A report on

Management
civilization

in

ancient

Management in Ancient Civilization

Submitted By:

Submitted To:

Group Name- AXIOM

A.K.M. Moniruzzaman

BBA 6th Batch, 8th Semester, Section B

Professor

Department of Management Studies

Department of Management Studies

Jagannath University, Dhaka

Jagannath University, Dhaka

Group Details
Serial

ID

Name

01.

114920

Akash Chandra Bhowmik

02.

114902

H.M. Anik Islam

03.

104916

Afifa Mamtaz

04.

104810

Fatema Sultana

05.

114894

Md. Al Faisal Nixon

06.

114896

Munna Saykat

07.

104942

Md. Manik Mia Shemul

08.

104896

Paval Kormokar

DATE OF SUBMISSION

15-3-2015

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Declaration

We do hereby solemnly declare that the work presented in this report has been carried out by
us and has not been submitted to any other University/College/Organization for an academic
qualification/certificate/diploma or degree.
The work we have presented does not breach any existing copyright and no portion of this
report is copied from any work done earlier for a degree or otherwise.
We believe this genuine and honest analysis will help you to have a positive viewpoint upon
us. We will be pleased to deliver you with added explanations or clarifications that you may
feel necessary in this regard. We will be thankful if you kindly approve this effort.

Thanking in anticipation,
Yours Fidel

Akash Chandra Bhowmik

On behalf of the group, Axiom
BBA 6th Batch
Department of Management Studies
Jagannath University, Dhaka.

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Acknowledgement
All praise to the almighty, and the merciful. Without his blessing and endorsement this
assignment would not have been accomplished. The successful completion of this assignment
might never be possible in time without the help of our teacher, mentor and counselor Mr.
A.K.M.

Moniruzzaman

for

assigning

us

such

an

interesting

topic

named

Management in Ancient Civilization. We also express the depth of our

appreciation to our honorable course teacher for his suggestion and guidelines, which helped
us in completing this assignment. We also, thank to our parents, and some friends who kept
on this long process with us, always offered support. And finally we also express our sincere
gratitude to all those who participated to prepare the assignment.
In spite of sincere and denoted efforts, there might be some mistake in the study report. We
take the entire responsibility for such unintended errors and omissions.
Axiom Group
BBA- 6th Batch
Department of Management Studies
Faculty of Business
Jagannath University, Dhaka

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Table of contents
Section

Content

1.

Introduction

2.

Sumerians civilization

3.

Egyptians Civilization

4.

Babylonians Civilization

10

5.

Greeks civilization

12

6.

Romans Civilization

14

7.

China Civilization

15

8.

Venetians civilization

16

9.

Conclusion

17

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INTRODUCTION
The verbs manage comes from the Italian maneggiare (meaning to handle-especially horse).
This in turn derives from the Latin Manus (hand) the French word mesnagement (later
management) influenced the development in meaning of the English word management in the
17th and 18th centuries. The concept of management is not new; it has been practiced for
thousands of years.
It should be noted and appreciated that most of the basic concept of management being used
by modern organization today, were employed in one form or another by their predecessor in
antiquity.
Management theories evolved from the earliest ancient times with the Sumerians famous for
their development of a written language from 3000 BC where priest in the city of Ur kept
records of business, legal and historical matters on day tablets which relate the management
practices of the Sumerians priest, the most influential class in civilization. It is stated as likely
that the Sumerians developed a written language as a response to their need for managerial
control process.
The Egyptians first used management practices formally. Their use of managerial practices
to handle 1lakh workers in a workplace to build a pyramid also contributed to modern
managements workplace control procedure. This is even very contributory.
The Babylonians were another early civilization that made important contributions to
management thought with their code of Hammurabi which contained two hundred and
eighty five (285) laws ranging from personal property to need estate and trade to family
matters. Some laws applicable to business were on control, responsibility and minimum
wage.
The Greeks use of different governing systems of cities & states has created the modern
managements policies & procedures to govern activities. Again, the art of ancient Greece has
exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until
the present.
The Romans have provided numerous illustrations of effective management. This was first
achieved by Diocletian in 284 AD. Also the Roman Catholic Church which on term of
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longevity is the most effective formal organization in the history of western civilization
contributing to management theory in the area of hierarchy of authority, specialization of
activities along functional lines and the staff concept.
The Chinese through the famous Sun Tzus Art of War, written around 500 BC also made
important contributions to management thoughts. It is the oldest military treatise in the world
but the principles and guidelines put forth by the author are still applicable today. These are
on strategy, tactics and maneuvering.
The venetians control of the sea & water through the development of different organizations
& planning concepts contributed to the modern managements control system.
Therefore, it is noticed that todays modern management is the sweet fruit of different ancient
civilizations contribution to change the society, to change the individual peoples lifestandard.
These civilizations in further broader sense & their contributions to modern management are
as follows:

