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List of kings of Mari

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The city of Mari in modern Syria was ruled by several dynasties in the Bronze Age. The history of the city is divided into three kingdoms.

First kingdom

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The Sumerian King List (SKL) records a dynasty of six kings from Mari enjoying hegemony between the dynasty of Adab and the dynasty of Kish.[1] The names of the Mariote kings were damaged on the early copies of the list,[2] and those kings were correlated with historical kings that belonged to the second kingdom.[3] However, an undamaged copy of the list that date to the Old Babylonian period was discovered in Shubat-Enlil,[2] and the names bears no resemblance to any of the historically attested monarchs of the second kingdom,[2] indicating that the compilers of the list had an older and probably a legendary dynasty in mind, that predate the second kingdom.[2]

# Inscription Ruler Epithet Succession Approx. date of reign Notes
Early Dynastic IIIa period (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC)
First Mariote kingdom (c. 2900 – c. 2500 BC)

"Then Adab was defeated and the kingship was taken to Mari."[4]

— SKL
1st Anbu
𒀭𒁍
Uncertain,
fl.c. 2550 BC[5]
(30 or 90 years)
  • This name is also read as Ilshu[6]
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
  • Known from the SKL; very little otherwise
2nd Anba
𒀭𒁀
Son of Anbu[4] Uncertain,
(7 or 17 years)
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Known from the SKL; very little otherwise
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
3rd Bazi
𒁀𒍣
"the leatherworker"[4] Uncertain,
(30 years)
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Known from the SKL; very little otherwise
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
4th Zizi
𒍣𒍣
"the fuller"[4] Uncertain,
(20 years)
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Known from the SKL; very little otherwise
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
5th Limer
𒇷𒅎𒅕
"the 'gudug' priest"[note 1][4] Uncertain,
(30 years)
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Known from the SKL; very little otherwise
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
6th Sharrum-iter
𒈗𒄿𒌁
Uncertain,
(7 or 9 years)
  • Historicity uncertain
  • It has been suggested that only Sharrum-iter held the hegemony after Lugal-Anne-Mundu
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer

"6 kings; they ruled for 184 years. Then Mari was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish."[4]

— SKL

Second kingdom

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The chronological order of the kings from the second kingdom era is highly uncertain; nevertheless, it is assumed that the letter of Enna-Dagan lists them in a chronological order.[8] Many of the kings were attested through their own votive objects discovered in the city,[9][10] and the dates are highly speculative.[10]

Depiction Ruler Approx. date of reign Notes
Early Dynastic IIIb period (c. 2500 – c. 2350 BC)
Second Mariote kingdom (c. 2500 – c. 2266 BC)
Ikun-Mari
𒄣𒄿𒈠𒌷𒆠
Uncertain

fl.c. 2500 BC

  • Held the title of, "King"
  • temp. of Ush[11]
  • This name is inscribed on a jar in Mari[12]
Ikun-Shamagan
𒄿𒆪𒀭𒊭𒈠𒃶
Uncertain,
fl.c. 2500 BC
  • Held the title of, "King"
  • temp. of Ur-Lumma[11]
  • His name was inscribed on a votive statue offered by his official "Shibum"[13]
Išhtup-Išar
𒅖𒁾𒄿𒊬
Uncertain,
fl.c. 2423 BC
  • Held the title of, "King"
  • temp. of Il[11]
  • He was attested in Enna-Dagan's letter as conquering Emar and other Eblaite vassals[14]
Ansud Uncertain,
c. 2423 - c. 2416 BC
Saʿumu Uncertain,
fl.c. 2400 BC
  • temp. of Kun-Damu
  • He was attested in Enna-Dagan's letter as conquering many lands[14]
Iblul-Il
𒅁𒈜𒅋
Uncertain,
reigned c. 2380 BC
(≥40 years)
Nizi Uncertain,
r. c. 2360 BC
(3 years)[17]
Enna-Dagan Uncertain,
(3 years)
Proto-Imperial period (c. 2350 – c. 2266 BC)
Hidar Uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King"
  • temp. of Enshakushanna[11]
  • He is attested in the archives of Ebla, which was destroyed during his reign[19]
Ishqi-Mari
𒅖𒄄𒈠𒌷
Uncertain,
r. c. 2350 BC
Ikun-Shamash
𒄿𒆪𒀭𒌓
Uncertain
Ikun-Ishar
𒄿𒆪𒊬
Uncertain,
r. c. 2320 BC
(8 years)
  • Held the title of, "King"
  • temp. of Meskigal[11]
  • He forced Ebla to pay tribute[14]

