history of mathematics - National STEM Centre

The Babylonians
I
butSin-imguranni has now taken the field away from him and given it to a
servant of his. Look into the matter and don't allow him to suffer an
injustice.
About 1750 BC Hammurabi developed Babylon into a powerful city-state controlling
a regional empire. Although it had a large army and was well governed, Babylonia
relied for survival on precarious alliances and coalitions with neighbouring states.
Hammurabi's aims were to acquire more land and to ensure that vital raw materials
became available to Babylonia, which, though very fertile, had few other natural
resources.
With its strong central government, Babylonia at first prospered from taxes and
payments made by dependent states. This wealth financed extensive state irrigation
and building projects. Then, shortly after his death in about 1750 BC, distant
provinces broke away, and the central government declined.
However, the nation-state of Babylonia gained lasting historical significance.
Babylon became the leading city of the land, the capital of Mesopotamia.
The most important written document of this time was Hammurabi's law code.
Here are some fragments of his law code.
From the prologue to the Code of Hammurabi
When exalted Anum, king of the Anunnaki (the major gods) and Enlil, lord
of heaven and earth, who decrees the destinies of the Land, decreed for
Marduk, first-born son of Enki, the role of Enlil to the entirety of people,
making him the greatest of the Igigi-gods, called Babylon by its exalted
name, made it pre-eminent in the world, and established in it a permanent
kingship whose basis is founded like heaven and earth ...
... at that time Anum and Enlil called my name to improve the living
conditions of the people, Hammurabi, attentive prince, revering the gods,
to make justice appear in the land, to abolish the criminal and evil, to stop
the strong from oppressing the weak, to rise like Samas (Sun-god, God of
Justice) over mankind and to illuminate the land.
Code of Hammurabi, paragraph 5
If a judge tried a case and made a decision and had a sealed document
executed, but later changed his judgement, they shall convict that judge of
changing his judgement: he shall pay twelve times the claim involved in
that case, and they shall remove him in the Assembly from his judgement
seat, and he shall not sit in judgement with judges again.
Code of Hammurabi, paragraph 32
If a merchant has ransomed a soldier or a fisherman who was taken
captive on a campaign of the king, and enabled him to regain his village, if
there is enough to ransom him in his household, he shall pay his own
ransom; if there is not enough in his household to ransom him, he shall be
ransomed from (the resources of) the village temple; and if there is not