​An Outsider Takes Over

​Who was Sargon?

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• ​Sargon the Great was an ancient Mesopotamian ruler.

• ​Mother was a priestess

• ​Servant to the king

• ​Became a powerful official in Kish

​An Outsider Takes Over (Cont...)

• ​Sargon lived in city-state of Kish near Akkad

• ​an area in central Mesopotamia

• ​Sargon was able to overthrow the king and became ruler of Kish

​First Empire

• ​Sargon began growing powerful

• ​Sumer began to weaken because of internal wars and invasions

• ​Sargon's army was able to take over Sumer, becoming its ruler

• ​Akkadian Empire controlled northern Mesopotamia

• ​Ruled the land between Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf

• ​Ruled the Akkadian Empire from his city of Akkad

​Empire and Expansion

• ​Akkadian Empire lasted 150 years

• ​Sargon was ruler for 56 years

• ​Won over 34 battles and took 50 rulers prisoners

• ​Good warrior and skilled at managing people and projects

​Empire and Expansion

• ​Conquered many lands but allowed the people to keep their local ruler

• The people he conquered had to obey and pay a protection tax called a ​TRIBUTE

• ​Sargon's policy helped keep peace

• This helped win the loyalty of the people he conquered​

​

​Empire and Expansion

• ​Akkadian Empire began to expand

• ​Because of this it became to big to control

• ​When he died, his sons took over and could not keep control

• ​City-states began to rebel

• ​Enemies began to raid city-states

• ​Akkadian Empire fell