Early River Valley Civilization : Egyptian (Together with History and Civics)
EXERCISE
1. Fill in the blanks.
(a) The Egyptian Civilization developed on the banks of the Nile River.
(b) The Egyptian Civilization was called the Gift of the Nile.
(c) The dead bodies of pharaohs and nobles were buried in Pyramids.
(d) The dead bodies were wrapped in linen.
2. Write true of false against the following.
(a) Rulers of Egypt were called the pharaohs. [T]
(b) The God of life was Isis. [F]
(c) The Egyptians had no script. [F]
(d) 'Ra' was the Sun God. [T]
3. Give one word of the following.
(a) Power of attracting others.
= Charms.
(b) Sign of life.
= The Ankh.
(c) Unplanned cities.
= Nwt.
(d) Royal tombs.
= Pyramids.
(e) A system of writing with pictures.
= Hieroglyphic Script.
4. Answer the following questions briefly.
(a) How do we know that the Egyptians had domesticated animals?
= Egyptians also domesticated animals. Pictures which show domestication of animals like camels, cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, etc. have been found.
(b) How did the Egyptians develop craftmanship and architectural skills?
= The Egyptians had achieved excellence in all spheres of life. They showed their skill in making the Pyramids. Temples were also build over vast areas and beautifully decorated with paintings. They craved rock monuments. They craved the Sphinx.
(c) What progress was made in mathematics by the Egyptians?
= They used the mathematical calculations, especially geometry and algebra.
(d) Why was Egypt called the gift of the River Nile?
= The Egyptian Civilization developed in the fertile valley of the River Nile. The River Nile is what saves Egypt form being part of the Sahara desert. Historians often call the Egyptian Civilization, the gift of the Nile. It is just a strip on the banks of the Nile which was fertile. Egyptians made reservoirs and canals to take the Nile water and irrigate land.
(e) What led to the decline of Egyptian Civilization?
= Foreign invasions and internal revolts weakened the great civilization. Alexander's invasion was the major cause of the decline. It was after the rule of Ramesses II that the decline was noticeable.
A lot of money had to be spent to fight back the revolts and foreign invasions thus draining the treasury out. Cleopatra and Mark Antony were defeated by the Roman emperor Octavian. Soon, Egypt became a part of the Roman Empire.
5. Match the following.
=
|
A |
B |
|---|---|
|
(a) Anubis. |
(i) Royal tombs. [b] |
|
(b) Pyramids. |
(ii) Jackal. [a] |
|
(c) Nomes. |
(iii) Provinces. [c] |
|
(d) Sphinx. |
(iv) Mythical animal. [d] |
|
(e) Senet. |
(v) Game of 20 square. [e] |
6. Answer the following questions in details.
(a) Name the three main Egyptian kingdoms. What do you know about them?
= The three main Egyptian kingdoms are - The Old Kingdom, The Middle Kingdom and The New Kingdom.
Inscriptions and excavations have helped us to know about this civilization. Historians have divided this civilization into three basic kingdoms or periods. This was the time of stability. In-between, often there were periods of instability.
(b) What do you know about (i) Society, (ii) Religious life of the Egyptians?
= Society : Family was the centre of Egyptian life. The elderly male was the head of the family. At the same time, women could also be pharaohs. Ordinary women looked after the family. Most women were not educated but were free to move around without an escort. They also had certain rights and were treated equally.
Religious Life : For the Egyptians, the Pharaoh was a God. The Sun God 'Ra', was considered to be very powerful. The God of the life, Osiris was supposed to have conquered death, Isis was his spouse. Symbols were used to signify certain Gods. A jackal represented Anubis. Each God had its own temple.
(c) On what did the Egyptians write? What else do you know about this script?
= The Egyptians wrote on tomb walls, in the pyramids and on clay tablets.
The Egyptians wrote using hieroglyphic script. It used pictures initially and later developed the alphabet. It was written from right to left. If the people or symbols faced left, they were read left to right. If they faced right, they were read from right to left.
(d) Mention two things on which Egyptians based their calendar. What did they do during the five days left in a year?
= The two things on which Egyptians based their calendar are - the star Sirius and the average time between two successive flooding of the River Nile.
They did religious festivals during the five days left in a year.