The System of Writing Class 11 – Concept, MCQs & Notes PDF

Topic covered: The System of Writing class 11 notes and MCQs questions: Writing and City Life (All single detail notes are exam-oriented).

We have discussed in-depth and exam-oriented pointers that can be asked in the board exam of class 11th about “The System of Writing“ from the NCERT history notes for class 11th chapter 1 Writing and City Life.

Download the NCERT History for Class 11th Chapter 1 Writing and City Life Notes PDF

Chapter 1 of Class 11 History, Writing and City Life, takes you into the early world of Mesopotamia, where writing first appeared, and cities began to shape human life in new ways. Students often find the connection between trade, administration, and the development of writing a bit overwhelming, so these notes break everything into clear, story-like sections. You’ll understand how cities grew, why records became essential, and how everyday life looked in the earliest civilizations. If you want a simple, exam-friendly guide, you can download the NCERT History for Class 11th Chapter 1 Writing and City Life Notes PDF and revise with ease.

The System of Writing

• Cuneiform signs represented whole syllables, not single consonants or vowels.
• Examples of syllables in cuneiform include sounds like put, la, or in.
• Because each sign stood for a syllable, Mesopotamian scribes had to learn hundreds of signs.
• Scribes worked on wet clay tablets and had to complete the writing before the clay dried.
• Writing in Mesopotamia was considered a skilled craft due to the complexity of handling signs and clay.
• The development of this writing system was a major intellectual achievement.
• The system visually expressed the sound pattern of a particular language.

Literacy

1. Literacy in Mesopotamia:

• Only a very small section of the Mesopotamians could read and write.
• Learning was difficult because it required memorising hundreds of signs.
• Many signs were complicated in form.
• Kings who possessed literacy proudly recorded this ability in their inscriptions.

2. Nature of Writing and Communication:

• Writing often followed the pattern and style of spoken language.
• Letters to kings were written to be read aloud.
• Such letters commonly opened with phrases like “To my lord A, speak” and “Thus says your servant B”.

3. Use and Transmission of Texts:

• Written messages frequently reported completed tasks or duties.
• A long mythical poem on creation ended with instructions for its preservation and teaching.
• The poem urged elders to remember it, scholars to discuss it, fathers to repeat it to their sons, and even herdsmen to listen to it.

The Uses of Writing

1. Enmerkar and the Link Between Cities, Trade, and Writing:

• A long Sumerian epic about Enmerkar highlights the connection between city life, trade, and writing.
• Uruk is described in the Mesopotamian tradition as The City, the ideal urban centre.
• Enmerkar is associated with organising the first trade of Sumer, at a time when “trade was not known”.

2. Early Trade Efforts of Uruk:

• Enmerkar sought lapis lazuli and precious metals to beautify a temple in Uruk.
• He sent a messenger to a distant land called Aratta to obtain these materials.
• The messenger travelled by stars at night and by the sun during the day.
• His route required climbing up and down mountain ranges.
• People of Susa, a city below the mountains, appeared tiny to him from the heights.
• He crossed five, six, and seven mountain ranges during his repeated journeys.

3. Challenges in Trade Negotiations:

• The chief of Aratta refused to give lapis lazuli or silver.
• The messenger had to travel back and forth multiple times, carrying threats and promises from the king of Uruk.
• Over time, the messenger became exhausted and confused the messages, described as “grew weary of mouth”.

4. Origin of Writing in the Epic:

• To solve the confusion, Enmerkar shaped a clay tablet in his hand and wrote down the words.
• The poem states that earlier, “there had been no writing down of words on clay”.

5. Reaction of the Ruler of Aratta:

• The ruler of Aratta examined the clay tablet carefully.
• To him, the written words looked like “nails”.
• His face showed displeasure as he studied the tablet.

6. Cultural Meaning of Writing:

• The story reflects the Mesopotamian belief that kingship played a central role in organising trade and writing.
• Writing is portrayed as a means of storing information and sending messages over long distances.
• The poem suggests that writing symbolised the superiority of Mesopotamian urban culture.

