Class 11 history ch 1 writing and city life notes

Class 11 chapter 1 writing and city life best revision notes

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Following are the  notes of chapter 1 of class 11 history writing and city life

Writing and city life

• Began in Mesopotamia
• Mesopotamia is derived from  Greek words mesos meaning middle and potamos meaning river
• It is land between two rivers  Euphrates and Tigris
• Known for its city life, literature and mathematics

Land

• South

1. Urbanised Akkad and Sumer
2. After 2000BCE south was also known as Babylonia

• North

1. Known as Assyria
2. Assyrian established Kingdom in North

Language

First known language Sumerian

• Which is replaced by Akkadian in 2400BCE
• From 1400BCE Aramaic which is similar to Hebrew came into being which was widely spoken after 1000BCE

Mesopotamia and it's geography

• In North East had undulating plains where agriculture began b/w 7000BCE - 6000BCE
• In North upland called steppe where animal herding earned better livelihood than agriculture
• In East tributaries of Tigris provide route for communication
• In south a desert where first cities emerged➡ how? ➡ as their tributaries carry silt and deposit it on land as well as act as irrigation canals

Significance of urbanization

• Where economy develop in spheres other that food production
• Continuous interaction need social organisation
• Division of labour is sign of urban life  

The warka head

• Women head in white marble at uruk before 3000BCE
• Eyes and eyebrows from lapis lazuli ( blue ) and shell (white) and bitumen ( black )

 

Movements of goods in city

• It wasn't resources rich and there were few mineral resources
• They could have traded their abundant textile
• Sea route was best as it requires less maintenance
• Trading requires social organisation, foreign expedition, Direct exchange

Development of writing

• Clay tablet when needed for record dried up in sunlight and when using again erased with water 
• First Mesopotamia tablet around 3200 BCE 
• Letters were cuneiform meaning wedge shaped 
  
  
  

System of writing

• Cuneiform sign were syllables which ran into 100s only few could read and write
• Uruk was called the city
• Cuneiform was wedge shaped like nails 

Urbanisation in southern Mesopotamia

• From 5000 BCE settlement in southern Mesopotamia
• Cities were around temple, centre of trade, imperial cities
• Temple 

1. Made of unbaked bricks
2. For moon god of ur, inanna the godess of love and war
3. They were offered curd, grain, fish etc
4. Developed it's activities and became main urban centre

• Agriculture

1. Subject to hazards
2. Village were periodically relocated
3. Conflict over land and water

• Warfare

1. Continuous warfare ➡ distribution of loot ➡gave status and authority
2. Settlement were encouraged to get army

• Around 3000 BCE bronze was used 
• Uruk had grown to 400 hectares
• War captive and locals were put to work which was compulsory unlike agriculture tax
  
  
  

Life in the city

• Small section of society has major wealth
• Nuclear family was a norm
• Father was head of family
• Marriage ➡a declaration was made
• Bride ➡ given share ,son  ➡  inherited wealth  ➡ patriarchal society
• Ur

1. Narrow winding Street  ➡ material on donkey back 
2. Irregular houses  ➡ lack of town planning
3. People swept their house trash in streets  ➡ rise Street level  ➡ threshold was raised
4. Light  ➡ doors not window
5. Front door didn't open to another house was lucky
6. Main door opened outward then the wife would be torent to her husband 

A trading town in pastoral zone

•  Mari  ➡ royal capital  

            ⬇

     Upstream of Euphrates

• Productive agriculture
• Both farmers and pastoralists were there but they often clashed
• Some community of Western desert flourished and established their control

                                                           ⇩

              Amorites ( king of Mari ), Akkadian, Assyrian

• Amorites also worship Dagan god of steppe
  
  
  

The legacy of writing

• Science need writing
• Around 1800 BCE tablet with addition , subtraction, division etc are found
• Findings

1. 1 year ➡ 12 month
2. 1 month ➡4 week
3. 1 day ➡24 hours
4. 1 hours ➡60 min 

• These were adopted by Alexander successor 

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