Amorites
Topic: Bronze Age Civilisations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Writing and City Life"
Meaning
The Amorites were herding people from the western desert. Like other nomads (people who move with their flocks), they kept drifting into Mesopotamia as herders, harvest workers and hired soldiers. Some grew rich and set up their own ruling families. NCERT sees this mixing of herders and city people as a source of Mesopotamia's strength.
Example
The kings of Mari, a royal capital on the Euphrates that flourished after 2000 BCE, were Amorites. Their dress was different from that of the older inhabitants. They respected Mesopotamia's gods but also built a temple at Mari to Dagan, god of the steppe (dry grassland). Zimrilim's palace at Mari (1810–1760 BCE) had 260 rooms.
Don't confuse with
- Akkadians, Assyrians, Aramaeans: other groups who also came in and founded ruling houses. Each was a separate people.