita 63
Kahlo, Freda 164
Kaifeng 100–1, 103
Kang Yu Wei 112
K’ang-hsi, Chinese emperor 91, 108–9
Kausambi 66
Kerbala 43, 44, 69
Kesakambalin, Ajita 63
Khadimain 43
Khomeini, Ayatollah 40
Khufu, Egyptian king 126, 129, 130
Kom el-Ahmar excavations 122–5
Korea 63, 66
Kufa 37
Kurdistan 44, 45
Kurds 14
Lagash 27
Lakshmi, Indian goddess 175
Lao Tzu 60, 64, 93
Larsa 25, 31
Las Casas, Bartolomeo de 162, 166
Leys, Simon 83–4
Li Po, Chinese poet 98–100
Liang Shu-ming 113
Lilith, demoness 36
literature
in China 89
Mayan 149–51, 152
Mesopotamian 30–1
Sanskrit sacred texts 48–50, 51–2, 58, 117
Liu T’ieh-yun 83
Loftus, William 11–13, 24
Luxor 139–41, 173
Ma Tuanlin 103–4
Madurai 57, 76–8, 77, 155
Mahabharata 48, 58–9
Mahavira, Jain guru 63, 64
Maldon 184–5
Mandaeans 11, 35, 37–8, 71, 134
Manetho, Egyptian priest 115, 117–20, 124
Mani, prophet 35–6
Manichaeism 34, 35–6, 98, 134, 176
Mao Tse-Tung 93, 94, 95, 112, 113
Marco Polo 75, 104
marriage, and population control 180
Marx, Karl 179
Masudi, Annals 42
Mauryan Empire 48, 52, 65–7
Maya 8, 128, 145, 146–59, 164
book of Totonicapan 150–1
calendar 152
and the Catholic church 148–50, 153, 166, 168
and the Chinese 146–8, 154–6
classic 156–9
and Copan 145, 157–9
and the cycle of time 148, 163, 167
decline of civilization 159
and ‘Eight Monkey’ day 168
and human sacrifice 161
modern 167–8
and Teotihuacan 124, 153, 154–6, 155
and Tikal 157, 159
and Utatlan 151–2, 153
writing 145, 157, 158–9
Yucatan 167
medieval Europe 25, 179–81
Medinet Habu, Egypt 138, 141
Mediterranean
civilization 170, 176, 178, 184
Megasthenes 65, 76
Mehrgarh, excavations at 55, 56
Menander, Greek officer 174
Menes, Egyptian king 118, 120, 123, 124, 125–6, 127, 129, 142
Mentuhotep, Egyptian king 129
Mesopotamia see Iraq
Mexico 145
culture and art 163–4
Tenochtitlan 159, 160–2, 163
Teotihuacan 124, 153, 154–6, 155
and the Virgin of Guadalupe 164–5
see also Aztecs
Mexico City 159, 160, 161, 164
Min, Egyptian phallic god 136, 137, 138
Minakshi, great goddess of Madurai 57, 76–8
Mirador, and classic
Maya civilization 156–7
Mitanni 50
modernism 10
Moghul Empire 7, 61, 71–4, 78, 183
Mohammed, Prophet 138
Mohenho-Daro 52–4, 56, 87
seals from Iraq at 53, 54
Momostenango 168
monasticism in Egypt 135
Mongol China 103–4, 107, 118
Mongol invasions 42, 103–4, 107, 176, 183
Nadim, Fihrist 42
Najif 43, 44
Narmer, Egyptian king 123, 124
Nasser, G. 143
native Americans
and the Catholic church 165–6
death of after the Conquest 165, 183, 184
Incas 8, 145, 156, 164–5
spiritual beliefs 148
see also Aztecs; Maya
Near East civilization 170, 171
and Greece 172
and Iraq 46
and religion 65
see also Iraq
Nehru, Jawarharlal 72, 80, 82
Nestorian Christians
in China 97
in Iraq 11, 35
Newton, Sir Isaac 109
Niebuhr, Karsten 12
Niffari, Sufi 37
