The Rise of Government

While large rivers provided the critical resources to support large scale agriculture, they also posed great challenges to the first farmers. If left uncontrolled river floods could be incredibly destructive. Annual floods were also unpredictable, meaning farmers didn't know when to plant. It was also necessary for water from the river to be transported to farmlands across the valley to maximize the amount of productive land. Building the irrigation canals and levees necessary for controlling and harnessing the water of the river were immense undertakings far beyond the ability of a few families or even a few hundred people. Many historians belief the first central governments arose in response to the need for leadership to plan, organize, and manage these vast but essential irrigation projects.