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CIVILIZATIONS A developed " Hydraulic Civilization " maintains control over its population by means of controlling the supply of Water . The term was coined by the German American historian Karl A. Wittfogel ( 1896 - 1988 ), in ''Oriental Despotism'' ( 1957 ). Wittfogel asserted that such "hydraulic civilizations" – although they were neither all located in the Orient nor characteristic of all Oriental societies – were essentially different from those of the Western World . Most of the first civilizations in history, such as Ancient Egypt , Mesopotamia , the Indus Valley Civilization , China and pre-Columbian Mexico and Peru , were hydraulic Empire s. Most hydraulic empires existed in Desert regions, but imperial China also had some such characteristics, due to the exacting needs of Rice cultivation. ANALYSIS According to Wittfogel's analysis, control over the vital resource of water gave rise to the emergence of social classes, and widespread specialization typical of centralized urban life, while it also gave the government power of life and death over its population; thus a particularly extreme Despotism is typical of hydraulic empires - historically, many of these empires revered their rulers as God s. Governments were extremely centralized, with no trace of an independent may die out or be overthrown by force, but the new regime would differ very little from the old one. Hydraulic empires were only ever destroyed by foreign conquerors. Wittfogel's ideas when applied to China have been harshly criticized by scholars such as Joseph Needham who argued essentially that Wittfogel was operating from ignorance of basic Chinese History . Needham argued that the Chinese government was not despotic, that was not dominated by a priesthood, and that Wittfogel fails to realize the necessity and presence of bureaucracy in modern Western civilization. EXAMPLES IN SCIENCE FICTION: series, but more absolute.) The Sten Chronicles series of books by Allan Cole and Chris Bunch (8 books): Anti-Matter Two is a safer, more controllable form of anti-matter, and only the Eternal Emperor knows the manufacturing process and is zealous in its' sale and use. from sandworm corpses is essential for prolonging human lifespan, faster than light travel, and precognition esper ability. "He who controls the spice, controls the universe!" Withdrawal causes death. SEE ALSO |