Another piece to add to the puzzle

In my last post, I introduced the case of the Akkadian Empire. Its downfall coincided with de-urbanisation and aridification and this time period is termed the ‘Third-Millennium Urban Crisis’. I looked into two explanations for the collapse of the Akkadian Empire – climate change and various social and political problems. It seemed that a combination of effects were to blame for the collapse.

But - although acknowledging the importance of several interacting factors, Frahm and Feinberg, 2013 suggest that poor political leadership was more to blame. They point out that political and economic instability may have been an important factor influencing the fall of the Akkadian Empire.

The Akkadian Empire is known to have exerted power over trade routes which passed through the Upper Khabur Basin. The Akkadians’ relentless thirst for expansion and imperialisation destabilised trade routes and led to an economic crisis, while also distracting them from more pressing environmental issues! This in itself was a key factor in causing initial de-urbanisation. From my last post we know that the

mass-migration of people from one area to another caused severe social pressures that in the end, were not mitigated or managed effectively.

Conquest and expansion was a key theme in the Akkadian Empire - this image depicts Akkadian soldiers winning a battle. Source: Ancient Art

As if the Akkadian leadership couldn’t be blamed for anything else, it is also held responsible for disrupting regional authorities by persistently trying to increase its control on surrounding regions. This disturbance left communities “ill-equipped to deal with declining agricultural production” (Frahn and Feinberg, 2013) caused by dry events, which clearly indicates that it was not the environment alone that led to collapse. As in many cases following a natural disaster or climatic event, it is the ability, speed and effectiveness of response that determines the level of loss. In the case of the Akkadians, it appears that the failure of the government to suitably prepare its empire for climate changes was a primary cause in its collapse. 

Stay tuned - next time I hope to put all the pieces together and come to a conclusion on the Akkadian Empire.