Hammurabi

Essay by kingzalHigh School, 10th gradeA, January 2007

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Civilizations throughout history tend to rise because of a strong, firm leader who unifies his people. Hammurabi is one of these people. He came to power and stabilized his mother country which was previously torn by wars. He so effectively ruled his people, that the political and economical stature of his empire rivaled that of the untouched stable Egyptian empire. He established one of the first empires with an effective law code. He ruled and united his people by the use of fear and force. Both were effective in making a barbaric people more civilized.

All prominent leaders, for the most part, throughout history used military force to conquer their foes. Hamurabi is no different. Being sixth in the line of Amorite sheikhs ruling Babylon, Hammurabi took the throne in 1750 B.C. Hammurabi was not only a king but also a militarist. For twenty five years Hammurabi built up his military and allies preparing for major takeovers.

Hammurabi then conquered Larsa, which gave him control of most of southern and central Mesopotamia. Hammurabi then managed to take control of the western part of Mesopotamia, which the city-state Mari dominated. Hammurabi, knowing that he could not possibly defeat the northern city-state Assyria, instead defeated Eshnunna, which is right next to Assyria. In doing so he made Assyria give into Hammurabi's rule, buy surrounding the city-state from all around. He ruled much of the fertile crescent in between the Tigris and the Euphrates River.

Hammurabi made a code of laws called "the Code of Hammurabi". These codes of laws were etched in big stone pillars and put out over all of Mesopotamia for all to see. There is one major problem with this. If something would arise in the set of laws then Hammurabi wouldn't be able to change them. Since they...