SUMERIANS CIVILIZATION (3000B.C.-2200B.C.)

Sumer or Sumerian was one of the ancient

civilizations
southern

and

historical

Mesopotamia,

regions

in

modern-day

southern Iraq, during the Chalcolithic and

Early Bronze Age.

Although the earliest forms of writing in the region do not go back much further than c. 3500
BC, modern historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c.
5500 and 4000 BC by a non-Semitic people who spoke the Sumerian language(pointing to
the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc. as evidence).

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The peoples of Sumer are among the earliest denizens of Mesopotamia. By about 4000 B.C.,
the Sumerians had organized themselves into several city-states that were spread throughout
the southern part of the region. These city-states were independent of one another and were
fully self-reliant centers, each surrounding a temple that was dedicated to god or goddess
specific to that city-state. Each city-state was governed by a priest king.
The irrigated farming together with annual replenishment of soil fertility and the surplus of
storable food in temple granaries created by this economy allowed the population of this
region to rise to levels never before seen, unlike those found in earlier cultures of shifting
cultivators. This much greater population density in turn created and required an extensive
labor force and division of labor with many specialized arts and crafts. At the same time,
historic overuse of the irrigated soils led to progressive salinization, and a Malthusian crisis
which led to depopulation of the Sumerian region over time, leading to its progressive eclipse
by the Akkadians of middle Mesopotamia.
The Sumerians saw most of their wealth and success from trade. Artisans such as weavers
and potters would sell their wares to traders who had traveled the rivers or the desert. The
fertile land (the area was known as the Fertile Crescent) upon which they lived provided a
successful agriculture industry as well.
Sumer was also the site of early development of writing, progressing from a stage of protowriting in the mid-4th millennium BC to writing proper in the 3rd millennium BC.
Sumerian pictographs predated cuneiform script.
The Sumerians used pictographs for commercial record keeping rather than conveying
sounds, according to the University of Chicago Oriental Institute.
Management history can be traced back to Sumerians in 5000 B.C. They kept records of tax
systems, properties and other monetary and non-monetary holdings. Later, Egyptians showed
to the world their expertise in managing to erect pyramids. Then Catholic Church and
governments of times were employing some form of management to handle their affairs.
Then industrial revolution took place and it brought in picture big organizations and factories
first in England and later in North America. The concept of Economies of Scale also came in
the picture according to which large people were required to work to achieve cost benefits.
The involvement of large number of people in work areas brought complexities. In the initial
days, however, the emphasis was more on machines than people. The working conditions
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favored machines and their efficiency rather than people and their capabilities. This aspect of
efficiency and machines paved the way for scientific management.
Frederick Taylor was the person who put forward the concept of scientific management. His
scientific management system pioneered the theories of business administration in the early
twentieth century. He emphasized on the inclusion of scientific study in the management
arena. He suggested improvement in management practices i.e. study of different situation be
carried out to bring about improvements. The purpose was to increase the efficiency of
production or factory workers by developing the one best way of doing a job. Clearly, their
contribution in todays management was their use of written rules & regulation for
governance which we call policy in modern management language.

EGYPTIANS CIVILIZATION (3000B.C.-1000B.C.)

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient

Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the
lower reaches of the Nile River in what is
now the modern country of Egypt. It is one
of

six

civilizations

independently.

globally

Egyptian

to

arise

civilization

coalesced around 3150 BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology) with the

political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh. The history of ancient
Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability
known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle
Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age.
The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt
to the conditions of the Nile River valley for
agriculture.

