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How did Hammurabi turn Babylon into the capital of a large kingdom?
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Babylon
A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate at the ruins of Babylon, near modern Al-Ḥillah, Iraq.
Hammurabi transformed Babylon from a small city-state into the capital of a vast territorial kingdom through a combination of military conquest, strategic diplomacy, and administrative consolidation.123
His rise to power involved several key actions:
- Military Expansion: Hammurabi engaged in continuous warfare to expand his influence. He successfully conquered surrounding city-states, including Uruk and Isin, and eventually defeated major regional rivals such as Larsa, Mari, and Eshnunna.1
- Strategic Use of Water: A critical element of his military success was his control over the Euphrates waters. He frequently used the tactic of damming watercourses to either create devastating floods or withhold essential resources from his enemies, effectively forcing their surrender.1
- Diplomatic Coalitions: During the earlier years of his reign, Hammurabi navigated a complex landscape of shifting alliances among major kingdoms like Mari, Ashur, and Eshnunna, using periods of stalemate to fortify his borders.1
- Administrative Consolidation: Hammurabi personally oversaw the administration of his realm, implementing changes to unify the diverse territories under his rule and promulgating his famous Code of Hammurabi to establish justice.14
These efforts shifted the center of Mesopotamian history from the south to the north, establishing Babylon as a major commercial and administrative hub.123