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The world’s first empire arose around 2340 B.C.E. when Sargon, a warrior from the city of Akkad, conquered all of the independent city-states of Mesopotamia (today’s Iraq). However, Sargon’s Akkadian Empire lasted only a short time. Scholars have proposed three explanations for why the Akkadian Empire did not last very long.

First, rebellions of the conquered city-states were a serious threat to the unity of the empire. The conquered city-states were forced to provide Sargon’s central imperial government with expensive services and tributes (for example, a quantity of gold every year). Many of the city-states wanted to be free of these obligations and rebelled against the imperial government. Frequent rebellions could have weakened the imperial government and could have eventually led to a breakup of the empire.

Second, the empire may have experienced serious problems with food supply. For a long time, the northern region of the empire, where agricultural conditions were excellent, was used a source of food for the rest of the empire. However, at a certain point, the north suffered from an extended period of too little rainfall. The worsened farming conditions may have seriously affected the food supply chain and brought down the whole empire.

Third, the Akkadian Empire traded with countries and kingdoms outside Mesopotamia for many important materials, such as metals, wood, or precious stones. However, the Akkadian Empire often tried to use its strength to dominate the trade relationships and impose its own conditions on trade. This naturally met with resistance: it is reported, for example, that thirty-two foreign kings united to fight a sea battle against the Akkadians. Such resistance may have caused enough damage to the Akkadians’ trade economy to cause the empire’s downfall.

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