Download The First Empire Builders: Around 3000 to 2000 B.C. kings of city

Mesopotamian Empire
Chapter 4 Lesson 1
The First Empire Builders:
Around 3000 to 2000 B.C. kings of citystates fought over land. More land would
lead to more power and wealth.
No single king was able to control all citystates in Mesopotamia.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Sargon Builds an Empire
Sargon of Akkad known as the creator of the first
empire in world history. About 2350 B.C. Sargon
took control of both Northern and Southern
Mesopotamia.
An EMPIRE brings together many people and
lands under the control of one ruler. Is a pattern
that repeats in history. Encourage trade, shared
ideas, technology, and customs. May bring peace
to people living there.
The one who rules an empire is called an
EMPEROR.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
The Akkadian Empire:
Sargon’s empire was called Akkadian Empire
Ruled over lands that stretched in a curve from
Mediterranean Sea through Mesopotamia to the
Persian Gulf. This region is known as the Fertile
Crescent.
Fertile Crescent had rich soil great for farming.
Sargon’s conquest help spread Akkadian ideas
and ways of life. One important idea was the
Akkadian system of writing.
The Akkadian empire lasted for around 200 years.
It fell apart due to attacks from outside people,
and fights among city-states within the empire.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
The Babylonian Empire:
About 2000 B.C. the Amorites began to invade and take
control of the city-states of Sumer.
Chose city of Babylon, located on Euphrates River, as capital.
from 1792 to 1750 B.C. a powerful Amorite king named
Hammurabi ruled the Babylonian Empire.
Hammurabi’s empire soon stretched across Mesopotamia
and other parts of the Fertile Crescent.
Hammurabi used governors to help him control the lands.
Sent out people to collect tax money and appointed judges to
help keep order.
Hammurabi watched over agriculture, irrigation, trade, and
construction of buildings.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Hammurabi’s Law Code:
Due to different people with different ideas, and
ways of life Hammurabi needed a set of rules that
all his people could obey.
Created a code of laws to help control the empire.
A Code of Law is a set of written rules for people
to obey.
Sent out people to collect existing rules. After
looking over these rules he put together a single
code of law.
The code was written in cuneiform and displayed
on huge pillars near a temple.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Justice for all:
Goal of code was to bring justice (fair treatment of
people, to the people.)
Identified acts of wrongdoing. Code gave rights to
people living in the land.
Women and children had rights. (Not the case in
most ancient cultures)
Punishments were different for each social class.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Hammurabi’s Legacy:
Code established (created) the idea that
government should provide protection and justice
for the people.
Hammurabi wanted to change the belief in
personal revenge as a way of solving problems.
Hammurabi’s Code set out the belief that society
should be run by the rule of law. Meaning the law
applied to all in society, not just a few.
Laws placed on pillars for all to see, suggesting
that everyone has a right to know the laws and
punishments for breaking them.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015