THE 6 MOST IMPORTANT RULERS OF MESOPOTAMIA - HISTORY - 2025

Some of the rulers of Mesopotamia who have most stood out in the history of this region for their achievements and events in which they were protagonists are Gilgameš, Sargon I of Acadia, Naram-Sin and Hammurabi.

An ancient civilization from the Far East is known as Mesopotamia, famous for being, together with Ancient Egypt, the first civilization of humanity. Mesopotamia is recognized as the first recorded city-state with rulers in history.

Hanging gardens of Mesopotamia.

Located in present-day Iraq, it was bounded by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which contributed significantly to the development of activities such as agriculture.

Numerous inventions, such as the wheel, writing, law, numbering systems, and important concepts in mathematics, architecture, and astronomy were devised by the Mesopotamian civilization, which is why it is usually considered the cradle of human knowledge.

His government had a hierarchical structure where the King was the highest authority figure. During its history, Mesopotamia had several ruling Kings. The most important were:

Gilgameš (2,650 BC)

He was the fifth King of the city of Uruk. His mandate predated the founding of the First Empire in Mesopotamia.

He was considered a demi-god, and numerous myths and legends were created around him, including The Epic of Gilgameš, considered the world's first literary work.

Sargon I of Acadia (2,335 - 2,279 BC)

Also known as Sargon I The Great, he was Founder and King of the First Empire in human history, the Akkadian Empire.

Unifying the cities of Mesopotamia under a single mandate, his dynasty ruled for 5 generations until the death of his great-grandson Sharkalisharri in 2,198 BC.

Naram-Sin (2,254 - 2,279 BC)

During his reign the Akkadian Empire reached its highest peak, completely conquering the Mesopotamian territories, extending beyond Syria and the Persian Gulf.

In his heyday, Naram-Sin proclaimed himself "King of the four quarters of the universe" by ordering the famous stele of victory to be built in his honor, which showed him crushing the corpses of his enemies.

He was the first ruler of Mesopotamia to consider himself a God.

Hammurabi (1,792 - 1,752 BC)

Sixth king of Babylon during the First Babylonian Dynasty, created the First Babylonian Empire.

He was also the creator of the Code of Hammurabi, considered the first code of laws in history. It established laws for everyday items, such as wages, prices, and court penalties.

It is a stele of more than 2 meters high with almost 300 estates, it is currently preserved in the Louvre museum.

Nebuchadnezzar II (654 - 562 BC)

Perhaps the best known of the rulers of Mesopotamia given its mention in the Bible, specifically in the book of Daniel.

He was responsible for the conquest of Jerusalem and during his tenure the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built, one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.

Xerxes I (519 - 465 BC)

Also known as Xerxes the Great, he was the fifth King of the Persian Empire. His name, Jshāyār shāh, means "Governor of Heroes."

Xerxes was involved in the second Medical War, which resulted in the conquest of Athens by the Persians.

References

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3. History and Civilization Collection. (2017). History of the Babylonian Empire. United States: Editions Le Mono.
4. TimeMaps. (2014). History of Ancient Mesopotamia. 2017, from TimeMaps Website: History of Ancient Mesopotamia.
5. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2004). List of Rulers of Mesopotamia. 2017, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Website: List of Rulers of Mesopotamia.
6. Robert Garland. (2017). Athens Burning: The Persian Invasion of Greece and the Evacuation of Attica. United States: JHU Press.
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