Hammurabi (r.c.1728-c.1686 BC)
Almost nothing is known about the early rulers of Babylon except that its fifth king Sin-muballit (r.c.1748-c.1728 BC) left to his son Hammurabi a comparatively small kingdom surrounded by the larger more powerful states of Larsa, Elam, Eshnunna and the kingdom of northern Mesopotamia.
During the early years of his reign Hammurabi seems to have devoted himself to the internal development of his state, mainly digging canals and fortifying cities. In his fifth year he captured Isin. In his sixth year he advanced along the Euphrates and captured Uruk. In his tenth year he campaigned east of the Tigris and captured Malgum. In his eleventh year he captured Rapiqum, upstream from Sippar.
In c.1701 BC Elam captured Eshnunna. The following year the Elam sent two armies into Mesopotamia. Hammurabi defeated the first army at Hiritum (unidentified), but Ekallatum, Shubat-Enlil and other towns of northeast Jazira were occupied. In his twenty-ninth year Hammurabi defeated a coalition of Elamites, Gutians, Eshnunnans and Assyrians. The following year Hammurabi attacked Larsa and overthrew Rim-Sin-I.
In his thirty-first year Hammurabi advanced along the Tigris to the frontier of Assyria. This was the end of Eshnunna. With the excuse that Zimri-Lim had not taken his side in his war against Eshnunna, Hammurabi captured Mari. Babylonian troops returned to Mari two years later and turned the great city into ruins.
Finally, in his thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh years Hammurabi defeated Assyria. There he stopped: Elam and Syria remained independent, they were stronger than in former times and to subdue them would have taken a greater force than Hammurabi was prepared (or perhaps was able) to mount.
Hammurabi’s Successors
When Hammurabi died his son Samsuiluna (r.c.1686-c.1648 BC) had to put down rebellions almost immediately. In his ninth year Rim-Sin II of Larsa (r.c.1678-c.1674 BC) led a revolt in the districts bordering Elam for about five years before he was captured and executed. In his twenty-ninth year he lost control of Nippur and by his thirty-eighth year the south was lost to the rising power of Iluma-Ilu (r.c.1668-c.1636 BC), king of ‘Sealand’ from the coastal marshes of southern Mesopotamia. Iluma-Ilu managed to fend off three attacks from Babylon during his reign; in the end the kings of Babylon were forced to acquiesce to his independence.
By the time Samsuiluna died the Babylonian Empire had been reduced to central Mesopotamia. During the reign of Abi-eshuh (r.c.1648-c.1620 BC) there were defensive campaigns against the Kassites from the mountains. Ammi-ditana (r.c.1620-c.1583 BC) repaired the walls of Babylon. Ammi-saduqa (r.c.1583-c.1562 BC) claimed that Babylonian power had been temporarily restored in Nippur.
In c.1531 BC the king of the Hittites, Mursili-I (r.c.1555-c.1525 BC) followed the Euphrates downstream with his army to the gates of Babylon. The city fell and the death of Samsuditana (r.c.1562-c.1531 BC) brought the Amorite Dynasty to an end. But, learning of political disturbances at home, Mursili-I withdrew his army and hurried back to his capital
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