Sep 30, · Hammurabi and His Code Hammurabi. Words: Length: 4 Pages Topic: Business - Law Paper #: One of the largest sections of Hammurabi's Code focuses on the family and the best ways that a family can protect and maintain itself Jun 20, · Satisfactory Essays. Code Of Hammurabi Essay. Words. 2 Pages. Code Of Hammurabi Essay. The Hammurabi's Code First of all; Hammurabi was a Mesopotamian king who recorded a system of laws called the Code of Hammurabi. Code of Hammurabi is a set of rules and penalties devised by the Babylonian King, Hammurabi Apr 15, · Hammurabi's Law Code Essay Example. Toward the end of the third millennium BCE, drastic changes in the climate enacted a chain of social changes in many Southwest Asian societies. Among these social changes was the emergence of a new kingdom in Mesopotamia. Hammurabi was among the rulers of this kingdom from circa BCE to BCE (Green
Hammurabi's Law Code Essay Example
Babylon is a town located along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Between BC, it was ruled by King Hammurabi, the sixth ruler commonly named as a great lawgiver. During his reign, there was a considerable growth of the kingdom, which transformed from a city-state into an empire. Hammurabi was often described as a conqueror owing to his success in acquiring cities and states and governing them, hammurabi code essay. He was referred to as the builder of the land. As Brondou states, it is through his ambitions that Hammurabi managed to integrate the fertile lands of Mesopotamia into own empire. Moreover, using alliances and military force, he succeeded in gaining the cities, lands together with their constitutions that prompted the conception of universal Code that would be used to effectively rule the kingdom.
Hammurabi was famous not only hammurabi code essay his military conquests but also for hammurabi code essay the sets of judgment, a symbol of civilisation hammurabi code essay Mesopotamia. It was a comprehensive set of laws that provided a reflection of the Babylonian society as a whole. The Code is a sum of written rules that give the guidelines for business interactions and prescribe fines and penalties in order for the justice of the common people and slaves to prevail. Nowadays, hammurabi code essay, the Code is specifically praised for giving details about that time and the life of the Babylonians during the rule of Hammurabi. The Code is the first written law in history, created in Akkadian, a language spoken in Babylonia.
It was chosen for being well-known, recognisable, and relatively easy, hammurabi code essay, which contributed to making people aware of what is required to be done by them as per law. The rules played a significant hammurabi code essay in providing the information concerning the society, the history of the time, economy, and religion. It ensured the formation of a stable nation since the Code was written, easily accessible and understood, which guaranteed consistency in the application. Finally, the Code is unique since it addresses the issues relating to women who were often ignored by other ancient laws. It was inscribed as cuineiform writing on eight black foot stone stele and clay tablets. The knowledge about the Code was hammurabi code essay only after years upon its emergence because it had been stolen by Elamite invaders and later recovered by an archaeologist of French origin Jean-Vincent Scheil in Iran in The King of Elamites, Shutruk-Nahunte, managed to erase some parts from the inscription in order to include his own statutes.
It was first erected in an ancient Babylonian town, but today it is displayed publicly as a monument in Louvre Museum in Paris. It helped protect the weak from subjugation through shedding light on the Bible, hammurabi code essay, the history of laws, cultural heritage, and the life of the Babylonians. Moreover, it stipulates the amount of minimum wage to be paid to different people in the society such as doctors, slaves, and soldiers. Another part of the code gives provisions regarding the liability in agency contracts, which was common given the economic activities of the people.
Therefore, it was paramount for the people to exercise due care in executing their daily duties. The rules mostly concerned the economic life of the Babylonians. The Code governed the duties, rights, and responsibilities of farmers and slaves who were required to plough their plot of land and ensure that canals are appropriately cleaned and repaired. Hammurabi code essay asserts that negligence on the part of tenants led to liability claims that required compensation for damaged crops. Such a wrongdoing resulted in the farmer being sold into slavery.
Substandard work was hammurabi code essay punished. Obviously, hammurabi code essay, the state had to govern this aspect to ensure the appropriate treatment of slaves, who were also considered as the property of their masters. The Code was used to institutionalise humane attitude to them to prevent unfair dealings. Since owning them was a thriving business in the time, the loss of people was hammurabi code essay according to the Code of Hammurabi. A third of the code addressed matters connected with family relationships, hammurabi code essay, ranging from marriage, hammurabi code essay, having children, sexual behaviour to divorce, inheritance, incest, and paternity.
Fathers were hammurabi code essay the head of the family. They had legal and customary rights over their children and, thus, could provide the debtors with child labour services or even sell the kids as slaves. Divorce procedure involved a fee and, consequently, was more attainable to a husband rather than a wife. Incest and adultery committed by the wife were punished by death. These measures helped regulate morality and maintain social order. According to Jegen, of significant importance is the kind of punishment suggested by the Code with regard to criminal law. If the representative of the elite class committed a crime against a person with a low social standing, the former was required to pay a certain fee to settle the claims.
However, hammurabi code essay, if the contrary happened, the harsher punishment was instituted. Under the system, about 28 crimes that implied death as a penalty are explicitly mentioned, hammurabi code essay. They include adultery, witchcraft, and robbery among others, hammurabi code essay. The punishment frequently did not commensurate hammurabi code essay the magnitude of the crime. Thus, a judge who reached an erroneous decision hammurabi code essay to own negligence is bound to be permanently removed from the bench and fined accordingly. According to the Code, a person is innocent until proven guilty, and the burden of proofing lies solely on the accuser. A failure to provide reasonable evidence against the accused is a capital offence punishable by death.
