preview

Compare And Contrast The Code Of Hammurabi Dbq

Decent Essays
Open Document

Throughout history, one of the most fascinating parts would have to be ancient civilizations/societies and how they have developed. Some of these societies are far more advanced and complicated to where they have created their own social standings, legal systems, and even religion. Two examples of societies like this would be Mesopotamia and India who created the Code of Hammurabi and the Laws of Manu, respectively. The Code of Hammurabi was written by Hammurabi (who reigned from 1792-1750 B.C.E) “produced throughout the first 3,000 years of Mesopotamia civilization” as explained in Document 1. The Laws of Manu, on the other hand, were written by anonymous people who insist that the laws themselves came from the gods, according to Document …show more content…

In Mesopotamia, the caste system was divided mostly based on skill and wealth. Many of the laws in Code of Hammurabi relied heavily in the different classes you were in. Some of the laws differed against people in different classes. For example, law 196 states, “If a man destroyed the eye…his own eye shall be destroyed” compared to law 198, “If he has destroyed…he shall pay one mina of silver.” This clearly shows the contrast of treatment from one class to another. In the Laws of Manu, the caste system was very unique in which your birth determined your class rather than skills. That meant there was no chance for you to move up nor down in society; you were stuck in that class. Each class had their own set of social duties to complete, unlike the Code of Hammurabi where the laws were for everyone. Both civilizations, however, seem to treat women the same way. Women don’t have as much power as men do in society; they are more likely to be seen as property. In page 163 of Document 2, it states that, “…a women must never be …show more content…

It was created most likely to promote social order and to prevent things from happening. It is very similar to today’s justice system in which we have judges as well. As shown in laws 3 and 5 of Document 1, it is under the section of “The Administration of Justice” showing that as well as having these laws, they also have a justice system to deal with or punish those who did break the law.
On the other hand, while the Law of Manu is considered a ‘legal system’ it is focused more on a social duty/obligation kind of system as explained above. The Law of Manu was like religious orders. There wasn’t really a sense of reward for following the laws; it was more based off of the idea of karma. If you didn’t happen to fulfill your social duties, that karma will follow you into your afterlife where it could ultimately affect who or what you become in your next life after your

Get Access