Hammurabi was the sixth king of Babylon and the founder of the Babylonian Empire. He is best known for the “Hammurabi Code,” one of the earliest and most complete written legal codes in human history.

Hammurabi was born around 1810 BCE in Babylon, a city founded on the banks of the Euphrates River in what is now modern-day Iraq. His father, Sin-Muballit, was the fifth king of Babylon. The Babylonian people originally belonged to a nomadic group known as the Amorites, who migrated from the Syrian coasts to Babylon around the third millennium BCE. Over time, the Amorites grew in power and, by the late nineteenth century BCE, took control of the city.

During his reign, Sin-Muballit worked to develop and modernize Babylon. However, after losing a war against the southern Kingdom of Larsa and due to illness and old age, he abdicated the throne. As a result, Hammurabi ascended to the throne in 1794 BCE at the age of sixteen, one year before his father’s death in 1793 BCE.

Hammurabi was a highly skilled and cunning ruler with strong knowledge of both domestic and foreign policy. He first reinforced the city by raising the height of its defensive walls, restoring temples, and constructing magnificent new religious buildings, thereby gaining the support and loyalty of the people. While strengthening his army, he simultaneously approached the King of Larsa as an ally rather than an enemy. When the Elamites of Iranian origin invaded central Mesopotamia, Hammurabi persuaded the King of Larsa to join forces with him. Together they defeated the Elamites, significantly increasing Babylon’s regional influence.

By 1770 BCE, Hammurabi had conquered Sumer and Akkad, officially becoming the first king of the Babylonian Empire. He ruled for a total of forty-four years, until approximately 1750 BCE. At its height, the empire stretched between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, extending northward to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.

Throughout his reign, Hammurabi fought wars for nearly thirty years against neighboring powers such as Larsa, the Sumerian city-state of Mari, and Assyria. His empire expanded from the Persian Gulf to Diyarbakır, and from the Zagros Mountains to the western deserts. In 1759 BCE, he captured the Sumerian city-state of Mari, located at modern-day Tell Hariri in Syria.

Hammurabi established a centralized administrative system and formalized official correspondence. He introduced an early postal organization, originally developed in Iran, into his empire. Under his rule, Babylon also saw the creation of a police force and one of the earliest known municipal systems. The police were responsible for maintaining internal security, responding immediately to crimes or uprisings, and arresting offenders. These individuals were tried in courts and punished according to the 282 laws personally authored by Hammurabi, which were often severe in nature.

The municipal system established by Hammurabi closely resembled modern local governments. City mayors were appointed directly by the king, and municipalities were responsible for urban planning, maintenance, and sanitation. Through the postal system, the city was divided by neighborhoods, streets, and even house numbers, allowing mail to be delivered accurately. Archaeological evidence confirms that this level of urban organization was first implemented during Hammurabi’s reign.

During his rule, Hammurabi declared himself divine and proclaimed himself the “god of kings.” He established an absolute monarchy in which only males could inherit the throne. In this period, the Babylonian god Marduk rose to become one of the supreme deities of the Sumerian-Akkadian pantheon.

The legal decisions made by Hammurabi were compiled into what became known as the “Hammurabi Code.” These laws were inscribed in the Akkadian language on a stone stele erected in the Esagila Temple, dedicated to Babylon’s patron god Marduk. Hammurabi claimed that the laws were given to him by the sun god Shamash, making them divine commands rather than human decrees.

The Hammurabi Code was designed to ensure social order, public welfare, and justice. Compared to earlier Sumerian laws, these regulations were far stricter. At the same time, they placed the rights and obligations of citizens under legal protection. The code consisted of 282 articles engraved on stone pillars and clay tablets, all written in cuneiform script.

These inscriptions were rediscovered between 1901 and 1902 by French archaeologist Jean Vincent Scheil in Susa, Elam, and later transferred to the Louvre Museum in Paris. One of the clay tablet copies is currently exhibited at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

The stele itself stands approximately two and a half meters tall and depicts Hammurabi receiving the laws directly from the god Shamash.

Hammurabi died in 1750 BCE in Babylon at the age of sixty, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential lawgivers and empire builders of the ancient world.

Source: Biyografiler.com