Final answer:
City-states fought for farmland to ensure access to vital resources necessary for sustaining their populations and economies. Competition for scarce resources and the desire to accumulate wealth and territory often led to conflict, with wealthier landowners sometimes seizing land from smaller farmers. These battles for territorial control showcase a fundamental human drive to secure and enhance living conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
City-states often fought each other for farmland due to the crucial need for resources to support their growing populations. In early civilizations, such as those in Mesopotamia, agricultural land was a vital asset since it was the basis for food production, economic wealth, and the stability of city-states. Areas with fertile land suitable for agriculture were highly coveted, and competition for these lands could lead to conflict.
Several factors contributed to these conflicts over farmland. The accumulation of material wealth within the cities made them attractive targets for nomadic peoples or neighboring communities. The ecological conditions also affected the level of conflict; regions with scarce resources were more likely to experience warfare due to competition for those resources. Moreover, as populations grew due to the agricultural surpluses, the pressure on land resources intensified, making control over fertile farmland even more critical.
The rich landowners in some societies, such as the Roman Empire, often forced small farmers off their lands, either by exerting economic pressure or outright extortion, contributing to further conflict over land. In contrast, the first states, which arose in river valleys, like those of the Euphrates and Tigris, could tax farmers after the harvest, which led to the establishment of organized states with the power to control agricultural land. Overall, these skirmishes for territorial control and resources were rooted in a basic human drive to protect or gain territory, wealth, and sustain a community's livelihood.