Life in Town and Village Chapter Notes | History Class 6 ICSE PDF Download

Introduction

Second Urbanization

• Urbanization refers to the shift from a rural, village-based lifestyle to an urban, city-based lifestyle.
• The second urbanization occurred due to increased agricultural production, growth in crafts, and the development of trade and commerce.
• The first urbanization took place during the Indus Valley Civilization.

Sources

• Towns like Pataliputra, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Mathura, Rajagriha, Arikamedu, and Kaveripattinam are mentioned in literary sources.
• Key literary sources include Jataka Tales, Sangam literature, and accounts of foreign travelers.
• Archaeological evidence includes punch-marked coins and Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) pottery.

Sangam Literature

• Sangam literature is the earliest known Tamil writing, created during three literary assemblies in Madurai from the 1st to 4th centuries CE.
• It includes the Tolkappiyam (a book on grammar and rhetoric), eight anthologies (Ettuttokai), and ten narrative poems (Pattupattu).
• Unlike most early Indian literature, which is religious, Sangam literature focuses on secular topics.
• Themes of Sangam poetry include love (akam) in the first five collections, heroism (puram) in the next two, and a mix of both in the eighth collection, Paripatal.

Features of Second Urbanization

• Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW), dating from 700–200 BCE, is a fine, glossy black pottery found at many sites.
• New towns had improved structures like better houses, drains, ring wells, and soakage pits.
• Ring wells were rows of pots or ceramic rings stacked vertically, likely used as drains, toilets, or garbage dumps.

Increase in Agricultural Production

• Iron tools like axes and ploughshares helped clear land for farming.
• New techniques, such as crop transplantation, boosted agricultural output.
• Improved irrigation systems, including wells, canals, tanks, reservoirs, and lakes, supported farming.

Growth of Craft

• Higher agricultural production allowed people to take up crafts, leading to the growth of various occupations.
• Craftsmen included potters, weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, goldsmiths, leather workers, and ivory workers.
• Craftsmen often settled in areas with abundant raw materials, like carpenters near forests for wood.

Increase in Trade

• Growth of towns and cities led to flourishing internal and external trade.
• Trade links developed between northern and southern India, as well as with the Roman Empire.
• Important port cities included Bharuch (Bhrigukachchha or Barygaza), Tamluk (Tamralipti), Arikamedu, Kaveripattinam, and Muziris.
• The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, a Greek text, describes trade activities at these ports.
• Good roads and rivers facilitated transportation.
• Punch-marked coins made of silver and copper, along with standardized weights and measures, were used in trade.
• Silver coins found in India and abroad indicate long-distance trade.

Some Important Port Cities

• Bharuch (Bhrigukachchha or Barygaza) – Gujarat
• Tamluk (Tamralipti) – West Bengal
• Arikamedu – Near Puducherry
• Kaveripattinam – Tamil Nadu
• Muziris – Kerala

Emergence of Guilds

• Craftsmen and traders formed guilds or shrenis, including craft guilds (e.g., potters, weavers) and merchant guilds.
• Guilds had their own rules and supported members by providing raw materials, training, and help in selling products.
• Some guilds acted as banks, allowing merchants to deposit wealth or take loans.
• Guilds often donated to monasteries, as mentioned in inscriptions and Buddhist texts.

Life in the Villages

• Wealthy landowners were called vellalar.
• Regular farmers or ploughmen were known as uzhavars.
• Landless workers and slaves were referred to as kadaisiyar and adimai.

North India

• The village headman was called gramani or grama bhojaka, and this role was usually passed down in the family.
• The headman collected taxes from villagers for the king.
• Rich landowners were known as grihapatis.
• Smaller farmers were called krishakas, who worked as cultivators.
• People without land were called dasas, meaning slaves.
• Karamakaras were paid workers who earned a living by working on others' land.

Emergence of Urban Centres

• Towns and cities emerged due to increased agricultural production, craft development, and trade growth.
• Literary sources and archaeological excavations confirm the rise of urban centers.

Some towns were known for specific activities:

• Trading centers: Sopara/Suparaka, Bharuch, Tamluk
• Political and administrative centers: Pataliputra, Ujjain, Madurai
• Religious or pilgrimage centers: Varanasi, Mathura
• Art and craft centers: Varanasi, Madurai (textiles)
• Trade route centers: Amravati, Nagarjunakonda, Mathura

Some cities, like Bharuch and Mathura, were famous for multiple reasons.
Bharuch

• A major port for trade with West Asia.
• One of India’s oldest cities, named after sage Bhrigu (Bhrigukachchha).

Mathura

• Located on key trade routes.
• Second capital of the Kushana dynasty, a political and administrative center.
• Famous for the Mathura School of Art, producing fine sculptures.
• A religious center for Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists, with monasteries and shrines.
• An important place for Krishna worship.

Case Study: Arikamedu

• An important trading center and archaeological site near Puducherry, excavated in the 1940s by Mortimer Wheeler.
• Originally a fishing settlement, it became a major port under the Chola dynasty.
• Evidence from Sangam literature and archaeological finds confirm its significance.
• Arikamedu had strong trade links with Rome, with some Roman traders settling there.

Archaeological finds include:

• Amphorae (large storage jars).
• Arretine ware, a red-glazed pottery from Italy.
• Roman coins.
• A brick building, possibly a warehouse.

Exports: Textiles, glass-shell bangles, semi-precious stones.
Imports: Wine, olive oil.

• Arikamedu was a key center for bead production.
• Arretine ware originates from Italy and likely reached Arikamedu through trade with Rome.

Meanwhile

• Rome, one of Europe’s oldest cities, was settled continuously from the first millennium BCE.
  
• It was the capital of a vast empire.
• Roman architecture included temples, palaces, amphitheatres (e.g., the Colosseum), public baths, and aqueducts for water supply.
• The Colosseum hosted popular events like gladiator fights.