Historical Encyclopedia
Iraq is a country with a rich cultural and historical heritage that spans thousands of years. Major civilizations of the world, such as Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria, originated in the territory of modern-day Iraq. Over the centuries, unique documents have been created and preserved here, serving as evidence of epoch-making events, legal systems, and social norms of antiquity. In this article, we will discuss the most significant historical documents of Iraq that played an important role in the formation of civilizations and culture in the region.
Among the oldest documents in the world are the cuneiform tablets found in ancient Sumer. Cuneiform was invented around 3200 B.C. in the city of Ur, which is now located in southern Iraq. These tablets were used for accounting, legal records, and even literary works. One famous example is the "Epic of Gilgamesh," an epic poem that recounts the adventures of the legendary king of Uruk.
Cuneiform was also used to draft contracts, laws, and legal documents. For instance, the tablets from the city of Nippur contain economic records and contracts related to land leases and labor obligations. These documents provide insight into the socio-economic structure of Sumerian society as well as the development of writing and laws.
The Code of Hammurabi, created around 1754 B.C., is considered one of the most famous legal documents in human history. This code was compiled in Babylon, which was located in modern-day Iraq, and consisted of a collection of laws regulating various aspects of societal life. It included more than 280 articles concerning civil law, family relations, commerce, and criminal law.
The Code of Hammurabi is known for its system of punishments based on the principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." The document was inscribed on stone steles and established strict rules to maintain order and justice. For example, the code contains articles concerning compensation for damages, dispute resolution, and liability for crimes. This document had a huge influence on subsequent legal systems both in the Ancient World and in later eras.
The Assyrian Empire, which dominated the region in the 1st millennium B.C., also left behind a significant number of written documents. The Assyrians used cuneiform to record administrative documents, diplomatic correspondence, astronomical observations, and predictions. In the archives of cities such as Nineveh and Ashur, thousands of clay tablets have been found containing information about the political and economic life of the empire.
One of the most significant discoveries was the library of King Ashurbanipal found in Nineveh. This library contained tablets with texts of a religious, scientific, and artistic nature. Especially important are the astronomical and medical texts, which reflect the high level of knowledge among the Assyrians in these fields.
With the arrival of the Persians led by Cyrus the Great and Darius I, Iraq became part of the vast Persian Empire. One of the significant documents of this period is the Behistun Inscription, created in the 6th century B.C. The inscription is carved on a rock in Behistun (now part of Iran) but includes texts in Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian. This document recounts the deeds of Darius I and his victories over rebellious satraps. The Behistun Inscription played a key role in the decipherment of cuneiform in the 19th century.
With the establishment of the Arab Caliphate in the 7th century, a new era began in Iraq. Baghdad became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and a center of scientific and cultural achievements in the Islamic world. During this period, numerous manuscripts were created covering a wide range of knowledge areas, including mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy.
One prominent example of Islamic documents is the works of Al-Kindi and Al-Farabi, who contributed significantly to the development of science. Important documents also include manuscripts related to Islamic law—Sharia—that regulated the life of the Muslim community and have preserved their norms to this day. For example, numerous fatwas (legal opinions) and treatises on Islamic jurisprudence were created and stored in the libraries of Baghdad.
In the 16th century, Iraq was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, and the country remained under its control until the early 20th century. During this period, active correspondence and archival documentation were conducted in Ottoman Turkish. Documents from this time include cadastral records (i.e., registers of land ownership), tax ledgers, and administrative orders. These sources help us understand how the governance system functioned in the Ottoman Empire and how the economic and social life in Iraq was regulated.
One important archival document is the "Sancak-name"—administrative reports and maps that illustrate how lands and taxes were distributed in different regions of Iraq. These records allow researchers to reconstruct economic history and study the social changes that took place over the centuries.
The historical documents of Iraq provide unique evidence of the development of civilizations and culture over thousands of years. The cuneiform tablets of Sumer and Assyria, the Code of Hammurabi, Islamic manuscripts, and Ottoman archives all carry invaluable knowledge of the past. These documents allow us to gain a deeper understanding of how societies evolved, their legal systems, and cultural traditions, as well as to see how Iraq played a key role in the history of humanity. The study of these sources helps not only to better understand the past but also to preserve cultural heritage for future generations.