Code of Law of Hammurabi: Babylonia’s most important contribution is its code of law (conduct). Hammurabi collected the prevailing rules at that time and this made it convenient for him to make a code of law by making changes. He carved it in 36 rows on a stone column of 8 feet high, which was installed at a temple in Marduk, Babylonia. Later the king Susa of Alam copied it onto a scroll. This column was discovered by the French scholar N.D. Morgan.
The language of the code of Hammurabi is not Sumerian but semetic. There is a total of 285 sections, which are divided into scientific concepts of individual assets, trade and commerce, family, crime and labour. The greatest feature of this code is that its laws are completly secular. Main features of law code of Hammurabi.
The main features of Hammurabi’s lawcode are the following:
- There are about 285 sections in the Hammurabi’s law-code, which are divided into several chapters under the title of personal property, trade and commerce, behaviour, family life, labour, wages, compensation etc.
- These laws are based on the spirit of retribution and the principle of ‘tit for tat’ prevalent.
- The liability of violation was clarified in this code.
- In this code of law, very strict punishment was arranged. For many crimes, death punishment was given.
- Some independent rights were given to women. There were substantial improvements in marriage and divorce laws.
- The laws were also made related to adoption in this law-code.
- At the time of the penalties, the social reputation of the plaintiff and defandent was taken in view. For the same type of crime different penalities were fixed for lower class, middle class and upper class people.
- In this code of law, detailed rules regarding the right of slaves were made.
