What measures were taken to develop agriculture, pastoralism, handicrafts and commerce?

Hammurabi was one of the most prominent kings of the slave-owning class in ancient Babylon. During his reign, bronze began to be widely used in the unified Two Rivers Valley. In order to develop agriculture, pastoralism, handicrafts and commerce, Hammurabi ordered major water conservancy repairs, expanded and improved irrigation networks, and dug canals to enhance navigation. The economy of Babylon was prosperous. As a result of the meticulous determination and complex calculations of the flooding cycles of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and numerous irrigation projects, ancient Babylonian astronomy and mathematics were developed. Monks and historians racked their brains to calculate figures and explore the mysteries of nature. To this end, they organized and enriched the various writings of the ancient Sumerians. In the monastic schools, the sons of slave-owners learned the techniques of making clay tablets and writing, they had to memorize Sumerian poetry and texts, they had to do all kinds of translation exercises, and they had to learn the rudiments of astronomy and mathematics, and one step further to explore the specialized studies of jurisprudence, theology, medicine and music. The city of Babylon gradually became the largest political, economic and cultural center of Western Asia.

The ancient Babylonians were in awe of this ambitious monarch and sang his praises, with the following words inscribed on a stone tablet: "He (Hammurabi) brought order and justice to the country."

It seems that the monarch was also very pleased with his own accomplishments, and he proudly asked his historians to jot down the words, "I united the scattered city-states of Sumer and Akkad. I have supplied my people with wide pastures, sweet water, and fine food; I have brought peace to the people, so that they may live in peace and happiness for all."

But no matter how great these accomplishments may have been, they were only a passing fancy in the eyes of posterity. It was a far-reaching code of law that was enacted during his reign that made this illustrious monarch famous for generations to come.