Akkadian empire
Also called: Akkad · Topic: Bronze Age Civilisations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 4 "Early Humans and Beginning of Civilisation"
Meaning
The Akkadian empire was a state centred on the city of Akkad in central Mesopotamia. The Class 9 textbook dates its rise to 2334 BCE and calls it the world's first dynastic empire, meaning power passed down within one ruling family. It brought the separate Sumerian city-states under one ruler. The Akkadians wrote their own language, Akkadian, in the same cuneiform (wedge-shaped) script as the Sumerians. The period is known for its creative literature. Akkadian outlasted the empire and stayed in use until Alexander's time.
Example
Sargon of Akkad founded the empire. His clay tablets record trade with three lands to the east: Dilmun (Bahrain), Magan (Oman) and Meluhha (generally identified with the Harappan region).
Don't confuse with
- Babylonian empire: a later empire, built by Hammurabi from 1792 BCE. The Akkadian empire came several centuries earlier.
- Dates: Class 11 dates Sargon c. 2370 BCE, while Class 9 dates the empire to 2334 BCE. Quote each textbook for its own date.