State · c. 2334–2279 BCE
Sargon builds the first empire
Kish and Akkad, central Mesopotamia (Iraq)
Sargon, who in later legend began as cupbearer to the king of Kish, defeated Lugal-zage-si of Uruk around 2300 BCE, took control of Sumer to the Persian Gulf, and campaigned from Elam in Iran to Mari and Syria. He ruled from Akkad, a city whose site has never been found, and at its height around 2250 BCE his dynasty's empire reached from the Mediterranean to Iran.
Why it mattered
Often called the world's first empire (historians debate the label), Akkad set the pattern of one king ruling many conquered cities and peoples, with a professional army and Akkadian as a shared language of government.
Related
- The world in 3000 BCE: The First Kings chapter
- The Great Pyramid rises previous moment · c. 2600–2560 BCE
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