The

predictable

flooding

and

controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced

surplus crops, which supported a more dense
population, and social development and culture. With resources to spare, the administration
sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early
development of an independent writing, the organization of collective construction and
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agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to defeat foreign
enemies and assert Egyptian dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a
bureaucracy of elite scribes, religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a
pharaoh, who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an
elaborate system of religious beliefs.
Besides, Egyptian society was highly stratified, and social status was expressly displayed.
Farmers made up the bulk of the population, but agricultural produce was owned directly by
the state, temple, or noble family that owned the land.[90] Farmers were also subject to a
labor tax and were required to work on irrigation or construction projects in a carve system
The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and
construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and
obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation
systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known ships, Egyptian faience and
glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the
Hittites. Egypt left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied, and its
antiquities carried off to far corners of the world. Its monumental ruins have inspired the
imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries. A new-found respect for antiquities and
excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific of
Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy.
However, the Egyptians contribution in todays management was that- they first formally use
management practices in their construction of pyramids. A pyramid took a long period of
20years & about 1 lakh labor to be constructed. So, it required a very well structured
management practices.

BABYLONIANS CIVILIZATION (2700B.C.-500B.C.)

The Babylonian civilization,

which endured from the 18th
until the 6th century BC,
was, like the Sumerian that
preceded it, urban in character, although based on agriculture rather than industry. The
country consisted of a dozen or so cities, surrounded by villages and hamlets. At the head of
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the political structure was the king, a more or less absolute monarch who exercised legislative
and judicial as well as executive powers. Under him was a group of appointed governors and
administrators. Mayors and councils of city elders were in charge of local administration. The
Babylonians were Semitic Amorites who attacked and conquered the Sumerian. They
occupied the Sumerian territories in 2300 BCE and established a new capital which they
called Babylonia. One of the most remarkable and most popular kings of the Babylonians
was Hammurabi. This intelligent and well-organized leader became the Babylonian king in
1700 BCE. He compiled all the known laws during his time and was popularly known in
history as the Code of Hammurabi.
Here are some historic and interesting facts about the Babylonians
1. The famous Code of Hammurabi is composed of 282 written laws regarding agriculture,
industry, marriage, properties, governance and others.
2. The Code of Hammurabi was written in a huge stone tablet at the center of the city for
everyone to see. This historic code was the peoples guide on their daily activities and
undertakings.
3. The heart of Hammurabis Code is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
4. Babylonian army was composed of professional soldiers.
5. The Babylonian was very powerful. The king was the chief executive, the chief justice and
commander in chief of the military.
6. The council of elders from the upper class acted
as judges called amelu. All their court decisions
were

based

primarily

from

the

Code

of

Hammurabi. All verdicts were recorded for future

references.
7. Women in Babylonian society can become
priests; they can sell wine and they can establish
their own business.
8. A Babylonian woman can ask dowry from her father and can ask support for life to her
husband. She also has the right to her husbands properties when the latter died.
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9. Babylonians also worshipped the gods and goddesses of the Sumerians. Their greatest god
is Marduk.
10. The frequent attacks of Kassites followed by the Hittites led to the fall of Babylonia.
11. The Babylonians introduced to the world the use of sales contract and the used of seal in a
contract.
12. Jewelry-making originated from the Babylonians. They used metal and precious gems in
making jewelries.
13. The epics Gilgamesh and Enuna Elish were important literary pieces that helped
improved literature.
14. The Code of Hammurabi became the basis of many laws from all over the world.
15. Babylonias city capital was Babylon.
Their main contribution to modern management was their extensive set of laws & policies for
governance which has created modern management policies to govern activities.

GREEKS CIVILIZATION (1000 B.C.- 200 B.C.)

