11.2.1: Monarchies: The Rise of the State

 11.2.1: Monarchies: The Rise of the State 

Early societies were small and needed no extensive political system. They operated more like an extended family. As surpluses developed and societies grew larger, cities evolved—perhaps around 3500 B.C. (Ur 2010). City-states then came into being, with power radiating outward from the city like a spider’s web. Although the ruler of each city controlled the immediate surrounding area, the land between cities remained in dispute. Each city-state had its own monarchy, a king or queen whose right to rule was passed on to the monarch’s children. If you drive through Spain, France, or Germany, you can still see evidence of former city-states. In the countryside, you will see only scattered villages. Farther on, your eye will be drawn to the outline of a castle on a faraway hill. As you get closer, you will see that the castle is surrounded by a city. Several miles farther, you will see another city, also dominated by a castle. Each city, with its castle, was once a center of power. City-states often quarreled, and wars were common. The victors extended their rule, and eventually a single city-state was able to wield power over an entire region. As the size of these regions grew, the people slowly began to identify with the larger region. That is, they began to see distant inhabitants as “we” instead of “they.” What we call the state—the political entity that claims a monopoly on the use of violence within a territory—came into being.