A long time ago, around 1792 BCE, a powerful king named Hammurabi ruled the city of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia. He is most famous for creating one of the world’s first written sets of laws, known as Hammurabi’s Code. This collection of laws helped bring order to his growing empire and is considered an important step in the history of human government.

Before Hammurabi’s Code, people often solved problems based on tradition or what leaders decided at the time. This meant justice could be unfair or change from person to person. Hammurabi wanted to make sure everyone in his empire followed the same rules, no matter where they lived. So, he had the laws carved into a tall stone pillar called a stele and placed it where people could see it. The laws were written in cuneiform, the writing of the time.

Hammurabi’s Code included 282 laws that covered many parts of daily life. These laws explained rules about family, business, farming, crime, and punishment. Some laws might seem harsh today, but back then, they helped create order and stability. One famous idea from the code is “an eye for an eye,” meaning the punishment should match the crime.

The Code also showed that laws should be written down so people could know their rights and responsibilities. Even if most people couldn’t read at the time, having the laws in writing meant leaders were expected to follow the same rules they gave to others. This was a big step toward the idea that laws should apply to everyone equally.

Hammurabi’s Code is historically important because it was one of the first times in history that a government clearly explained its laws. It influenced future legal systems and helped teach people that laws are necessary for a fair and peaceful society. Today, historians study the Code to understand what life was like in ancient Mesopotamia and how people solved problems long ago.