Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia: Temples and Kings Class 11 – Concept, MCQs & Notes PDF

Topic covered: Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia: Temples and Kings 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 “Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia: Temples and Kings“ 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 civilisations. 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.

Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia: Temples and Kings

1. Early Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia:

• From 5000 BCE, settlements began developing in southern Mesopotamia.
• The earliest cities grew from these settlements.
• Cities developed in three ways: around temples, as trade centres, and as imperial cities.
• The focus here is on cities that formed around temples and through trade.

2. Temple Growth and Functions:

• Early settlers built and rebuilt temples at selected village spots.
• The earliest temple was a small shrine made of unbaked bricks.
• Temples were homes of gods like the Moon God of Ur and Inanna, Goddess of Love and War.
• Over time, temples became larger, built in brick, with multiple rooms around open courtyards.
• Early temples resembled ordinary houses but had unique zig-zag outer walls.
• Worshippers brought offerings such as grain, curd, and fish; many temple floors had layers of fish bones.
• The god was considered the owner of agricultural fields, fisheries, and herds.
• Temples also handled processing activities like oil pressing, grain grinding, spinning, and wool weaving.
• Temples employed merchants and maintained written records of distributions.
• Gradually, temples became the main urban institutions.

3. Agricultural and Water Challenges:

• Agriculture was unstable due to changes in Euphrates’ natural channels, causing floods or shifts in course.
• Archaeological evidence shows periodic village relocation.
• Upstream villagers could divert too much water or neglect cleaning silt, harming downstream settlements.
• These issues caused repeated conflicts over land and water.

4. Rise of Powerful Chiefs:

• Continuous warfare increased the power of chiefs who succeeded in fights.
• Victorious chiefs distributed loot and used war prisoners as guards or servants.
• Such chiefs increased their influence but often held temporary power.
• Over time, leadership strengthened when chiefs contributed to community welfare through new institutions.
• Chiefs offered precious booty to temples, beautifying them.
• They organised expeditions to fetch fine stones and metals for the community’s benefit.
• Efficient control of temple wealth raised the chiefs’ authority, as noted in the Enmerkar story.

5. Formation of Early Kingship and Urban Centres:

• Leaders attracted villagers to settle near them for security and rapid army mobilisation.
• The population began concentrating in emerging urban centres.
• At Uruk, depictions of armed heroes show rising military power.
• Around 3000 BCE, Uruk expanded to 250 hectares, twice the later size of Mohenjo-daro.
• Many small surrounding villages were abandoned, showing major population shifts.
• Uruk developed an early defensive wall.
• The site remained occupied from 4200 BCE to 400 CE.
• By 2800 BCE, Uruk expanded further to 400 hectares.

6. Labour, Administration, and the Temple Economy:

• War captives and local people worked for temples or directly for rulers.
• Labour, not agricultural tax, was the compulsory service.
• Workers were paid rations of grain, cloth, or oil.
• Hundreds of ration lists have been discovered.
• One temple required 1,500 men working 10 hours a day for 5 years to complete.

7. Technological Advances in Uruk:

• Rulers commanded people to bring stones and metal ores and to participate in construction.
• Around 3000 BCE, several innovations appeared:
  • Use of bronze tools.
  • Development of brick columns due to a lack of suitable timber.
  • Mass production of coloured clay cones for temple wall mosaics.
  • Artistic achievements in imported stone sculptures.
  • Introduction of the potter’s wheel, enabling large-scale production of similar pots.

The Seal – An Urban Artefact

• Early stone seals in India were stamped.
• In Mesopotamia, seals were cylindrical and used until the end of the first millennium BCE.
• These cylindrical seals were pierced through the centre and fitted with a stick.
• The seal was rolled over wet clay to produce a continuous picture.
• Seal carving was done by highly skilled craftsmen.
• Many seals carried inscriptions such as the owner’s name, his god, or his official position.
• A seal could be rolled over clay placed on the string knot of a cloth package.
• Seals were also used on the clay covering the mouth of pots to secure the contents.
• When rolled on a clay tablet letter, the seal served as a mark of authenticity.
• Seals represented a city dweller’s recognised role in public life.

