Although each classical civilization developed its own unique style of politics, culture and economies, the Islamic religion had more impact on the Middle East, than did Buddhism in China. In politics, the most apparent features of the Middle East were that a religious leader governed their state, while Chinese dynasties continued to control the empire. Culturally, Middle Easterners held the Islamic religion, while the Chinese found their faith in Daoism and Buddhism. Economically, an active economy was an essential part of the Middle Eastern civilization, being built on the earlier foundations of agriculture and trade. Similarly, China relied heavily on economic development, and with such innovations as a standardized measurement system, made China the most affluent agricultural society in the world.

Perhaps of the most obvious differences between these two civilizations was in their political beliefs. In the Middle East, the Islamic ideal was that "a perfect state...