THE AKKADIAN EMPIRE

SARGON I
Akkadian Empire
Akkadians

• It was around 2400 B.C. when the Sumerians began to lose power, as
a result of which other civilizations began to form in Mesopotamia
with new conquering peoples moving into this area.
• The constant wars between the Sumerian city states had depleted
(azaltmak, tüketmek) man-power and made them economically weak.
• In about 2300 B.C. a leader from northern Mesopotamia called
Sargon I began moving south with his armies conquering Sumerian
city states one after the other. Sargon made the city of Akkad his
capital city, hence the center of his empire.
Akkadians
• Sargon I then united the
conquered city states with Akkad
and became king of Sumer and
Akkad. This was the first empire
to be created in history (different
states under the rule of one
ruler), and Sargon I ruled as the
king for 56 years.
• Picture: Akkadian soldiers killing
their enemies around 2300 BCE.
Akkad and Sumer
• In time, Sargon I extended his
empire to include the whole of
Mesopotamia, from the
Mediterranean in the west to the
Persian Gulf in the east.
• During the rule of Sargon I,
Akkadian became the official
language of the empire and the
Sumerian language became the
religious language, as the Akkadians
continued to worship Sumer gods.
Akkad & Sumer: Akkadian Goddess Ishtar,
also known as Sumerian goddess Innana
Akkad and Sumer
• They also continued using the
Sumerian cuneiform to write their
own language.
• Akkadians depended on agriculture
and grew wheat, in the fertile lands
abundant (bol) in water and wheat,
but later barley in the southern
lands which had less water sources.
• Nomadic herdsman raised sheep
and cattle to produce milk, cheese
and wool.
Akkad and Sumer
• For the Akkadians crops were
important as food, for trade and
for population growth. The
population of the northern and
southern crop growing regions
(modern day Iraq) had
considerably grown.
• The Akkadians had built
fortresses around these
agricultural areas to protect
them.
Akkad and Sumer
• Towards the end of his rule the
city states rebelled against
Sargon I and even in his old age
he crushed his enemies and held
his empire together. There were
other rebellions against Sargon,
but all were crushed by him even
in his old age.
• After his 56-year rule, around
2250 B.C. Sargon I died.
Akkad and Sumer
• After Sargon’s death his sons ruled
the empire. His son Rimush took
over from his father and spent
most of his time fighting against
rebels. He ruled for 9 years before
being assasinated.
• After his death his brother
Manishtu ruled for 15 years and
spent his time crushing rebellions.
He was also assasinated.
Akkad and Sumer
• During the last years of Sargon
the empire was affected by a
severe drought (kuraklık), which
came as a result of climate
change, and lasted for a very
long time.
• Food production dropped, trade
was badly affected and the
populations in cities began to
migrate.
Akkad and Sumer
• Lack of food, disappearing trade,
migration from the cities and
violent conflicts left the cities of
the region, which represented
the highest civilisation, in ruins.
• All these developments led to
the gradual decline of civilization
and the end of the empire.
What followed was the dark
ages.