The Old Babylonian Kingdom
When invaders destroyed Ur.The Sumerian civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley came to an end. This was about 1960 B.C. and for almost 200 years there was no strong government in the Fertile Crescent. Prices rose and the ordinary people who were farmers suffered the most. Merchants were able to make great fortunes because there were no government controls on prices or interest rates. The Old Babylonian Kingdom was established about 1760 B.C. by a king named Hammurabi.
Rulur
Hammurabi conquered the lower end of the Tigris_Euphrates Valley and named Babylon as his capital. Under his leadership the Old Babylonian Kingdom rose to greatness. After his death invaders brought the kingdom to and end
Religion
Much of the Sumerian culture had been adopted by the Babylonians especially their religious customs. The gods and goddesses whom the Sumerians Worshiped were given new names by the Babylonians. For example the Sumerian goddess of love and war Innana was called Ishtar. The people in the Old Babylonian Kingdom believed that everything was controlled by a god or goddess. They worshiped thousands of deities. The chief god of the Babylonians was Marduk. Hammurabi claimed that he was Marduk's chief representative on earth and that he ruled because Marduk wanted him to rule. He also claimed that he received guidance from Marduk.Hammurabi believed he did not have to answer to anyone except Marduk for his actions. The idea of ruling with the special approval of the county's god is called the Divine Right of Kings. This means kings have the right to do anything they want because they are the chosen Representative of the gods or God. We will come across this idea many times during the course of Hammurabi was the religious authority as well as the political authority in his kingdom. The Babylonians also copied the Sumerian customs of naming the stars after the gods and goddesses and trying to foretell the future by studying the stars. When important decisions had to be be made soothsayer examined the inner organs of freshly killed animals to tell the future. Believing there were demons everywhere who could gain control of people the Babylonians tried to cs them out with special chants and magic charms.
Government
By declaring himself the representative of Marduk Hammurabi was able to gain the support of the people he governed. After getting their support of the people he brought order to the war-torn area and improved their living conditions. One of Hammurabi's first acts was to bring the merchants under government control. They were not allowed to charge more than twenty percent interest on loans. He helped trade by building a highway system throughout his kingdom and was the first ruler in history to set up a postal system. The major function of this system was to keep Hammurabi informed about events in all areas of his kingdom. The events in all areas of his kingdom. The postal system also helped the merchants conduct business throughout the country. Hammurabi did not forget the farmers who had suffered great hardships during the years of warfare. An elaborate network of irrigation canals was built to provide water for land not previously farmed. Every city in Hammurabi's kingdom had individual laws. In many areas the government was not responsible for enforcing laws and there were no policemen. If someone was injured by another person the matter was settled by feuding and revengeful actions. This was known as "law by vengeance." Nobody was satisfied to let a quarrel die and the feuds became bitter. The influential people however could do whatever they chose because nobody had the power to punish them
Code of Hammurabi
King Hammurabi's most valuable contribution to world history is the set of laws he wrote. Hammurabi had his scribes travel throughout the kingdom collecting laws. His advisers helped him decide which were the best laws to keep and what new laws to add. When they finished they had a set of some 300 laws controlling every aspect of life. These laws called the Code of Hammurabi were carved on a large stone pillar so everyone could read them. This system of law brought order and unity to the Old Babylonian Kingdom. When we compare the Code of Hammurabi to our modern laws it seems very rough and cruel. It is important however to realize that even harsh laws were better than the lawlessness that had existed. One of the most important regulations introduced by this code was that even the king had to obey the laws. This put limits on how the king could treat people and gave them the right to complain if he acted unfairly.
Social class system
Under the Code of Hammurabi every person was "frozen" in his social class. If your father was a farmer or a merchant you would have to be a farmer or a merchant. Nobody except the slaves could ever change social position. When people were captured in war and enslaved they were allowed to own property and to buy their freedom. A person who became a slave to pay a debt had to serve three years before being freed. The main principle behind this code was that on "an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth." This means if someone harmed a person he had to suffer the same injury in return. There were also degrees of punishment according to social position. If someone in the lower classes harmed a person in the upper classes his punishment would be greater than if he had harmed someone in his own class. But if a person in and upper class committed a crime his punishment would be greater than if he belonged to the lower classes. The upper classes were expected to have more respect for the law and to set a good example for the rest of the people.
The role of the women
Women were given rights under Hammurabi's code. They were allowed to won property and engage in business. There are records proving that women hired for jobs usually performed by men were given equal pay. A woman was given a contract when she married and she was protected by the terms of this contract against abuse from her husband. She usually brought a sum of money called a dowry to her husband. The terms of her contract usually depended on the size of the dowry. If she did not have a dowry she often was treated as a slave.
Economics
The Code of Hammurabi provided for every man in the kingdom to serve in the army work on public projects or pay a fine. It set basic prices for doctors and other specialists so they could not overcharge there customers. If someone's farmland was destroyed by a flood he was given an extra year to pay his debts.
The Fall of Old Babylon
Under Hammurabi the Old Babylonian Kingdom prospered for forty-two years. Trade became a very important profession and contacts were made with civilizations all over the known world. Goods poured into Babylon and the kingdom prospered. When Hammurabi died his heirs were unable to protect the kingdom from invasion. In 1600 B.c. a mountain tribe know as the Hittites captured Babylon. A short time later another tribe conquered the rest of the Old Babylonian Kingdom. The history of Mesopotamia then shifted to the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. But as we will see the city of Babylon again became the center of a great empire controlling more territory than Hammurabi ever dreamed of ruling.