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The NCERT Class 11 History Chapter 1: Early Societies from Themes in World History explores the earliest human societies from 60,000 years ago to around 600 BCE, focusing on the transition from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled communities. It examines key developments like tool-making, language, art, and the beginnings of farming and herding in regions such as Africa, Europe, Australia, and Mesopotamia. The chapter highlights how environmental factors and human ingenuity shaped early social structures. These notes summarise key concepts and developments for effective revision.
Contents
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Introduction
This section introduces the timeline and significance of early human societies, tracing their evolution from hunter-gatherers to settled communities.
Definition: Early societies refer to human groups from 60,000 years ago to around 600 BCE, characterised by the development of tools, language, art, and eventually farming and herding.
Characteristics:
- Early humans, Homo sapiens, emerged in Africa around 200,000–300,000 years ago, migrating to Europe, Asia, and Australia by 60,000 years ago.
- They lived as hunter-gatherers, relying on wild plants and animals, using tools like stone blades and bone implements.
- Language development facilitated communication, planning, and cultural expression, evident in cave paintings and carvings.
- The shift to farming and herding began around 10,000 years ago, leading to settled communities and new social structures.
- Environmental changes, like the warming period after 10,000 BCE, encouraged plant and animal domestication.
Significance: These developments laid the foundation for complex societies, with innovations in tools, language, and agriculture shaping human history.
Example: Cave paintings in Altamira (Spain) and Lascaux (France), dated 35,000–10,000 years ago, show early humans’ artistic expression and possibly ritualistic practices.
Early Humans and Their Environment
This section discusses how early humans adapted to diverse environments through tool-making, hunting, and gathering. Early humans were Homo sapiens who adapted to varied climates and landscapes, using tools and strategies to survive as hunter-gatherers.
Characteristics of Early Humans:
- Originating in Africa, spreading to Europe, Asia, and Australia by 60,000 years ago, and adapting to cold, temperate, and tropical environments.
- Used tools like hand axes, scrapers, and spears, initially made of stone, later incorporating bone and wood.
- Lived in small, mobile groups, following animal migrations and seasonal plant availability.
- Humans developed fire use by 700,000 years ago for cooking, warmth, and protection, enhancing survival.
- Environmental changes, such as glacial retreats around 10,000 BCE, created fertile conditions for plant and animal domestication.
Example: The Hadza people of Tanzania, modern hunter-gatherers, reflect early human lifestyles, relying on foraging and temporary shelters.
Also Read: NCERT Class 11 Sociology Chapter 2: Terms, Concepts, and Their Use in Sociology Notes (Free PDF)
Development of Language and Communication
This section explores how language and symbolic communication shaped early human societies. Language in early societies refers to spoken and symbolic systems (e.g., gestures, sounds, art) that enabled cooperation and cultural transmission.
- Language likely developed as Homo sapiens evolved, aiding hunting coordination, social bonding, and knowledge sharing.
- Cave paintings, rock art, and carvings (e.g., in Africa, Europe, Australia) from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago suggest symbolic communication.
- Artefacts like etched ostrich eggshells in South Africa (60,000 years ago) indicate early symbolic thinking.
- Language allowed storytelling, rituals, and planning, strengthening group cohesion.
Communication systems enabled early humans to organise, share knowledge, and create cultural identities, crucial for societal development. For example, Paintings in the Chauvet Cave (France), dated around 30,000 years ago, depict animals and human figures, suggesting ritual or storytelling purposes.
Beginnings of Farming and Herding
This section examines the transition from foraging to agriculture and its impact on early societies. Farming and herding refer to the domestication of plants and animals, starting around 10,000 years ago, leading to settled communities. Agriculture transformed societies, enabling larger populations, social hierarchies, and the foundation for civilisations.
- Began in regions like the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia) with wheat, barley, sheep, and goats, around 10,000–7,000 BCE.
- Environmental warming after 10,000 BCE created stable conditions for plant cultivation and animal domestication.
- Early farming tools included sickles and grinding stones; settlements grew near water sources.
- Domestication led to surplus food, enabling population growth and permanent settlements.
- Social changes included the division of labour, property ownership, and emerging inequalities.
Case Study: Mesopotamia – Early Urban Society
This section focuses on Mesopotamia as an example of an early society transitioning to urban life. Mesopotamia, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was a cradle of early civilisation, developing farming and urban settlements by 600 BCE.
Characteristics of Early Urban Society:
- Fertile soil supported crops like wheat and barley, leading to surplus production by 7,000 BCE.
- Settlements like Uruk and Ur developed into city-states with complex social structures by 3,000 BCE.
- Innovations included irrigation systems, writing (cuneiform), and specialised occupations (e.g., priests, artisans).
- Social hierarchies emerged, with rulers, priests, and labourers, alongside gender roles (e.g., women in textile production).
- Trade networks connected Mesopotamia to distant regions, exchanging goods like grain and pottery.
Mesopotamia’s agricultural and urban developments marked a shift to complex societies, influencing later civilisations. Example: The city of Uruk (3,500 BCE) had monumental buildings and cuneiform tablets, indicating administrative and economic complexity.
Conclusion
This section summarises the key developments in early societies and their lasting impact. Below are the pointers to conclude this chapter
- Early humans evolved from hunter-gatherers to farmers, driven by environmental changes and innovations.
- Tool-making, language, and art strengthened social bonds and cultural expression.
- Agriculture and herding led to settled communities, surplus production, and social hierarchies.
- Mesopotamia exemplifies the transition to urban societies with complex systems of governance and trade.
Important Definitions in NCERT Class 11 Themes in World History Chapter 1: Early Societies Notes
This section lists key terms for clarity and revision.
- Early Societies: Human groups from 60,000 years ago to 600 BCE, transitioning from hunter-gatherers to settled communities.
- Hunter-Gatherers: Early humans who foraged wild plants and hunted animals, living in mobile groups.
- Domestication: The process of taming plants and animals for human use, starting around 10,000 BCE.
- Agriculture: Cultivation of crops like wheat and barley, leading to settled communities and surplus production.
- Urban Societies: Complex societies with cities, like Mesopotamia’s Uruk, featuring specialised occupations and governance.
- Cuneiform: A writing system developed in Mesopotamia around 3,000 BCE, used for administration and record-keeping.
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FAQs
Early humans used tools, fire, and mobility to survive diverse climates, eventually domesticating plants and animals.
Language enabled cooperation, planning, and cultural expression, strengthening early societies.
Agriculture led to surplus food, settled communities, and social hierarchies, as seen in Mesopotamia.
Its innovations in farming, writing, and urban systems laid the foundation for complex civilisations.
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