AP WORLD

Change Over Time Writing assignment:

From 5,000 BCE to 600 BCE, the politics of Mesopotamia shifted from a religiously-led nation, to a secular nation due to the replacement of hunting and gathering for food, with agriculture. In 5,000 BCE, Mesopotamia was settled by the Sumerians, who built the main framework for the Mesopotamian Civilization. Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, which is what made it an excellent place for growing crops. This change in lifestyle sparked the development of the first modern government system. Temples were located in the center of each city. Temples housed the deities who watched over their citizens. Priests made up the most powerful political force in the City. They tended to the shrine and managed the wealth of the deities, to whom citizens were expected to make contributions. By 4,000 BCE, farming had become the main industry of the Nation. Farmers used plows to turn the Earth. Families formed rural farming communities outside the main city. These villages were expected to grow a surplus for the citizens of larger cities. Since urban dwellers had a surplus of time and food, they devoted their days to other trades, such as metallurgy. In 3,000 BCE, the first kings emerged. The king was called “lugal”, meaning “big man.” Unlike Priesthood, the position of lugal was not necessarily hereditary, however, honorable sons were allowed to succeed their fathers. This was probably the origin of the monarchy. The Palace gradually succeed the Temple as the “central office” of the government, and by the end of 3,000 BCE, the Palace ruled over the Temple, supervising all of their religious practices. Many Kings claimed to be gods on Earth, however the more widely accepted version was that they were a representation of gods on Earth. Kings were responsible for overseeing the Temple, maintaining the city walls and defenses, supervising irrigation channels, and protecting the people. Thus, Mesopotamia became a more secular nation. In the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE, Hammurabi's Code emerged. Hammurabi, a Bablyonian ruler, revolutionized the political system of Mesopotamia. Hammurabi's Code was a set of rules that his subjects had to abide by. It also established punishments for people who violated it. By Hammurabi's time, there was a defined class system. The elite class was made up of priests, kings, and some merchants. The “middle class” was made up of farmers and artisans who were dependent on the king. The lower class was made up of primarily slaves, who served in domestic positions. Hammurabi's punishments extolled harsher punishments for the poor and more lenient ones for the elite class. Mesopotamia lived by Hammurabi's Code until its collapse in 539 BCE.