WHAT WAS THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF MESOPOTAMIA LIKE? - HISTORY - 2025

The political and social organization of Mesopotamia was formed by a monarchy, with a king with the highest powers, who even considered themselves descendants of the gods. These were followed in the social structure by priests, scribes, merchants and slaves.

This civilization developed in the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in the region now occupied by Iraq, Kuwait, the eastern part of Syria, and southwestern Turkey. The name Mesopotamia literally means "between two rivers" in Greek.

Generally regarded as one of the cradles of civilization, Mesopotamia contained the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian Empires during the Bronze Age. During the Iron Age, the region was dominated by the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires.

The Neolithic Revolution took place in this region, which according to historians may have given rise to the main developments in the history of mankind, such as the invention of the wheel, the first cereal plantations and the invention of writing. mathematics, astronomy and agriculture.

It is also believed that the origins of philosophy can be found in Mesopotamia and its original wisdom, which was already based on certain ideas such as ethics, dialectics and proverbs. Mesopotamian thought was an important influence on Greek and Hellenistic philosophies.

Why was politics so important in Mesopotamia?

Due to its strategic location, Mesopotamia had a great impact on the political development of the region. Among the rivers and streams of the region, the Sumerians built the first cities that had irrigation systems.

Communication between the different cities, which were isolated from each other, was difficult and dangerous. Due to this, each Sumerian city became a city-state, independent from the others and protector of said autonomy.

Sometimes a city tried to conquer the others and unify the region, however those unifying efforts were unsuccessful for several centuries. As a result, the political history of the Sumerian empire is shaped by constant wars.

Finally the unification occurred with the establishment of the Acadian empire, which for the first time achieved the establishment of a monarchical regime beyond a generation and a peaceful succession of kings.

This empire, however, was short-lived and was conquered by the Babylonians in just a few generations.

Political - social organization - government structure

The most relevant figure in Mesopotamian politics was the king. Kings and queens were believed to be descended directly from the City of the Gods, although in contrast to Egyptian beliefs, kings were not regarded as true gods.

Some of the kings of Mesopotamia called themselves "king of the universe" or "the great king." Another name that they commonly used was that of "pastor", since the kings had to see for their people and guide them.

Kings of Mesopotamia like Sargon the Great, Gilgamesh, and Hammurabi were dictators who answered only to their gods. They had under their command a series of officers. The kingdom was inherited from generation to generation, following the male line of lineage.

The hierarchy, below the king, was supplemented by high priests, scribes, military men, merchants, commoners, and slaves.

Kings

The king served as the leader of the Mesopotamian political system. Full government, laws, rights and responsibilities were given to the king and his family. Similarly, the king led the army and the military forces.

Priests

After the king, the priests were the class that enjoyed the highest respect, rights, and wealth. Priests belonged to the upper classes of society, as religion played a central role in Mesopotamian culture.

The population approached the priests to solve any economic or health problem. Even the king considered the priests to be of great importance.

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The scribes also belonged to the upper class of Mesopotamia and were educated people who worked in different professions. They worked for the royal family and in the palace, as their skills and knowledge were valued. Intensive training was required to reach one of these positions.

Merchants

Merchants and craftsmen were respected individuals in Mesopotamian society. Many of them belonged to the upper class of the society and enjoyed a good economic position due to their businesses or possession of land. It was the merchants who created the calendar.

The commons belonged to the lower class within the political system of Mesopotamia and were mainly engaged in agriculture. They had no education, they had no wealth and no rights or privileges. Some of them owned their own homes.

Slaves

Slaves were at the base of the political and social hierarchy of Mesopotamia. They had no rights. They worked for others as merchants or even commoners.

Laws

The city-states of Mesopotamia created the first legal codes based on the decisions that the kings made, which were converted into legal precedents. Some vestiges of this practice are the Urukagina and Lipit Ishtar codes, which have been found in archaeological explorations.

However, the most famous code is that of Hammurabi, which is one of the oldest and best preserved systems of laws in history. Hammurabi codified more than 200 laws for Mesopotamia.

An analysis of the code shows that the rights of women were gradually reduced and the treatment of slaves became more severe.

The code was written on clay tablets and outlawed crimes such as murder, robbery, and assault. It also indicated that if someone murdered a scribe, they would be assigned the death penalty. Breathing air on the king was also a death penalty.

References

1. Mesopotamia political hierarchy. Taken from hierarchystructure.com.
2. Mesopotamia. Taken from en.wikipedia.org.
3. Mesopotamian government. Taken from factsanddetails.com.
4. Mesopotamia. Taken from ancient.eu.