Rise and Fall of Sumer and the Akkadian empire

The Sumerian civilisation known as Sumer and the Akkadian Empire both started in the land of Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates. It's hard to say which was the first true civilisation in history, because many flourished around the world at roughly the same time, and they were almost always next to rivers or coastal areas. From the Egyptians along the Nile, to China next to the Yellow River, the Indus River Valley Civilisation, Noto Chico in coastal Peru, and a little later the Olmecs next to the Coatzacoalcos. These rivers provided fresh water, places to hunt and fish, and they often flooded the lands around them, depositing rich, fertile soil which was great for growing crops and other foods. Unlike the Nile or Indus Valley, the Tigris and Euphrates were difficult to navigate, and flooded unpredictably. This meant a lot of slaves were needed to constantly improve irrigation systems within Mesopotamia. They needed to create dams to hold back the floods. They put canals to channel river water to the fields, and built pools to store the water. With agriculture, the constant need to hunt and gather food was relinquished and trade arose. This eventually culminated into the first cities. People came closer together, food surpluses were created and gave rise to governments, organised religion and rulers who could supply protection with a military. The Sumerian Civilisation gave us the earliest archaeological records of writing in the form of cuneiform. Their writing was illustrated on clay tablets for record keeping, laws and literature. One of these was the Epic of Gilgamesh, a tale loosely based on the historical king Gilgamesh, who ruled the Sumerian city of Uruk. The epic poem is regarded as the earliest surviving great work of literature. They also pioneered the wheel, astronomy, the kiln, the plough, irrigation, bronze working and mathematics. In Sumer, cities were similar in culture, but were not united. These city-states were all independent and they each had their own protective deity. Often or not, a city-state could become a vassal of another, because they often fought for control and power. In these early cities, houses were clustered together, the streets were narrow and it was really crowded. There wasn't a plentiful source of timber in Mesopotamia, so these houses were typically made out of mud brick and baked in the sun to harden. It is estimated that around 5,000 to 50,000 people lived within a typical Sumer city-state. Roughly around 30 city-states are known to us today through archaeological evidence. The most active cities during Sumer were Ur, Uruk, Ligash, Nippur, Kish, Umur, Larsa, Iridu and Isin. Each city had a temple known as a ziggurat, and these were the centre of both religion and learning. Mesopotamia gods tended to be pretty mean and violent, much like the Tigris and Euphrates. Priests were seen as people who could please these gods and became important figures within the Sumerian world. However, the power of kings would soon replace them. In the 24th century BC, a man by the name of Lugal-Zagsi came to the throne of Umur and assumed the title of Ensi of Umur, a Sumerian word meaning Lord of the Lowland. He ascended to a period of endless warfare between his neighbouring city-states. Through determination and skill, he conquered his great rival city of Ligash, killing its king Uruk-Agina and forcing his rule upon the city. Each soldier had each other's backs, so the opponents couldn't get close enough to kill. Equipped with the long spear, a body-length shield and physical fitness, soldiers could quickly turn near end to victory. Lugal-Zagsi gradually brought together the surrounding city-states within Sumer through conquest and diplomacy, eventually making the city of Uruk his capital. He even moved his army to the important city of Kish, overthrowing its king Urzababa and brought all of Sumer under one rule. However, his reign was short-lived as a new foreign subjugator came to take his place. This foreigner was the Akkadian, Sargon of Akkad. Through long drawn-out battles, Sargon would usurp Lugal-Zagsi and be the first to hold the title Emperor. In the later Babylonian versions of Sargon's inscriptions, Sargon of Akkad is said to have captured Lugal-Zagsi after destroying the walls of Uruk. He then had a chain placed around his neck and was led through the holy city of Nippur to Enlil's temple, as a sign of his shame. By all accounts, Sargon of Akkad was a self-made man who came to unite all of Mesopotamia into one unified empire. Sargon was a person of non-Sumerian descent and is said to have been cup-bearer to the previous king of Kish, Urzababa. His heritage stemmed from Semitic nomads from the Arabian Peninsula, though it is important to note the term Semitic refers to a language group. The birth of Sargon is shrouded in mystery, as there are no valid sources that can ascertain to the reality of his background. However, there are many stories and accounts after his death. In one Moses-like legend, he is described as an illegitimate son of a priestess, who placed him in a basket and launched him down the Euphrates. A Sumerian gardener came across the basket and raised him as his own. Upon Sargon's victory over Lugal-Zagsi and his conquest of Uruk, he is said to have launched campaigns into Elam and Mari, stretching his empire from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. The Nippur inscriptions also talk of his army of 5,400 men, who were entertained and fed bread daily. After all his conquests, Sargon went about establishing a centralised government, forging official documents in both his native language Akkadian, as well as Sumerian. While he did allow accumulated cities to retain their original rulers, it was Akkadians who were placed in positions of high status and importance. His daughter was made the high priestess of the goddess Inanna, and the moon god Nanna. She was ordered to mix the gods of Akkadians and Sumerians as a way to merge the two cultures, into a whole united people. Sargon is said to have continued trade with the lands of Dilmun, Magan and Melua, and he founded a dynasty that would last many years after his death. Although many of the city-states Sargon had conquered were unhappy with their forced integration, and quickly revolted after his death. His sons fought off these rebellions throughout their reign, and both met their deaths with assassination. But the next king, Nar Masin, lived up to his grandfather's reputation, as he did manage to subdue these rebellions. He spent much of his life on military campaigns, and began to detail himself as a god. This may possibly have brought about the empire's destruction, because he died and his son failed to keep faith in the throne. The empire began to collapse as nomadic people known as the Gutians, raided and invaded from the Sargon mountains, sacking the capital city of Akkad, burning it to the ground, so much so that it has never been found. Sargon's contribution to the ancient world made him one of the most fascinating figures in history. The world's first leader of an empire, paving the way for all those after. Eventually the Gutians ruled as warlords for about a century, before the rise once again of the Sumerians, and the founding of the great Neo-Sumerian Empire. It was Utu-Hengal of Uruk who rose up against the Gutians and gained Sumerians their independence once again. But it was the next king, Ur-Nammu, who restored order completely and conquered outside the traditional Sumerian lands. However, the empire was short-lived, as a shadow of invasions rapidly spread. These invasions came from the Amorites and the Elamites, causing their empire to collapse into city-states once again. Out of these city-states, one largely irrelevant city would later grow and expand its influence. This city was Babylon.