Civilization / Society, Economy & Law

First States & Bureaucracy

With writing, taxes and officials, states such as Sumer and ancient Egypt coordinate thousands to millions of people.

Administration by writing: clay tablets list levies and labor duties. Qin China (221 BC) standardized weights, script and a civil-service career, and Rome built roads, law and an army. States secure property and peace, but they also enable rule by force and war.