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The characteristic of a civilization that had the most influence on the Mesopotamia society was the government.Government impacted Mesopotamian society by giving them laws to follow and maintain order. Another reason the government; impacted Mesopotamian society was by having kings to order and govern the civilization.

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According to the Government article, “The government that developed in the south was also like a monarchy, particularly under King Hammurabi of Babylon. He created a centralized government, tax system, and most famously, the Code of Hammurabi.”

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In Document 5: Government, it states, “It is important because it created a set of rules that helped govern a civilization while trying to protect people even if they had little political power.”

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This shows that government helped Mesopotamia become a strong society due to the leadership of Hammurabi. Under his laws and rules, Mesopotamia became a  powerful society. Hammurabi created many systems to help Mesopotamia thrive. This is the most influential part of Mesopotamia because the development of laws and leadership would have streamlined all aspects of life in Mesopotamia.

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One can see from this that Hammurabi’s code helped instill a sense of protection and a set of rules that helped the people of Mesopotamia. Before Hammurabi’s code, Mesopotamia was chaotic because there were no common rules and the civilization was less just. Laws are highly influential and are the main reason Mesopotamia thrived. Therefore, government would have been the main reason Mesopotamia survived for so many years.

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This suggests that even though government existed, it was not fair and not relevant to a functional civilization. Furthermore, the government in Mesopotamia was unfair due to social class, and did not help the civilization thrive. That being so, the government was also controlled under one monarch, which led to conflict and problems.Religion on the other hand connected all of the people of Mesopotamia with the gods. The gods were believed to be the source of life and held power over sickness and health. People in Mesopotamia loved and valued the gods extremely. They assisted the gods in anyway they could, and many beloved that gods were more important than order.Therefore, some could argue that the government was not the most influential part Mesopotamian Society, but religion was.

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According to the Government Article, "The Code of Hammurabi was meant to ensure that people would fix the harm they caused. However, people were treated differently based on their social class. The Code was one of the earliest examples of the presumption of innocence, and in some ways, it seemed fair."

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This suggests that Hammurabi's code helped Mesopotamia become a strong civilization due to the laws they were under. Hammurabi's code were some of the earliest examples of innocent till proven guilty. Hammurabi's code shaped the ways of life that people in Mesopotamia lived under and that they always fixed what they had caused.

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However, some might argue that the government is not the most influential part of Mesopotamia society, but religion is.

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In the Government text it states, “It seems there was little overlap between what the laws said and what happened. What remains clear is that for as long as governments have existed, they have not treated all people equally.” Additionally in Document 3: Religion, it states, "They beloved that keeping the gods happy was the key to their own happiness and prosperity."