Ancient Greek culture was the birthplace of Western civilization about 4000 years ago.
Ancient Greece produced many magnificent achievements in areas of government, science,
philosophy and the arts that still influence our lives.
Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the Western civilization. Athens
owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. Greece developed a democratic government
with all the necessary managerial complications that such a government entails, and in the
Grecian civilization we find the origin of the scientific method. History became the Greek
word meaning search for true knowledge. By questioning all kinds of knowledge and ideas,
the Greeks discover the research point of view and introduced scholarship and science in
many spheres. The influence of the scientific method on management is obvious. This
objective type of inquiry was later to become the ultimate goal of such men as Frederick W.
Taylor, Henry Fayol, Frank B. Gilbert and a host of other leaders in the management field.

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The Greeks developed a new type of city government, the polis, which encouraged a free
exchange of ideas. The polis provided practice and experience in open discussion, and
through it the Greeks furnished positive examples and ample evidence of the values of that
process which in management we refer to as consultation or consultative supervision. Greek
used different governing systems of cities and states.
Principles of Management: The Greeks early recognized the principle that maximum output
is achieved through the use of uniform methods at stipulated tempos. This was especially true
for hard, monotonous and repetitive work where time was set by music. Thus they introduce
rhythm, standard motion and work tempos by working in harmony with music. As in other
civilizations, traders were hereditary in Greece and specialization was the order of the day.
Specialization was carried so far that stonemasons did not sharpen their own tools.
Philosophy: Ancient Greek philosophy focused on the role of reason and inquiry. It had an
important influence on modern management as well as science. To maintain social peace and
unity they developed many philosophy like, know yourself- than know others. They
developed many philosophers that contribute to our modern management. They are Socrates: Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher. He considered as one of founders of
the western philosophies. He made his most important contribution to western thought though
his method of inquiry. One of the first accounts of the principle of the universality of
management is found in a socrates disciples.
Plato: Plato has the reputation of one of the most influential philosophers in Western thought.
He wrote several dozen philosophical dialogues. He gave to the economic sciences their first
theory of specialization or division of labour. He stated his law that no man should work in
both wood and iron at the same time because his inability to excel.
Aristotle: Aristotle was a great thinker and philosopher, and his philosophy was crucial in
governing intellectual thought in the Western world view and approach which dominated
over 2000 years. The works of Aristotle that still exist today appear in treatise form. The most
important include Necomachen, Ethics, politics De Anima and many others.
It clearly indicates that even in the fifth century B.C men were aware of beginning to be
awar that a good manager for a soap company would work equally well as head of an
automobile concern or as secretary of defence.

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ROMANS CIVILIZATION ( 800 B.C.- 500 A.D.)

With single-minded determination and superior managerial talents, the Romans gained
control over an estimated fifty million people, extending from Great Britain in the West to
Syria in the east, and including Europe and all the north of Africa. Mismanagement, however,
caused the downfall of Rome, but the very fact that the Romans were able to build a
governmental and military structure of such giant proportions and operate it so successfully
for so many years is a tribe to their superior and advanced managerial capacities and abilities.
They first used organizational structure for communication and control.
Empire Organization: The Romans early turned their thoughts to the most effective way to
organize and control their empire. Management has learned much form Romes successes as
well as from her mistakes in the area of organization. Actually the worlds first experiment in
organizing a truly far-flung empire. The problem was how to maintain control, loyalty, and
taxes in a geographically dispersed empire. Too much delegation on a local level tempted the
military and others to divide or sever their loyalty to Rome. And because of the distance
involved and the need for local autonomy to meet local peculiarities, a highly centralized
from of organization did not prove workable.
In the year 284 A.D Diocletian became emperor and instigated a new system of organization
which emphasized the successive delegation of authority. Realizing he could not control the
far-flung reaches of the empire without delegating more of the authority, he divide the empire
into 101 provinces. These in turn, were grouped to form thirteen dioceses, with the latter
grouped to form major geographical divisions.
Diocletians aim was to strengthen and solidify the imperial authority, and by thus extending
the scalar principle, the old provincial governors, directly responsible to the emperor,
disappeared, leaving successive gradations of delegated authority. The net affects was to
solidify the organization by reducing the importance of the province as a unit of government.
Some writer refers to the Roman organization as one of the decentralization. This appears,
however, to have been true only during Roman Republic and perhaps an earlier period of the
empire when the government was plagued with internal problems as a results of the
tremendous power held by the provincial rulers.

