Thus
a broken kudurru among M. de Morgan's finds records the confirmation of
a man's claims to certain property by Biti-liash II, the claims being
based on a grant made to the man's ancestor by Kurigalzu for services
rendered to the king during his war with Assyria. One of the finest
specimens of this class of charters or title-deeds has been found at
Susa, dating from the reign of Melishikhu, a king of the Third Dynasty.
The document in question records a grant of certain property in the
district of Bit-Pir-Shadu-rabu, near the cities Agade and Dur-Kurigalzu,
made by Melishikhu to Marduk-aplu-iddina, his son, who succeeded him
upon the throne of Babylon. The text first gives details with regard to
the size and situation of the estates included in the grant of land, and
it states the names of the high officials who were entrusted with the
duty of measuring them. The remainder of the text defines and secures
the privileges granted to Marduk-aplu-iddina together with the land,
and, as it throws considerable light upon the system of land tenure at
the period, an extract from it may here be translated:
"To prevent the encroachment on his land," the inscription runs, "thus
hath he (i.e. the king) established his (Marduk-aplu-iddina's) charter.
On his land taxes and tithes shall they not impose; ditches, limits, and
boundaries shall they not displace; there shall be no plots, stratagems,
or claims (with regard to his possession); for forced labour or public
work for the prevention of floods, for the maintenance and repair of
the royal canal under the protection of the towns of Bit-Sikkamidu
and Damik-Adad, among the gangs levied in the towns of the district of
Nina-Agade, they shall not call out the people of his estate; they are
not liable to forced labour on the sluices of the royal canal, nor
are they liable for building dams, nor for closing the canal, nor for
digging out the bed thereof.
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