Category Great Civilizations

               Hammurabi was the greatest king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, reigning from 1792 BC to 1750 BC. He extended Babylon’s control throughout Mesopotamia through military campaigns. From all the remarkable achievements of Hammurabi, none is more important than the Code of Law.

               Though many cultures co-existed in Mesopotamia, Babylonian culture gained a degree of prominence among the literate classes throughout the Middle East under Hammurabi.

                Hammurabi used his power to undertake a series of public works, including heightening the city walls for defensive purposes, and expanding the temples.

               Vast numbers of contract tablets, dated to the reigns of Hammurabi and his successors, have been discovered, as well as 55 of his own letters. Hammurabi died in around 1750 BC. His son Samsu-iluna succeeded him.

          Early Man believed that heaven held some kind of power over earthly existence. Man gazed towards the heaven, searching to put some meaning and order to the universe around him. This belief was found in the ancient Babylonian records.

          Babylonians are famous for their contribution to mathematics and astronomy. They created a numerical system based on the number 60, which helped us to derive the 360 degree system.

          The Greek day of 12 double hours, the zodiac and its signs, and the calendar, are all credited to Babylonians.

          Not only this, the Babylonians had a significant knowledge of medicine as well. They knew the anatomy of human and animals and even performed surgeries in delicate areas like the eyes. The world of mathematics and astronomy owes much to the Babylonians. 

            As we know Mesopotamia was blessed with many empires, which contributed to the socio-political changes in the region.

            Sumer and Akkad, which developed very rich cultures, were later adopted by Amorite, a tribe that had conquered all of Mesopotamia in 21st century BC.

            Soon under the rule of the Amorites, Babylon became the political and commercial centre of the Tigris-Euphrates area. They created a vast empire. Babylonia was called Mat Akkadi ‘the country of Akkad’ in the Akkadian language.

            Efficient kings made the empire even more flourishing. It was during the reign of Hammurabi that Babylon expanded greatly, and became the major power in the region. Hammurabi forged coalitions between the separate city states, promoted science and scholarship, and created his famous code of law. 

            Tiglath-Pileser III was an Assyrian King in the eighth century BC. His real name was Pulu, and he was the governor of the city of Kalhu. Through a coup he became the king. He assumed the name Tiglath-Pileser to link him to the great rulers of the past like Tiglath-Pileser I. As king, he made drastic changes to the government, reducing the power of governors. He restructured the military, and it became Assyria’s first professional army. He was a proficient administrator, and is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in history.

            He is one of the most successful military commanders in world, conquering most of the world known to the Assyrians at that time. He defeated several kingdoms including Urartu, and Media. Babylonia came under his control in 729 BC, and he crowned himself as ‘King Pulu of Babylon’. 

          In ancient civilization, as in modern civilizations, war have always been won by a strong military force and lost by the weak one. A strong military force is always important to secure a nation from external invasion. History has been witness to this phenomenon.

          Assyrian military power, considered the first real military power in history, has been highly acclaimed. The Assyrians acquired a large empire and possessed a highly advanced military organization and weaponry.

          In a warrior society where fighting was a part of life, two things that made Assyrians great were their deadly chariots, and their fearsome iron weapons.

          Assyrian rulers were strong. They went on military expeditions along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. This practice was continued for hundreds of years.

         Assyrian kings built highways, and established courts to settle disputes among subjects. They even promoted arts and education and had libraries in their palaces. But they were most famous for their fearsome army.

         But, as Assyria grew in size, the army failed to defend the whole empire at once. The combined forces of Babylonia and Media defeated them, and the great Assyrian Empire crumbled soon. 

          The first civilization is thought to have arisen in Mesopotamia. But sadly, it was also the first civilization to be conquered. The conquerors were the Akkadians, and the conqueror was Sargon. He ruled the Akkadian Empire between 2340 BC and 2284 BC.

          Sargon is remembered, for he created the world’s first empire and standing army. He made Akkadian the official language. Sargon promoted trade, improved water management, and standardized weights and measures.

         He was a self-made man of humble origins. The baby Sargon was found floating in a reed basket on the river Euphrates, and was later rescued by a gardener Akki. Akki adopted the boy, and raised him as his own son.

          Sargon introduced the idea that a king should be succeeded by his son. The kings, who ruled Mesopotamia later, saw themselves as the heirs of Sargon’s Empire.