著者

横山 美貴

出版者

一般社団法人 日本オリエント学会

雑誌

オリエント (ISSN:00305219)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.38, no.2, pp.136-142, 1995

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This paper presents a synthesis of the administration of corv&eacute;e work and corv&eacute;e workers in the Fisrt Dynasty of Babylon especially during the reign of Hammurapi (1792-1750 B. C.).<br>Corv&eacute;e work was imposed by the central government of Babylon upon all male citizens, except registered permanent public workers, of the provincial and/or local administrations to which the central government assigned public works on a local basis. The provincial and local administrations were required to provide corv&eacute;e workers, unpaid laborers, to the labor pool of the central government. Corv&eacute;e work could be avoided by payment of exemption money or by providing a work substitute. The period of corv&eacute;e work was probably a few months. However, it was flexible, depending on the level of authority held by the central government to impose levies upon the provincial and local administrations for public works.<br>Corv&eacute;e workers were under the direct control of the central government and were usually deployed to public works sector which required a large number of unskilled workers under the highly centralized regime of Hammurapi. Large scale public works were carried out by the central government with the collaboration of provincial and local administrations. The main areas of public works were construction of public buildings, canal works, sheep shearing, weaving and boat-making. The labor forces of public works were comprised of corv&eacute;e workers, temporary hired workers, soldiers as a supplementary work force, and public slaves in addition to specialists and administrators.