Maximizing Your CBSE Class 11 History Scores with Effective Q&A Notes

Theme 2: Writing & City Life

Q1. Where did the art of writing and City life begin? Between which rivers was the region situated?

Ans: It is believed that the Art of Writing and City life began in Mesopotamia, the land between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers that is now part of the Republic of Iraq.

Q2. What is the meaning of the name Mesopotamia?

Ans: The name Mesopotamia is derived from the Greek words mesos, meaning middle, and potamos, meaning river which means the land between the rivers.

Q3. For what is the Mesopotamian civilization known?

Ans: Mesopotamian civilization is known for its prosperity, city life, its voluminous and rich literature, and its mathematics and astronomy.

Q4. In which language and script did the kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean, northern Syria, and Turkey write to one another, and to the Pharaoh of Egypt?

Ans: Mesopotamia's writing system and literature spread to the eastern Mediterranean, northern Syria, and Turkey after 2000 BCE, so that the kingdoms of that entire region were writing to one another, and to the Pharaoh of Egypt, in the language and script of Mesopotamia.

Q5. What was the urbanized south of Mesopotamia called at the beginning of recorded history?

Ans: At the beginning of recorded history, the land, mainly the urbanized south of Mesopotamia, was called Sumer and Akkad.

Q6. When did the southern region of Mesopotamia come to be known as Babylonia?

Ans: Babylon in the south of Mesopotamia became an important city after 2000 BCE. Then the southern region of Mesopotamia came to be known as Babylonia.

Q7. When did the northern region of Mesopotamia become known as Assyria?

Ans: From about 1100 BCE, when the Assyrians established their kingdom in the north of Mesopotamia, the region became known as Assyria.

Q8. What were the languages used in the Mesopotamian regions?

Ans: The first known language of the Mesopotamian region was Sumerian. It was gradually replaced by Akkadian around 2400 BCE when Akkadian speakers arrived. This language flourished till about Alexander's time (336-323 BCE), with some regional changes occurring. From 1400 BCE, Aramaic also trickled in. This language, similar to Hebrew, became widely spoken after 1000 BCE. It is still spoken in parts of Iraq.