A Major Power - Babylonia

One of the key facts about the ancient Mesopotamian civilization is the power of Babylonia. Hammurabi, the sixth ruler of Babylon's First Dynasty, oversaw enormous construction projects in the city, transforming it from a tiny village to a thriving metropolis. To expand his empire, Hammurabi embarked on a series of conquests. He plundered a number of towns and cities before defeating the major kingdoms to Babylon's north, east, and south. By the end of his reign, he had conquered all of southern Mesopotamia and a portion of Assyria. Hammurabi was an extremely effective ruler. He developed a bureaucracy with centralized government and taxation. Under Hammurabi, the First Dynasty of Babylon achieved its pinnacle in terms of land and power.

He is most known for the Code of Hammurabi, which was one of the first and most comprehensive legal codes ever written. Under Hammurabi's rule, Babylon became known as Babylon, and Babylon surpassed Nippur as the holy city of the region.