Relevant Titles

1. Writing in Mesopotamia Class 11 History MCQs with Answers

2. CBSE Class 11 History Chapter 2 MCQ Quiz – The Cuneiform Script Explained

3. NCERT Class 11 History Theme 2 MCQs: Writing and City Life in Mesopotamia

4. Online Practice Test – The Cuneiform Script for Class 11 Students

5. CBSE History Class 11 MCQs: Writing in Mesopotamia & Early Scripts

Introduction Paragraph

Explore the fascinating world of Writing in Mesopotamia – The Cuneiform Script Explained through this CBSE Class 11 History MCQ Online Practice Test, created strictly according to the NCERT syllabus. This test is a part of Part A: Early Societies – Theme 2: Writing and City Life (Mesopotamia), designed to strengthen students’ understanding of one of humanity’s earliest writing systems.

These MCQs help students grasp how the cuneiform script, developed by the Sumerians, transformed record-keeping, administration, and communication in early Mesopotamian civilization. The quiz covers topics like the origin of writing, clay tablets, scribes, trade documentation, and the evolution of pictographs into wedge-shaped symbols.

Each question provides instant feedback and detailed explanations, making it an excellent self-assessment tool for CBSE Class 11 board exam preparation. By practicing these NCERT-aligned MCQs, learners can build conceptual clarity, improve accuracy, and understand how writing shaped early urban life in Mesopotamia, one of the world’s first civilizations.

Sample MCQs with Explanations

Q1. What does the word ‘Cuneiform’ literally mean?
a) Circle-shaped writing b) Wedge-shaped writing c) Straight-line writing d) Picture writing
Answer: b) Wedge-shaped writing
Explanation: The term Cuneiform comes from the Latin word ‘cuneus’, meaning “wedge,” referring to the wedge-shaped impressions made by a stylus on clay tablets.

Q2. Which material was most commonly used for writing in Mesopotamia?
a) Stone b) Papyrus c) Clay tablets d) Wood
Answer: c) Clay tablets
Explanation: Mesopotamians used soft clay tablets for writing with a reed stylus; once dried, these tablets became durable records.

Q3. Who were the trained record-keepers in Mesopotamian society?
a) Priests b) Merchants c) Scribes d) Kings
Answer: c) Scribes
Explanation: Scribes were educated professionals who mastered cuneiform writing to record administrative, economic, and legal data.

Q4. What was the primary purpose of early Mesopotamian writing?
a) Artistic decoration b) Administrative and economic record-keeping c) Storytelling d) Religious hymns
Answer: b) Administrative and economic record-keeping
Explanation: Early writing mainly documented trade, taxation, and resource management before evolving into literary use.

Q5. Which civilization is credited with inventing the cuneiform script?
a) Egyptians b) Sumerians c) Babylonians d) Persians
Answer: b) Sumerians
Explanation: The Sumerians of southern Mesopotamia developed the earliest known writing system around 3200 BCE, called cuneiform.