6. Discuss the process of urbanization ?

URBANISATOIN

During the Bronze Age, an urban revolution also took place. Sumer and Akkad were two great urban filiations of this age. Towns became centres of a number of activities. Here temples were constructed with the labour of hundreds of workers who had to be supervised and directed. To do this an architectural plan had to be draw in advance. These cut lines were laid out with the aid of strings. In India not surprisingly therefore, the ancient knowledge of architecture was called the Sulve (String) Sutra. The impressive temples thus constructed also needed to be administered. Records of receipts and expenditure had to be kept. The spurred the intention of script writing around 2000 B.C. As worship was so highly institutionalized here it was natural that a specialized class of priests should also emerge. These priests were the first carries of the literary tradition and, hence quite predictably, literate records generally portray the perspective of the priestly class.

The disparity between the rich and the poor grew at an alarming rate from this time on. Extortions, maltreatment, slavery, and all kinds of exploitation were practiced by the rich upon the poor. This was made possible because of the technical sophistication that the human beings acquired in the Bronze age. This sophistication brought about surplus in food production giving rise to satisfaction and forming of social hierarchy.

The urban revolution also brought also brought about a stupendous increase in knowledge. Geometry, arithmetic, astronomic medicine and theology developed at an impressive pace. Egyptian science approximation the sign much more accurately, than before the solar, calendar was developed in the Nile Valley. Mohenjodaro and Harappa which were urban civilization of a later Bronze Age also shared the characteristic s of this revolution and knowledge wit the other Bronze Age civilization.

Along with the production of surplus food, superior tools and the growth of a learned class, one also finds the increasing institution alization and reutilization of the religious systems.