The Hammurabi reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Hammurabi

Hammurabi (or Hammu-rapi) was the sixth king of Babylon. Being also king of Sumer and Akkad, he was the first king of the Babylonian Empire.

Hammurabi reigned over Babylon and the Babylonian Empire from 1792 BC to 1750 BC. Hammurabi expanded Babylon by first conquering cities towards the south before his conquest expanded to cover most parts of Mesopotamia.

He is perhaps best known for establishing civilization through his code of laws, the Code of Hammurabi.

Hammurabi did other things in order to make Babylon a better place, such as helping to improve the irrigation process.

Hammurabi ruled until his death. Thereafter, the Babylonian Empire collapsed due to the Hittites, led by Mursilis, raiding. Soon after the attack, the Kassites, led by their king Agumkakrine, took over. Although there were many rebellious cities, the Kassites ruled for 400 years, and respected the Code of Hammurabi.

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