Lecture Notes: Mesopotamian Civilization

Introduction

• Ancient region with alternating rulers
  • Inherited great civilizations
  • Fascinated both Eastern and Western worlds
• Contributions: Architecture, agricultural technology, script, science, and law
• Origin: The oldest civilization dating back to 5000 BC

Geography

• Mesopotamia: Greek for "between two rivers"
  • Located between Euphrates and Tigris rivers
  • Rivers provided fertile lands due to frequent flooding and silt deposits
  • Agriculture: Formation of agrarian society
  • Livestock: Grasslands around the area
  • Trade: Key trade routes linking Mediterranean, India, Central Asia, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea

Sumerian Civilization

• Timeframe: Began around 3000 BC
• Transformation: Changed swamps and forests to fertile areas
• Technologies and Innovations:
  • Controlled floods with forts, tunnels, and channels
  • Constructed reservoirs for irrigation during dry seasons
  • Trade: Developed trading networks to Anatolia, Lebanon, and India
  • Writing: Created cuneiform writing with 350 letters on clay plates
  • Number System: Developed sexagesimal system (base 60)
  • Invention of Wheel: Facilitated high mobility
• Religion: Polytheism; gods like Uruk (heaven), Nippur (earth), Eridu (water)
• Ziggurats: Tall temples for worship
• City-States: Ur, Uruk, and Kish; competitive power centers
• Sargon of Akkad:
  • Conquered and united Sumerian city-states
  • Formed the Akkadian Empire
  • Introduced dynastic and standardized measures
  • Set up tax systems and city governance

Akkadian Empire

• Timeframe: 2400 BC - 2200 BC
• Governance: Militaristic, feudal empire
• Culture: Assimilated Sumerian and developed Sumer-Akkadian culture
• Conflicts and Downfall: Collapsed due to tribal conflicts and attacks by Guti

Babylonian Empire (Old Babylonia)

• Founded by: Amorites around 1700 BC
• Notable King: Hammurabi
  • Fought Elamites for control
  • Known for Code of Hammurabi: 282 laws, including presumption of innocence

Assyrian Empire

• Timeline: 1200 BC onward
• Military state: Cities of Asshur and Niniveh
• King Assurbanipal: Developed a large library in Niniveh
• Downfall: Conquered by Chaldeans in 612 BC

New Babylonian Empire

• King Nebuchadnezzar: Rebuilt Babylon
  • Tower of Babel: 90m height
  • Hanging Gardens: Terraced artificial hill with gardens and waterfalls
• Downfall: Conquered by Persians in 539 BC

Persian Empire

• Key Rulers: Cyrus, Darius the Great
  • Expanded empire to India, Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor
  • Built extensive communication networks
• Darius I: Divided kingdom into provinces with satraps
• Fall: Conquered by Alexander the Great around 330 BC

Conclusion

• Legacy: Mesopotamian civilization greatly influenced modern culture
  • Contributions in science, technology, art, and governance.