CHAPTER 3 Section 2: “The Rise of Sumer”

The Big Idea The Sumerians developed the first civilization in Mesopotamia.

I. An Advanced Society The Sumerians developed the world’s first civilization. By 3000 BC, several hundred thousand Sumerians had settled in Mesopotamia, in a land they called Sumer.

II. The City-States of Sumer Most people in Sumer were farmers and lived in rural, or countryside, areas. The centers of Sumerian society were the urban, or city, areas. The basic political unit of Sumer was called a city-state. The amount of countryside controlled by each city-state depended on its military strength.

City-states often fought to gain more farmland. By 3500 BC, the city-state of Kish became very powerful. Over the next 1000 years, the city-states of Uruk and Ur fought for control. One of Uruk’s kings, Gilgamesh, became a famous figure in Sumerian history.

III. Rise of the Akkadian Empire Another society developed along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It was created by the Akkadians and was located just north of Sumer. The Akkadians and the Sumerians lived in peace for many years until Sargon sought to extend Akkadian territory. He was the first ruler to have a permanent army, which he used to launch a series of wars on neighboring kingdoms.

Sargon’s soldiers defeated all the city-states of Sumer and northern Mesopotamia. Because he had control of the entire region during his reign, he established the first empire. The Akkadian Empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. After Sargon’s death, his empire lasted only a century. Eventually, the city-state of Ur rebuilt its strength and conquered the rest of Mesopotamia.

IV. Religion Shapes Society Religion was very important in Sumerian society. It was the basis for all in Sumerian society.

VI. Sumerian Religion Sumerians practiced polytheism, the worship of many gods. Each city-state considered one god to be its special protector. The Sumerians believed that their gods had tremendous power and that success in every of life depended on pleasing the gods. To gain the favor of the gods, people relied on them.

VII. Sumerian Social Order Priests occupied a high level in Sumer’s social order. Above the priests, were the kings, who claimed they had been chosen by the gods to rule. Below the priests were the craftspeople, merchants, and traders. Trade greatly impacted Sumerian society. Traders exchanged grains for gold, silver, copper, lumber, and precious stones.

Below the traders, farmers and laborers made up the large working class. Slaves were at the bottom of the social order.

VII. Men and Women in Sumer Men, in Sumerian society held political power and made laws. Women took care of the home and children. Education was usually reserved for men, but some upper-class women were educated as well. Those women who were educated, often worked as priestesses in Sumer’s temples. The daughter or Sargon, Enheduanna, was the first known female writer in history.