Part 4/11:
Sargon, the first king of the Akkadian Empire, invented a technique of governance that included tax collection and perhaps most significantly, the establishment of a standing army. No longer reliant on temporary soldiers for military campaigns, Sargon’s professional military ensured the empire's dominance over rival city-states and nomadic tribes within the region. His successor, Naram-Sin, pushed the Akkadian venture even further, glorifying the empire through lavish construction projects, military victories, and even self-deification. Naram-Sin propped himself up as a living god, solidifying the empire's identity through a mix of military prowess and divine authority.