Ancient Mesopotamian Government
The Mesopotamian government was ruled by a priest-king (Mesopotamia for Kids). The king was also assisted by the bureaucracy, which consisted of priests, and they basically helped to distribute crops and land as well (Ancient Mesopotamia). The king also had to lead the military, oversee the trades, judge people, and participate in the most important religious ceremonies (Mesopotamia for Kids). The Mesopotamian king also had to be a protector/guardian of the weak and helpless and also pay attention to what his cities’ patron gods needed (Mesopotamia: Law and Government).
The Code of Hammurabi applied to the three classes of people: the noblemen, the slaves, and the people that owned no land, so basically everyone (History Database Search) so in terms of rules there were no favorites, live by the rules or die basically. The Mesopotamian Laws and Codes of Hammurabi may be the oldest laws in the whole Earth (History For Kids). Then in the center of every major city there was a temple to the cities gold that is called a ziggurat (History For Kids). Sargon 1, king of the Semitic city of Akkad, was the first person to become an emperor of the Akkadian Empire (Sargon). Sargon 1 had also been able to create the first conscripted army as well (Priesthood Mesopotamia).
Although the Mesopotamians used their armies to fight other people they have fought with each other before. There was a civil war between the two cities Lagash and Umma which didn’t end well (A brief introduction to the Sumerians). Another great leader of the ancient Mesopotamians was King Nebuchadnezzar who took over the great city of Judah and destroyed the city of Jerusalem(Mesopotamia). In 539 B.C. Cyrus the Great had conquered the city of Babylon and he also set their captives free (Mesopotamia). The ancient Mesopotamian people believed that their laws were given to them by their gods, specifically Shamash their god of the Sun and Justice(Mesopotamia: Law and Government).
Ur-Namma was one of the great kings of Akkad and Sumer (A brief introduction to the Sumerians.
The ziggurat of Ur (Anunnaki)