Ancient Asia hosted diverse civilizations that laid foundational contributions to human history. Mesopotamia, centered in Sumeria between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, pioneered city-states characterized by mud-brick structures and a writing system called cuneiform. The Babylonians, successors to the Sumerians, under Hammurabi, established a renowned legal code. Assyria, a formidable empire, excelled in military prowess and governance until its decline in 612 B.C. to Medians and Babylonians. The New Babylonian Empire, led by Nebuchadnezzar II, marked a period of architectural splendor, including the Hanging Gardens. In Persia, Cyrus the Great founded a vast empire governed by Zoroastrian principles, notable for its administrative divisions and cultural advancements. India’s Indus Valley civilization boasted urban planning feats and later influenced Hinduism and Buddhism, which spread across Asia, promoting philosophical and scientific progress. China, with its Shang and Zhou dynasties, developed sophisticated writing systems, philosophical ideologies like Confucianism, and key inventions such as papermaking and gunpowder, shaping global history through their enduring legacies.