The known history of Babylon begins with the most famous king; Hammurabi. He created the elaborate set of rules called “The Code Of Hammurabi”. In this code the rules of all different social classes and the punishments for all sorts of crimes were outlined and followed directly. Hammurabi was so successful in implementing these rules that he enlarged and heightened the walls of the city, engaged in great public works which included opulent temples, and made diplomacy an integral part of his ruling. So successful was he in both diplomacy and war that, by 1763 BCE, he had united all of Mesopotamia under the rule of Babylon which, at this time, was the largest city in the world, and renamed the city Babylonia. His top of the world reign lasted until 539 B.C.E when King Cyrus of Persia decided to conquer Babylon.
In 539 B.C.E., King Cyrus decided to expand the boundaries of Persia. He began by conquering Babylon. Unlike Assyrian kings, who were the predecessors of Persia, Cyrus was known for his mercy rather than his cruelty. As an example of his mercy, he let the Hebrews, who had been captives in Babylon for many years, go to Jerusalem and he also let them restore stolen goods and rebuild their temples
Cyrus's generosity toward the Jews was not an isolated event. He and his successors employed a policy of adaptation and reconciliation toward all of their new subjects. They cooperated with local rulers and interfered as little as possible in matters that did not directly relate to their rule. They respected local traditions and even adopted some of their subjects' religious practices for themselves. The Persian kings ,mostly Cyrus and Darius I, developed a model for the administration of a large empire that was copied by others in the future. Laws were carried out fairly and evenly among all of the various subject peoples. The Persians divided their empire into 20 provinces that were managed by governors. The kings provided land to feudal lords in exchange for...