Editing Conscription (section)

====Ilkum====
Around the reign of [[Hammurabi]] (1791–1750 [[Before Christ|BC]]), the [[Babylonian Empire]] used a system of conscription called ''Ilkum''. Under that system those eligible were required to serve in the royal army in time of war. During times of peace they were instead required to provide labour for other activities of the state. In return for this service, people subject to it gained the right to hold land. It is possible that this right was not to hold land ''per se'' but specific land supplied by the state.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Early Mesopotamia Society and Economy at the Dawn of History |last=Postgate |first=J.N. |year=1992 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-11032-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/earlymesopotamia00post/page/242 242] |url=https://archive.org/details/earlymesopotamia00post/page/242}}</ref>

Various forms of avoiding military service are recorded. While it was outlawed by the [[Code of Hammurabi]], the hiring of substitutes appears to have been practiced both before and after the creation of the code. Later records show that Ilkum commitments could become regularly traded. In other places, people simply left their towns to avoid their Ilkum service. Another option was to sell Ilkum lands and the commitments along with them. With the exception of a few exempted classes, this was forbidden by the Code of Hammurabi.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Early Mesopotamia Society and Economy at the Dawn of History |last=Postgate |first=J.N. |year=1992 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-11032-7 |page=[https://archive.org/details/earlymesopotamia00post/page/243 243] |url=https://archive.org/details/earlymesopotamia00post/page/243}}</ref>