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Farm management: The study of the treatises of Cato and of varro on Roman farm
management would be profitable to todays farmer regardless of how practical or scientific he
might be. As we shall see, two thousand years ago Romans were studying the same problems
that exist today and were solving them by intelligent reasoning and good management.
Cato, for example, indicates that when the owner inspects his fields he should observe how
the work has progressed, what has been done, and what remains to be done. He should then
summon his overseer and call for a report of what has been done and ask why it has not been
possible to complete the rest. He states the accounts of money, supplies and provisions should
then be considered to find out what wine and oil has been sold, what price obtained, what is
on hand and what remains to be sold. Finally, Cato indicates that the owner give the overseer
in writing a work plan for the year. Getting out production, maintaining plant and equipment,
Maintaining communications, maintaining discipline, managing human relations, planning,
participating all of which either stated or implied by Cato who lived between 234 and 149
B.C.

CHINA CIVILIZATION (1500 B.C. 1200 A.D.)

The Chinese have long been known for their wisdom, but little if any real research has been
undertaken to understand their feelings toward management. The ancient records of Mencius
and Chow (1100- 500 B.C) do, however, indicate that the Chinese were aware of certain
principles bearing on organizing, planning, directing and controlling. China used extensive
organizational structure or organizational agencies.
Chow, the constitution of chow, probably written about 1100 B.C is a directory of all civil
servants to the emperor, from the prime minister down to the household servants, with their
jobs and duties carefully listed. Thus, over three thousand years ago china concepts have a
temporary managerial ring: organization, functions, cooperation, procedures to bring
efficiency, and various control techniques.
Use of Staff: because of the success of the Emperor Yao and later Tang, founder of the
Shang dynasty and other early monarchs, the use of staff principles became a traditional part
of chinas government. This tradition was so strong that when the young Emperor Tai Chai
of the Shang dynasty repeatedly ignored the counsel of his advisers, his prime minister who
have served for many years under the Shang dynasty caused the young emperor to be
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deposed for a period of three years, reinstating him only after he had repented and had agreed
to respect the future counsel of his stuff. With the passage of time, The staff principle began
to be used by rulers of lower rank. King Wu, founder of the Chow dynasty, promoted the use
of the advisory staff among his vassal kings and even in his appointment of prince Ching for
advice before making any decision.
Mencius: he believed that law along were insufficient for business- that every going concern
should adhere to a standard of operation which was ordained by the law of god and used a
model for government. He clearly indicated the need for system, methodology, and models in
effective management.
Specialization was also emphasized by the ancient Chinese in that each of the crafts was
hereditary and an artisan was committed to his industry for a life time. The artisans lived
together in special districts, separate from the remainder of the citizens such that thay could
easily learn their trade in the absence of the distraction.
The scientific selection of workmen by means of examinations was started by the Chinese
government about 120 B.C.

VENETIANS CIVILIZATION (500 A.D. 1500 A.D.)

Venetian identity is deeply rooted in very ancient times, prior to roman conquers: the
civilization of ancient Venetians (or Venetkens) which lasted for over 1.000 years. Venetians
used organization design and planning concepts to control the seas. They needed to manage
the sea for their construction. They developed double entry book keeping for the record of
their entry. They were more advanced in planning, organization and controlling. Gradually
they developed the thought of management.

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CONCLUSION

Looking at the entire continuum of management thought during this early period of history,
we can conclude that management was strictly on a trial and error basis, with little or no
theory and virtually no exchange of ideas and practices. Perhaps inadequate records, poor
communication and failure to analyze the reasons for non-success lay behind this lack of
profiting from the earlier experience of others. Evidence of managerial practices clearly
indicate, however, that some principles of management were recognized in these early times
and communicated at least locally on a how to do it basis.
In general, it appears that the managerial principles employed were born out of necessities of
having to accomplish goals, and these principles were discovered over and over again by
numerous individuals in history as they went about attempting to reach needed objectives.
Thus, in these early times, management thought existed, but only in a somewhat nebulous
and unsophisticated state. Management as a separate process was not verbalized until Plato
and Socrates. Even then, the principles were not united in a scheme of management thought,
nor in there evidence of any chronological and building of various managerial techniques
upon previously conceived ones.

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