Summary of The System of Writing Class 11 Notes

Cuneiform signs represented syllables, not single letters, so scribes had to learn hundreds of signs and write quickly on wet clay tablets. Writing became a skilled craft and a major intellectual achievement. Very few people in Mesopotamia were literate because the script was complex; even kings highlighted their ability to read. Most writing reflected spoken language and was often read aloud, as seen in letters and poems meant to be taught and remembered. The Sumerian epic of Enmerkar shows how writing was linked to city life and trade. When his messenger became confused after repeated journeys to Aratta, Enmerkar wrote the message on clay. The story reflects the belief that kings organised trade and writing, and that writing signified the superiority of Mesopotamian urban culture.

Next & Previous Topics of NCERT/CBSE History Class 11 Chapter 1: Writing and City Life

MCQs on NCERT History Class 11 Chapter 1 Topic – The System of Writing Class 11 Notes

Here are the top exam-oriented MCQ-type questions on “The System of Writing Class 11 Notes” that you should prepare for your CBSE or state board exams:

Question 1. A cuneiform sign represented

a) A single vowel
b) A single consonant
c) A syllable
d) A full word

Answer: c

Question 2. Mesopotamian scribes had to learn

a) Fewer than 20 signs
b) About 50 signs
c) Hundreds of signs
d) Thousands of signs

Answer: c

Question 3. Writing had to be completed quickly because

a) Clay was expensive
b) The tablet dried fast
c) Scribes followed strict time rules
d) Kings demanded it immediately

Answer: b

Question 4. Writing in Mesopotamia is described as

a) A simple craft
b) A casual art
c) A skilled craft and intellectual achievement
d) Only a religious practice

Answer: c

Question 5. Literacy in Mesopotamia was

a) Universal
b) Very limited
c) Common among farmers
d) Compulsory for officials

Answer: b

Question 6. Kings who could read

a) Kept it secret
b) Recorded it proudly in inscriptions
c) Were removed from office
d) Became scribes

Answer: b

Question 7. Letters to the king were usually

a) Written and handed to him directly
b) Read out aloud by someone else
c) Never used
d) Delivered orally without tablets

Answer: b

Question 8. The standard opening of a letter in Mesopotamia was

a) Greetings from the king
b) From your loyal servant, B
c) To my lord A, speak: Thus says your servant B
d) Dear Sir

Answer: c

Question 9. The mythical poem quoted in the text suggests that

a) Writing was meant only for priests
b) Knowledge should be passed on to all, even herdsmen
c) Writing must remain secret
d) Only scholars should read texts

Answer: b

Question 10. The link between city life, trade, and writing is shown in the epic about

a) Hammurabi
b) Gilgamesh
c) Enmerkar
d) Sargon

Answer: c

Question 11. In the Mesopotamian tradition, Uruk was known as

a) The Holy Place
b) The City
c) The Temple Town
d) The King’s Garden

Answer: b

Question 12. According to the epic, in the early days

a) Writing was fully developed
b) Trade was not known
c) Priests controlled trade
d) Trade was very easy

Answer: b

Question 13. Enmerkar wanted lapis lazuli and precious metals for

a) Making weapons
b) Export to other cities
c) Beautifying a temple
d) Building roads

Answer: c

Question 14. The messenger travelled by

a) River only
b) Stars at night and the sun during the day
c) Guidance of traders
d) Maps

Answer: b

Question 15. The messenger travelled across

a) One mountain range
b) Two mountain ranges
c) Five, six, seven mountain ranges
d) A desert only

Answer: c

Question 16. The messenger grew tired because

a) The journey was too short
b) He had to collect taxes
c) He kept repeating long messages
d) He became ill

Answer: c

Question 17. Writing was introduced in the story because

a) Clay was abundant
b) Kings wanted entertainment
c) The messenger kept mixing up oral messages
d) Priests demanded written prayers

Answer: c

Question 18. The ruler of Aratta reacted to the clay tablet by

a) Laughing at it
b) Ignoring it
c) Frowning and examining it closely
d) Destroying it immediately

Answer: c

Question 19. In the Mesopotamian understanding, writing and trade were organised by

a) Priests
b) Farmers
c) Kingship
d) Merchants

Answer: c

Question 20. Writing was considered a sign of

a) Rural life
b) Cultural decline
c) The superiority of Mesopotamian urban culture
d) Weak administration

Answer: c