Government
Sumer had many kings, like the many other empires, but, unlike other empires, Sumer was split into several city-states. These city-states governed themselves and they were constantly at war with each other. These city-states were probably governed by citizen assemblies. The assemblies resolved conflicts and dealt with other things. The assembly also elected leaders that were responsible for carrying out these decisions. Over time, these leaders became the most important people in their city-states. Political leadership soon became very closely associated with religious customs and beliefs. Soon, leaders began claiming that they were chosen to lead by the gods. A leader maintained authority through his ties to the local religion. If a leader was overthrown/defeated, people thought that he was no longer favored by the gods. |
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