Akkadian Empire

State in Mesopotamia (c. 2334–2154 BC)

The Akkadian Empire or the Kingdom of Akkad/Agade was an ancient kingdom established around 2300 BCE, often seen as the first empire in world history, succeeding and unifying the long-lived city-states of the Early Dynastic period. Centered on the city of Akkad ( or) and its surrounding region in modern-day Iraq, the empire united the Semitic Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one rule and exercised significant influence across Mesopotamia, Syria and modern-day Western Iran, sending expeditions as far south as Dilmun and Magan in the Arabian Peninsula. Established by Sargon of Akkad after defeating the king Lugal-zage-si, it replaced the system of independent Sumero-Akkadian city-states and unified southern Mesopotamia, under a centralized government, its influence stretching from the Mediterranean to Iran and from Anatolia to the Persian Gulf.

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