The recorded use of organised management dates back to 5000 B.C. when the agricultural revolution had taken place. These agricultural civilizations existed in India, China and Egypt According to Peter Drucker these irrigation civilizations "were not only one of the great ages of technology, but it represented also mankind’s most productive age of social and political innovation". As the villages grew and civilizations evolved, the managers too grew and evolved. They became the priests, the kings, the ministers holding power and wealth in the society. Written documents found in the Sumerian civilization which flourished some 5000 years ago, contains evidence of management control practices.
As early as 4000 B.C., the Egyptians were aware of the importance of planning, organising and controlling. The huge pyramids of Egypt stand a mute testimony to the managerial and organizational abilities of the ancient Egyptian civilization. One pyramid required 1,00,000 men working for 20 years, covering 13 acres, using 2.3 million blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 tons. To produce such a monument required proper planning, work allocation, organising, directing, controlling and decision making.
In the Grecian civilization we find the origin of the Scientific Method in the famous Socratic discourses. The Romans who built a vast empire extending from Britain in the west to Syria in the east ruled it for many years only because of their superior and advanced managerial abilities.
In ancient India Kautilya wrote his Arthashastra in about 321 B.C. the major theme of which was political, social and economic management of the State. The study of administration of the cities of Mohenjodaro and Harappa of the ancient Aryans in 2000 B. C., Buddha's order and the Sangha in 530 B. C., provide evidence about the use of the principles of management.
During the 13th and 14th centuries AD the large trading houses of Italy needed a means of keeping records of their business transactions. To satisfy their needs Luca Pacioli published a treatise in 1494 describing the Double Entry System of Book-keeping for the first time.
Management thought is an evolutionary concept. New theories and principles were suggested along with new developments in the business field. The new thoughts supplemented the existing thoughts and theories. This is how developments are taking place continuously in regard to management thoughts/theories. Management thinkers and thinkers from other fields such as economics, psychology, sociology and mathematics have also made their contribution in the evolution of management thought.
