The Fall of Sumer
What was the leadership design of a Sumerian city-state?
A king for each individual city-state. Therefore there were many different kings in Sumer.
What was Sargon’s city of origin (the city he marched from)?
Akkad
What language became more common after Akkad united the region?
Akkadian
What name did Sargon give to his trusted officials who ruled conquered cities?
“Sons of Akkad” or trusted governors.)
This word means a group of lands or people ruled by one leader; Sargon created the first one.
What is an empire?
Name one reason the Sumerian city-states became weak and easy to conquer.
They fought each other over water and land.
Around what year did Sargon begin his conquests of the Sumerian city-states?
Around 2334 BCE.
Name one cultural thing Akkadians adopted from the Sumerians.
Cuneiform writing or religious ideas.
What system did Sargon start to help send messages across the empire?
A courier or postal service that used clay tablets.
This kind of government lets one main capital make important decisions for the whole empire, helping everything run the same way.
What is a centralized government?
What does the phrase “low-hanging fruit” mean in the story of Sumer’s fall?
It means they were easy to take over because they were weak and tired.
According to legend, what humble job did Sargon have before he became powerful?
A gardener
How did trade change after Sargon united the region under one ruler?
Trade became safer and routes expanded, reaching from the Mediterranean to the Indus Valley.
Why were standardized weights and measures important for trade?
They made sure everyone used the same measurements so trade was fair and profits could be calculated.
This word describes what someone leaves behind after they are gone, like their effects on history.
Legacy
Give two examples of Sumerian city-states mentioned in the passage
Ur and Uruk
Name one strategy Sargon used to prevent conquered cities from rebelling.
He tore down city walls or placed trusted people in charge.
Explain in one sentence why the mixing of Akkadian and Sumerian cultures was important.
It let ideas, writing, and beliefs spread and mix, preserving knowledge and creating a richer shared culture.
Name one military innovation used by the Akkadians.
The composite bow or a standing professional army.
This word describes roads, bridges, water systems, and other public works that help a society function.
What is infrastructure?
Explain how constant fighting among city-states affected their ability to defend against a strong leader.
Fighting used up resources and energy, causing weakness and disunity so a strong leader could conquer them more easily.
What title or achievement is Sargon often given because of his conquests?
He is called the world’s first empire builder.
He created the Akkadian Empire.
Describe two long-term effects of making Akkadian the official language of administration.
It helped different groups communicate for government and business and made record keeping and trade easier across the empire.
Describe two parts of Sargon’s centralized government (how it helped keep the empire together).
Appointing loyal governors to rule cities and collecting taxes to fund the army and public works, plus a courier service to send royal orders.
Sargon created a permanent force of trained soldiers who did not just go home to farm; this kind of army stayed ready all year. Name it and give one reason why it helped the empire.
What is a standing army?
Reason: they trained full-time, defended trade routes, and kept order across the empire.