Final answer:
In Uruk, increasing power and authority were granted to priests to manage grain distribution and to communicate with gods for favorable harvests. Over time, kings rose to share and eventually hold primary power, though they remained closely linked to the priesthood.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Uruk, power was given increasing authority to priests, probably in exchange for someone to manage the distribution of grain, organize food during emergencies, and to communicate with the gods for a good harvest. The political leaders in ancient Mesopotamia were initially drawn from priesthoods. Each city, including Uruk, was considered the property of a patron god. Through rituals and sacrifices, priests claimed to influence these deities. They controlled the economic output, imposed taxes, demanded labor, and played a crucial role in both the spiritual and material provisioning of the city.
Over time, secular rulers began to emerge alongside these religious figures, sharing in the oversight of work on common lands and the management of economics. These rulers, known as kings or lugals, eventually merged the roles of religious and civil authority. Kings worked in tandem with the priesthood to maintain order and prosperity.
The redistributive economy of Uruk, with its emphasis on central control of resources, demanded an authority figure capable of overseeing and managing this complex system. The priests fulfilled this role before kings began to ascend as primary rulers, yet the relationship between king and priest remained interdependent and vital for the functioning of the city-state.