Statecraft and War in Mesopotamia

One of the “Learning Outcomes” stated on the Course Syllabus is to ability to “Discern the cause of interstate conflict….” The difficulty is that any particular armed conflict has a variety of social, economic, political, and cultural causes. That they these exist not only in the states themselves, but in their relationships with their neighbors and intruders produce external as well as internal causes for any war.

In conducting these, however, cultures begin develop political systems that guide them in not only making war, but in how to best conduct internal politics and produce a state strong enough to attack enemies and/or defend themselves from them.

Not surprisingly, differing times and places all have their own systems that define what at least the political elite see as the proper role and functions of the state, both at home and abroad.

Various texts from the document reader, Sources of World Societies, 3rd. ed. touch upon some of these issues, covering most of the date and geographic scope of the course. At this point, we’re interested in taking a look at the earliest developments in theories regarding the development and use of power. The principle primary source materials are inscriiptions of the victors, propagandizing their subjects (or at least the literate ones, in areas where these items were displayed.

You will write a short essay (2-3 pp.) for the course, on the question detailed below. You need only use the course text and the documents themselves but you may modestly supplement this with whatever sources you find useful. You need to demonstrate, if only briefly, that the sort approach that each articulates is in broad outline common to their empires. All sources should be referenced properly (you may put the “Works Cited” at the foot of the last page). Please use a serifed font at about 12 pts., double or 1.67x spaced, and one inch margins all around. This document is in Book Antiqua 12, though single spaced.

Question

1. The two inscriiptions (cited below from the Sources document reader) recorded by two different rulers of Mesopotamia reflect the opposite ends of the spectrum of views on the proper aims for states and regimes to pursue, and the most effective means of achieving these ends. What are the two basic views, and which in your view offered the best results in period covered, or at least seemed more popular, and why?