An Empire Begins To Exist

Hammurabi did not aim to conquer the kingdom after he had secured its internal structure and strengthened its fortifications, but difficulties occurred when hostile nations attacked. After the Elamites attacked Mesopotamia's central plains, Hammurabi formed an alliance with Larsa, but he was betrayed, which infuriated him. He then went on to conquer Larsa and the Elamites. He also linked himself with the Mari kingdom, but the partnership failed owing to a lack of trust, and Hammurabi eventually destroyed the country. Mari never really recovered from this setback, and the city was forgotten.

Up to the time of its sixth Amorite king, Hammurabi, who ruled from 1792-1750 BC, Babylon remained a little town in a small state. He oversaw significant construction projects in Babylon, transforming it from a tiny hamlet into a big city fit for a king. He created a bureaucracy, taxation, and centralized governance. He was an extremely effective leader. Hammurabi completely expelled the Elamites from southern Mesopotamia and freed Babylon from Elamite rule. The cities of Isin, Larsa, Eshnunna, Kish, Lagash, Nippur, Borsippa, Ur, Uruk, Umma, Adab, Sippar, Rapiqum, and Eridu were among those he systematically conquered later. His conquests brought stability after periods of unrest and united the patchwork of local nations into one country; it was only under Hammurabi's reign that southern Mesopotamia was given the name Babylonia.

Most kingdoms did not perceive Babylon as a danger. It was a small country, and after inheriting the throne, Hammurabi appeared to prioritize his subjects' well-being over conflict. As a result, when Hammurabi eventually made his move, the neighboring kingdoms were taken off guard, which allowed Hammurabi to slowly but surely conquer them and progressively expand his country into the vast Babylonian Empire.