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Chapter - 2 Writing and City Life

This document discusses early urbanization and the rise of cities. It notes that while agriculture and food production enabled settled life, writing and administration were more critical drivers of urbanization. Necessary conditions for early cities included productive agriculture, water transport, and division of labor, while lack of metals, the use of seals, and kings requiring labor contributed to urbanization. Mobile animal herders were not a threat as they relied on city goods. Early temples resembled houses and depended on kings. Ancient Mesopotamian stories describe a society with upper, middle, and lower classes engaged in agriculture and religion, worshiping gods like Shamas and building ziggurats and temples.

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Dinesh Chandra Mishra 1239 5D
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178 views4 pages

Chapter - 2 Writing and City Life

This document discusses early urbanization and the rise of cities. It notes that while agriculture and food production enabled settled life, writing and administration were more critical drivers of urbanization. Necessary conditions for early cities included productive agriculture, water transport, and division of labor, while lack of metals, the use of seals, and kings requiring labor contributed to urbanization. Mobile animal herders were not a threat as they relied on city goods. Early temples resembled houses and depended on kings. Ancient Mesopotamian stories describe a society with upper, middle, and lower classes engaged in agriculture and religion, worshiping gods like Shamas and building ziggurats and temples.

Uploaded by

Dinesh Chandra Mishra 1239 5D
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter -2 

Writing and City Life 


 

Question 1. 

Why do we say that it was not natural fertility and high levels of food production 
that were the causes of early urbanization? 

Answer: 

It is often said that natural fertility and high levels of food production were the 
causes of early urbanization. It is because of the following reasons: 

● Natural fertility encourages settled life and agricultural production. 


● It paved the way for animal husbandry. 
● Fertility of the soil was also helpful in the beginning of new occupations. 
● Flourishing trade and commerce is also another major factor for 
urbanization. 
● The development of art of writing and administration played a very 
critical role in the development of urbanization. 

Question 2. 

Which of the following were necessary conditions and which the causes of early 
urbanization, and which would you say were the outcome of the growth of cities: 

(a) highly productive agriculture 

(b) water transport 

(c) the lack of metal and stone 

(c) the division of labor 

(e) the use of seals 

(f) the military power of kings that made labor compulsory ? 


Answer: 

Following were the necessary conditions for urbanization: 

● Highly productive agriculture 


● Water transport 
● The division of labor 

Causes of early urbanization: 

● Lack of metal and stones 


● The use of the seals 
● The military power of the kings that made labor compulsory. 

Outcome of the growth of cities: 

● Efficient transport system . 


● Trade and services developed. 

Question 3. 

Why were mobile animal herders not necessarily a threat to town life? 

Answer: 

Mobile animal herders were required to exchange ghee, metal tools, grains, etc. So 
they were not a threat to town life. 

Question 4. 

Why would the early temple have been much like a house? 

Answer: 

Early settlers began to build temples at selected spots in their villages. The earliest 
known temple was a small shrine made of unbaked bricks. These early temples were 
much like a house because they were small in size. There used to be an open 
courtyard around which rooms were constructed. Temples were the residence of 
various gods. Temples also had their outer wall going in and out at regular intervals, 
which no ordinary building ever had. 

Question 5. 

Of the new institutions that came into being once city life had begun, which would 
have depended on the initiative of the king? 

Answer: 

Temple, trade, seal making , sculpture and the art of writing were the new institutions 
that came into being with the beginning of the city life. These institutions depended 
on the initiative of the king. 

Question 6. 

What do ancient stories tell us about the civilization of Mesopotamia? 

Answer: 

Ancient stories tell us a lot about the civilisation of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was
situated between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers (now part of the Republic of
Iraq) Mesopotamian civilisation was rich in wealth, city life, literature, mathematics
and astronomy. One by one, three civilisation flourished there. These included
Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian civilisation. Its society was divided into three 
classes, i.e. 

1. The upper class 


2. The middle class and 
3. The lower class 

People belonging to upper classes led a life full of comforts and luxury and enjoyed 
special privileges. Agriculture was the main occupation of the people. Their life was 
normally prosperous. Religion was an important part of their life and people 
worshiped many gods and goddesses. Shamas was their main God. It was the Sun. 
Ziggurat was the name given to Sumerian temples. 

Another description from the Bible: According to the Bible, the flood was meant to 
destroy all forms of life on the earth. However, God chose a man, Noah, to ensure 
that life could continue after devastating flood on the earth. Noah, built a huge boat, 
an ark. He took a pair each of all known species of animals and birds on the board, 
the arks which survived the flood. When other things were destroyed by the flood, his 
boat remained safe along with all the species. Thus began a new life on the earth. 
There was a similar striking story in Mesopotamian tradition, where the principal 
character was called Ziusudra or Utnapisthim. 

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