Old Babylonian Empire

The Old Babylonian Empire grew from an Amorite dynasty established at the city of Babylon around 1894 BCE. For its first century Babylon was a minor power among many competing Mesopotamian states, but under its sixth and most famous king, Hammurabi (reigned c.

1792–1750 BCE), it rose to dominate the region. Through a combination of diplomacy, shifting alliances, and decisive military campaigns, Hammurabi defeated rivals such as Larsa, Eshnunna, and Mari to unite most of Mesopotamia under Babylonian rule. He is best remembered for the Code of Hammurabi, one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes, inscribed on a basalt stele and famous for its principle of proportional retribution. The code regulated commerce, property, family law, and social hierarchy, and reflected a sophisticated administrative state. Under Hammurabi and his successors Babylon became a major cultural and religious centre, elevating its patron god Marduk and fostering achievements in mathematics, astronomy, and literature that would influence the region for centuries. The empire weakened after Hammurabi's death as his son Samsu-iluna faced revolts and the loss of southern territories. The First Dynasty of Babylon was finally brought to an end around 1595 BCE when the Hittite king Mursili I raided and sacked the city. Although the empire itself was short-lived as a great power, Babylon's prestige as a centre of learning, law, and religion endured, and the city would rise again more than a thousand years later under the Neo-Babylonian kings.

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