Writing and City Life

NCERT Solutions • Class 11 History • Theme 2
Answer in Brief
1. Why do we say that it was not natural fertility and high levels of food production that were the causes of early urbanisation?
While natural fertility and high food production were necessary conditions for urbanization, they were not the causes because:
  • Need for Organization: Agriculture alone only leads to the growth of rural settlements. Urbanization requires a central organization to handle storage, distribution, and trade of surplus food.
  • Division of Labour: Cities grow when an economy moves beyond mere food production into specialized crafts, trade, and services. Fertility facilitates this but does not cause it.
  • Social Factors: The emergence of a king or administration was required to mobilize labor and resources, which natural fertility alone cannot achieve.
2. Which of the following were necessary conditions and which the causes, of early urbanisation, and which would you say were the outcome of the growth of cities:
Category Factors Reasoning
Necessary Conditions (a) Highly productive agriculture
(b) Water transport		 A surplus is needed to feed non-farmers. Water transport is essential to move bulk goods cheaply to the city.
Causes (c) The lack of metal and stone
(d) The division of labour		 The lack of resources forced trade with foreign lands. Specialization (division of labour) created dependency, leading to urban clusters.
Outcomes (e) The use of seals
(f) The military power of kings		 Seals were developed to manage complex urban trade. Military power grew to protect the city’s wealth and enforce labour.
3. Why were mobile animal herders not necessarily a threat to town life?
Mobile herders were often part of the symbiotic life of the city rather than just a threat:
  • Economic Exchange: They provided essential goods like cheese, leather, and meat in exchange for grain and metal tools from the farmers/city.
  • Transport Services: Their pack animals were crucial for the transportation of goods for urban trade.
  • Manure: Their flocks provided manure which fertilized the agricultural lands.
  • Note: While conflicts did occur, their economic role was vital for the city’s survival.
4. Why would the early temple have been much like a house?
Early temples were designed to look like houses because:
  • Home of the God: The temple was literally considered the residence of the deity (e.g., the Moon God of Ur or Inanna).
  • Architecture: Like a house, it had a central courtyard and rooms. The only difference was the outer walls, which went in and out at regular intervals (buttresses), unlike ordinary buildings.
  • Daily Life Rituals: People brought offerings like grain, curd, and fish to “feed” the god, mimicking household hospitality.
Answer in a Short Essay
5. Of the new institutions that came into being once city life had begun, which would have depended on the initiative of the king?
The growth of complex city life in Mesopotamia required strong central leadership. The following institutions depended heavily on the King’s initiative:
  • The Temple: Kings like Enmerkar were responsible for beautifying temples. They organised the sourcing of precious stones and metals (lapis lazuli, gold) from distant lands for the deity.
  • Trade and Expeditions: Since Mesopotamia lacked mineral resources, the King organized and protected long-distance trade expeditions to get wood, copper, and silver.
  • The Army: A standing army was essential to protect the city’s surplus, guard trade routes, and coerce labour for public works. This was strictly a royal institution.
  • Writing and Record Keeping: The complex economy required records. Kings commissioned scribes to record laws, trade, and royal achievements (e.g., inscriptions of Darius or Hammurabi’s code later).
  • Public Works: Construction of city walls, canals, and ziggurats required the mobilization of thousands of workers, managed by the King’s administration.
6. What do ancient stories tell us about the civilisation of Mesopotamia?
Ancient stories, particularly the Epic of Gilgamesh, reveal deep insights into the Mesopotamian worldview:
  • Pride in Urban Life: The stories glorify the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh takes pride in the city’s burnt brick foundations and its great walls, suggesting that for Mesopotamians, the city was the pinnacle of civilization.
  • Importance of Legacy: The epic shows that while humans are mortal and must die, their achievements (like the city they build) survive them.
  • Role of Kingship: Stories like Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta highlight the King as the organizer of trade and the inventor of writing to communicate orders over long distances.
  • Technological Advancement: They reflect a society that valued organization, writing, and craftsmanship (brick-making) over a simple rural life.
learncbsehub.in