Nile, river 16, 117, 119, 120–2, 127, 129, 130
Nippur 19, 20, 22, 27, 31, 35, 37
Inanna temple 27
magic incantation bowls 36
Nobilis, Roberto de 49
Nonnos, Greek poet 137
northern Europe 170, 181, 184
Old World civilizations 18
Olmecs 153
Olymiodorus of Thebes 137
opium trade 110–11
Ottoman Empire
and Egypt 142, 143
and Iraq 11, 43, 44
and trade with India 55
Ou-yang Hsiu, Chinese statesman 102
Oxus river 57
paganism, Egyptian 136–8
Pakistan, East Indian railway line 47–8
Palermo Stone 120, 124
Pali language 96–7
Parur, synagogue at 67–8
Pascal, Blaise 107, 189
Patna 65, 174
; Paz, Octavio 160
Peloponnesian War 172
Persia 7, 8, 131, 142, 172, 175, 176, 177, 183
see also Iraq
Peru 10, 183
Cuzco 124, 164–5
Incas 8, 145, 156, 164–5
Pico della Mirandola 182
Plato 116, 172
Plotinus, Egypt
philosopher 135
Plume, Thomas 184–5
poetry, in China 89, 98–100, 108
Polybius, Greek historian 174–5
Popol Vuh (Mayan literature) 149, 150, 151, 152, 154
population control 180–1
population growth 25–6, 179
Prayag (Allahabad) 59, 72
printing, in China 101–2
Protestant Reformation 184
Ptolemaois, Macedonian recluse 132–3
Ptolemy II, King of Egypt 117
Pythagoras 64, 90
‘Qoyllur Rit’ (star snow festival) 164
Quetzalcoatl, Aztec god 163
Quibell, James 122
Ramayana 48
Rameses III, Egyptian king 141
Ravi, river 47
Razi, Al- 40
Renaissance 182–3
Ricci, Matteo 108, 185
Rig Veda 51, 52, 56, 57
Romans
and Central American
civilizations 166
in Egypt 115, 116, 130, 133, 135, 136, 143
in India 175
and the Indian Ocean trade 175
and Western civilization 170, 171, 176–8, 188
Saadi of Shiraz 42
Sahagan, Bernardino de 163
Sahni, Daya Ram 52
Samarra 43
Sanskrit
language 49–50, 57, 67
sacred texts 48–50, 51–2, 58, 117
Saqqara 142
necropolis 127
step pyramid 127, 128
Schopenhauer, A. 74
science, and Western civilization 185
Sepulveda, Aristotelian philosopher 166
Seth, Egyptian god 122, 123
Shenuda of the White Monastery 137
Shia Islam
and Akbar 71
in Iraq 11, 33, 34–5, 40–1, 43–4, 45
Shiva, Hindu god 53–4, 62, 74, 75, 76, 78
Shu-sin of Ur 32
Shulgi of Ur 31–2
Shurrupak 25
Silk Route 95, 96, 97, 100, 174, 176
Sinleqiunini, Uruk master scribe 30–1
Sippar, Babylonia, ziggurat at 128
slavery 166, 180 186
Smith, Adam 7, 183
South America, Inca civilization 8, 145, 156, 164–5
spice trade 67, 175
Ssu-Ku-Ch’uan-shu (Chinese encyclopaedia) 108
Ssu-ma Chien, Chinese historian 86–7, 95
Ssu-ma Kunag, Chinese historian 102–3
Stephens, John 145
Sufism 37, 40, 69, 73, 74
Sumerian civilization
cities 22–9, 31, 35, 43
and India 53, 55
destruction of (1991) 44–5
fall of 31–3
myth of the origins of 191–2
writing 29
Sumerian language 20, 33
Sunni Islam
and Akbar 71
in Iraq 34, 40, 44
Taishan, Taoist sacred mountain 93–4, 95
the Talmud 35
Tamil language 56, 57, 67
Tamils 7, 8, 9, 74–8
Chidambaram 75, 78