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

MCQs on NCERT History Class 11 Chapter 1 Topic – Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia: Temples and Kings Class 11 Notes

Here are the top exam-oriented MCQ-type questions on “Urbanisation in Southern Mesopotamia: Temples and Kings Class 11 Notes” that you should prepare for your CBSE or state board exams:

Question 1. The earliest settlements in southern Mesopotamia began developing around

a) 1000 BCE
b) 5000 BCE
c) 3000 BCE
d) 2000 BCE

Answer: b

Question 2. The earliest cities in southern Mesopotamia developed around

a) Royal palaces
b) Military camps
c) Temples and trade centres
d) Forest areas

Answer: c

Question 3. The earliest known Mesopotamian temple was built with

a) Stone blocks
b) Wood
c) Unbaked bricks
d) Bronze sheets

Answer: c

Question 4. Which god was worshipped at Ur?

a) Enlil
b) Moon God
c) Sun God
d) Storm God

Answer: b

Question 5. Inanna was the goddess of

a) Agriculture
b) Rivers and floods
c) Love and war
d) Writing

Answer: c

Question 6. A special architectural feature found in temples, but not ordinary houses, was

a) Flat roof
b) Stone flooring
c) Outer walls going in and out
d) Wooden pillars

Answer: c

Question 7. Temples were considered the theoretical owners of

a) Only land
b) Only fisheries
c) All local agricultural fields, fisheries, and herds
d) Only livestock

Answer: c

Question 8. Processing activities like weaving and oil pressing were carried out mainly in

a) Homes
b) Royal palaces
c) Schools
d) Temples

Answer: d

Question 9. What gradually became the main urban institution in Mesopotamian cities?

a) Palace
b) Army
c) Temple
d) Market

Answer: c

Question 10. One major problem faced by early Mesopotamian agriculture was

a) Lack of fertile soil
b) Uncontrollable water supply
c) Absence of rivers
d) No irrigation channels

Answer: b

Question 11. Villages in Mesopotamia were sometimes relocated because

a) Wars
b) Flooding or change in river course
c) Lack of labour
d) Scarcity of forests

Answer: b

Question 12. Water conflicts occurred because

a) Too many canals were built
b) Farmers upstream diverted water
c) There was no cultivation
d) People refused to clean the channels

Answer: b

Question 13. Successful chiefs increased their influence mainly through

a) Building castles
b) Distributing loot
c) Teaching farming
d) Constructing roads

Answer: b

Question 14. War captives were generally used as

a) Priests
b) Scholars
c) Guards or servants
d) Merchants

Answer: c

Question 15. Chiefs offered precious booty to

a) Soldiers
b) Traders
c) Gods
d) Farmers

Answer: c

Question 16. Offering booty to the gods helped chiefs gain

a) Literacy
b) Royal titles
c) High status and authority
d) Land ownership

Answer: c

Question 17. The earliest temple town mentioned in the passage is

a) Ur
b) Nippur
c) Uruk
d) Kish

Answer: c

Question 18. Around 3000 BCE, Uruk grew to about

a) 50 hectares
b) 100 hectares
c) 250 hectares
d) 600 hectares

Answer: c

Question 19. The defensive wall at Uruk appeared

a) Very early
b) Very late
c) During Roman times
d) After 400 CE

Answer: a

Question 20. Uruk expanded to 400 hectares by

a) 4200 BCE
b) 2800 BCE
c) 2000 BCE
d) 300 BCE

Answer: b

Question 21. The main compulsory work taken from people was

a) Agricultural tax
b) Free labour for temple or ruler
c) Military training
d) Stone mining

Answer: b

Question 22. Workers were usually paid in

a) Coins
b) Land
c) Rations of grain, cloth, or oil
d) Animals

Answer: c

Question 23. One major technological advancement at Uruk around 3000 BCE was

a) Iron plough
b) Bronze tools
c) Wooden wheels
d) Gunpowder

Answer: b

Question 24. Brick columns were developed because

a) Wood was expensive
b) Wood was not available
c) Clay was weak
d) Sandstone was banned

Answer: b

Question 25. Mosaic temple decoration was used

a) Glass tiles
b) Marble
c) Painted clay cones
d) Bronze sheets

Answer: c

Question 26. The potter’s wheel allowed

a) Gold polishing
b) Mass production of pots
c) Stronger bricks
d) Transport of stones

Answer: b

Question 27. Early Indian seals were

a) Cylindrical
b) Square
c) Stamped
d) Wooden

Answer: c

Question 28. Mesopotamian seals until the end of the first millennium BCE were

a) Flat
b) Cylindrical
c) Metallic
d) Stone tablets

Answer: b

Question 29. Cylindrical seals were rolled over

a) Wet clay
b) Wood
c) Stone
d) Sand

Answer: a

Question 30. The purpose of rolling seals was to create

a) Circular marks
b) Continuous pictures
c) 3D images
d) Deep carvings

Answer: b

Question 31. Seals often carried writing that included

a) Names of rulers
b) Owner’s name, god, and official position
c) Laws of the city
d) Farming instructions

Answer: b

Question 32. Seals were used to secure

a) Tools
b) Jewellery
c) String knots on packages or pots
d) Doors

Answer: c

Question 33. A seal on a clay tablet served as

a) Decoration
b) Signature and authenticity
c) Religious symbol
d) Tax stamp

Answer: b

Question 34. Seals represented

a) Rural life
b) A person’s role in public life
c) Agricultural ownership
d) Social caste

Answer: b