Monarchies emerged to control these new civilisations. A divine king or emperor created the laws. His government officials carried out military1 administrative and judicial tasks.

Apuntes

• Subtopic: Emergence of Monarchies Monarchies emerged to control these new civilizations. A divine king or emperor created the laws, while his government officials carried out military, administrative, and judicial tasks. • Subtopic: Society Increased agricultural production and trade resulted in prosperity. This caused greater social differences and the creation of a hierarchical society. It consisted of these groups: * The privileged minority were the rich, powerful families who didn’t need to work. The king in Mesopotamia and the pharaoh in Egypt held the most powerful positions. The king’s family and the large landowners formed the aristocracy, from which army generals also came. The next most influential group was the priests, who performed religious duties and used their knowledge to increase their economic and political power. Below them were the government officials, followed by the rest of the landowners. * The unprivileged majority worked for the privileged minority and lived modestly. They were farmers, herders, fishermen, merchants, and artisans. * Slaves were the property of other people and had no rights. They were sometimes prisoners of war or their descen...