Therefore, such a provision forestalled people from making malicious claims against their adversaries. Consequently, peace and harmonious co-existence prevailed contributing to the stability of the society. The Code shaped the ways the communities functioned. First, it impacted people in terms of religion. The Code uses the latter to influence people and encourage the wide application of the written laws since they were founded on hammurabi code essay grounds. Such an approach affected many aspects of the society, especially politics. Therefore, such an image in eyes of the subordinated made people fear Hammurabi and assisted in enforcing the laws, increasing the territories, hammurabi code essay, and justifying the Code.
Second, the retaliatory justice instituting harsh punishment, which were stipulated in the laws, provided a clear boundary of limits, a comprehensive moral structure, and understanding of the hammurabi code essay, should the laws be violated. The morals of the society were enhanced by the severe punishments that deterred such intolerable acts as murder, incest, infidelity, and theft. This strict regulation emerged hammurabi code essay lawlessness prevailed and there was no clear structure of handling offences. Everyone became aware of what should or should not be done and why something was prohibited worldwide.
The Code negatively impacted the society because these harsh rules instigated fear and led to a further class distinction. Punishments for the elite and lower class were disproportionate: those for the elite were not heavy while the poor were unable to avoid a severe penalty. Moreover, if the case involved the conflict of elite versus elite, equal punishment was given. The difference in the magnitude of punishment between the social classes resulted in the uneven power balance. There existed the idea that some people had an express right and authority to overstep the laws by virtue of their social status, which is wrong. Everything worked in favour of the elite because they were literate, powerful, hammurabi code essay, and, thus, privileged to manipulate circumstances, hammurabi code essay, and interpret the laws at own advantage.
Consequently, the poor are subjugated, which led to further widening of the gap between the rich and the poor. This class distinction set an unreachable limit to move up the social ladder, and the poor remained poor. However, it is argued that the fee that the elite had to pay to the poor for the crime committed cushioned the disadvantaged economically. On the other hand, when the latter made a misdemeanor and had no money to pay, they served the elite to be exonerated from their wrongdoing, hammurabi code essay. It was a way of offering protection to all classes in the society, specifically the poor and the marginalised such as widows and orphans, from exploitation.
The Code defended everyone equally despite the severity of some punishments. The impact of the Code on the lives of women is obvious, hammurabi code essay. Patriarchal authority in the culture of the Babylonians in matters of marriage, family relationship, and settling debt was emphasised. Moreover, women were categorised as the property and given the same title as the one the slaves had. It is evident from the sale of children or wife in case a man failed to meet debt claims. Despite women being considered property, hammurabi code essay, they were protected from abuse and restriction placed on dowry use.
The females knew how to initiate divorce procedures and obtain legal protection from the authority of men. Women could not own property or a business but could inherit them after the husband dies. Hence, they were allowed to transact businesses after inheritance. In case a woman is accused of adultery and found innocent, she was required to leave her husband and take her dowry along with her. The Code was an instrument to regulate morality and maintain social order. The government had jurisdiction to regulate immoral behaviour or enforce laws relating to such crimes as adultery and incest through intervening in private family matters. Punishment for these crimes was particularly harsh for women.
They were excommunicated from the society and left with the dowry returned to them. It fostered faithfulness, which is the foundation any functional relationship. Besides, in such a way, fewer children were born out of wedlock. In addition, through punishing serious crimes by death, the king managed to make people attach great value to life. The penalties differed depending on the social status and gender disposition of a person. Thus, hammurabi code essay, decision to steal, murder, damage property or insubordination had prohibitive consequences and were addressed accordingly. The governing bodies or individuals created the Code to regulate the communities, prevent anarchy, and ensure that there is room for just and fair dealings. It was done with an aim of guaranteeing equality within the specified jurisdiction and avoiding conflicts of interest between different factions of the society.
This set of laws put an emphasis on the value of life and helped positively influence the understanding of the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of the life. Fostering respect for human rights, the Code enabled the society to function efficiently and provided safeguards to a peaceful co-existence. Order now. Why Us How It Works Our prices Our Discounts Free essays Contacts. Live chat. Hurry up! ORDER NOW. Lifetime Discounts. for more than.
Hammurabi's Code Explained: World History Review
, time: 5:21The Code of Hammurabi - Words | Essay Example
Sep 30, · Hammurabi and His Code Hammurabi. Words: Length: 4 Pages Topic: Business - Law Paper #: One of the largest sections of Hammurabi's Code focuses on the family and the best ways that a family can protect and maintain itself Hammurabi's Law Code Essay. Words3 Pages. This primary resource was created sometime between and B.C.E., a time in Mesopotamia where King Hammurabi of Babylon conquered the entire area. Babylonians were Indo Europeans who were known as Battle Axe people who were not literate as first, but soon discover some source of literature over time Hammurabi’s Code Essay Sample. Babylon is a town located along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Between BC, it was ruled by King Hammurabi, the sixth ruler commonly named as a great lawgiver. During his reign, there was a considerable growth of the kingdom, which transformed from a city-state into an empire
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