The Sumerians
...em. Although the kings ruled the land, archeological discoveries reveal that “The people [Sumerians] believed that much of the land in each city-state belonged to one or more gods (Holt, 32).” Every city-state had a form of government and religion that was different from the other. Often, the cities battled each other for land and water. In each city-state, the ruler was responsible for maintaining the city walls and the irrigation systems. He also led armies in war and enforced the laws. As the government grew more complex, he employed scribes to carry out functions such as collecting taxes and keeping records. The ruler also had religious duties, he was seen as the chief servant of the gods and led ceremonies designed to appease them (Hooker). SOCIETY Each Sumerian society had a distinct system of ranks. “Kings, high priests, and nobles were at the top of the Sumerian society, followed by lower priests, merchants, and scholars. Below them were peasant farmers, then slaves who had been kidnapped from other regions or captured in war (Holt, 32).” The first level or the primary class consisted of kings, high priests and nobles who had lots of riches and owned properties. Though they occupied a small percentage of the population, they dominated over everyone. Merchants and scholars made up the second class. These people were able to flourish because of trading and bartering with other neighboring countries. At the base of society were the majority of people, who were peasant farmers. Rarely, some had their own land, but most worked on land belonging to the king or temples. Sumerians also owned slaves, who were captured in war. These slaves served their masters for life. The upper class people usually had voice in the government and they looked after the lives of the common people. They also treated the low class people badly, and granted them only a few rights. The low class people were not allowed to own property or set up a business on their own. They had to serve the upper class by working for them. The women had a little role in the society. They usually stayed home and looked after their children. The men dominated over the women and they decided on their children’s future. The upper class women or the queen, enjoyed power, and luxurious life, they lead better lives than the lower class women. Some women inherited property from their husband after his death, and they had some legal rights (Ms. Croft). Like most ancient people, the Sumerians were polytheists or worshipping many gods. The gods were in charge of the natural forces and individual lives. The Sumerians believed that the forces of nature (rain, wind, floods) were alive. The people couldn't explain these supernatural phenomena’s, so they believed that gods where the ones causing them. The people also believed that they were living on earth only to please the gods and to cherish them, they offered sacrifices. The Sumerian gods included Anu, the ruler of the gods; Enki, the god of earth; and Enlil, the god of the air, who separated heaven and earth. Enlil was the one who gave the Sumerians their knowledge of farming. The city-states had their own gods, and at the center of the city lay the ziggurat, a large temple, which was the home of that particular god. The priests took a major role because they knew the god’s will, and they had personal contacts with the gods. For example, if the city's god owned the land, the priests made decisions of how to run that land, and what the god wants the people to do (Richard Hooker). ECONOMY The Sumerian economy relied on trade and agriculture. To support agriculture, the farmers dug irrigation canals and dams. Irrigation allowed the crops such as wheat and barley to flourish in this region. Trade, another important element of the economy occurred through the transportation of textiles and crops by merchants. Trade bought riches to the cities. The Sumerian civilization was located in the center of a world trade network; so they were able to trade with their neighboring countries, which helped shine their economy. Also, their location between the two mighty rivers—Tigris and Euphrates made it one of the best places to grow crops. The two rivers flooded annually leaving fertile soil in the banks. The farmers there were able to grow surplus food to allow many people to work as artisans and traders (Holt, 34). Traders sailed along the rivers and brought back goods from foreign regions. ...