Third kingdom

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The third kingdom was ruled by two dynasties: the Shakkanakkus and the Lim. For the Shakkanakkus, the lists are incomplete and after Hanun-Dagan who ruled at the end of the Ur era c. 2008 BC (c. 1920 BC Short chronology), they become full of lacunae.[22] Roughly 13 more Shakkanakkus succeeded Hanun-Dagan but only few are known, with the last known one reigning not too long before the reign of Yaggid-Lim who founded the Lim dynasty in c. 1830 BC, which was interrupted by Assyrian occupation in 1796–1776 BC.[23][24]

Depiction or inscription Ruler Succession Approx. date of reign Notes
Akkadian period (c. 2266 – c. 2154 BC)
Third Mariote kingdom (c. 2266 – c. 1761 BC)
Shakkanakku dynasty (c. 2266 – c. 1830 BC)
Ididish r. c. 2266 – c. 2206 BC
(60 years)
  • Held the title of, "Military Governor"
Shu-Dagan Son of Ididish[25] r. c. 2206 – c. 2200 BC
  • Held the title of, "Military Governor"
Ishma-Dagan
𒅖𒈣𒀭𒁕𒃶
r. c. 2199 – c. 2154 BC
(45 years)[26][27]
  • Held the title of, "Military Governor"
Nûr-Mêr
𒉌𒉿𒅈𒈨𒅕
Son of Ishma-Dagan[26] r. c. 2153 – c. 2148 BC
(5 years)
  • Held the title of, "Military Governor"
Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2119 BC)
Ishtup-Ilum
𒅖𒁾𒀭
Son of Ishma-Dagan[26] r. c. 2147 – c. 2136 BC
(11 years)
  • Held the title of, "Military Governor"
Ishgum-Addu
𒅖𒄣𒀭𒅎
r. c. 2135 – c. 2127 BC
(8 years)[26]
  • Held the title of, "Military Governor"
Ur III period (c. 2119 – c. 2004 BC)
Apîl-kîn
𒀀𒉈𒄀
Son of Ishgum-Addu[26][28] r. c. 2126 – c. 2091 BC
(35 years)
  • Was designated with the royal title Lugal in a votive inscription set by his daughter[29]
Iddi-ilum
𒄿𒋾𒀭
r. c. 2090 – c. 2085 BC
(5 years)
  • His name is also read as Iddi-Ilum; his name was inscribed on his votive statue[30]
Ili-Ishar
𒀭𒄿𒊬
r. c. 2084 – c. 2072 BC
(12 years)
  • His name is inscribed on a brick[31]
Tura-Dagan
𒌅𒊏𒀭𒁕𒃶
Son of Apîl-kîn[32] r. c. 2071 – c. 2051 BC
(20 years)
Puzur-Ishtar
𒆃𒊭𒁹𒁯
Son of Tura-Dagan[26] r. c. 2050 – c. 2025 BC
(25 years)
  • Used the royal title[33]
Hitlal-Erra Son of Puzur-Ishtar[34] r. c. 2024 – c. 2017 BC
(7 years)
  • Used the royal title[33]
Hanun-Dagan Son of Puzur-Ishtar[35] r. c. 2016 – c. 2008 BC
(8 years)
  • Used the royal title[33]
Isin-Larsa period (c. 2004 – c. 1796 BC)
Isi-Dagan r. c. 2000 BC
  • This name is inscribed on a seal[36]
Ennin-Dagan Son of Isi-Dagan[37]
Itur-(...)
  • This name is damaged, a gap separate him from Ennin-Dagan[23]
Amer-Nunu
  • This name is inscribed on a seal[38][39]
Tir-Dagan Son of Itur-(...)[40]
Dagan-(...)
  • This name is damaged and is the last attested Shakkanakku[41]
Lim dynasty (c. 1830 – c. 1796 BC)
Yaggid-Lim r. c. 1830 – c. 1820 BC
  • He may have ruled in Suprum rather than in Mari[42][43]
Yahdun-Lim Son of Yaggid-Lim r. c. 1820 – c. 1798 BC
Sumu-Yamam r. c. 1798 – c. 1796 BC
Old Assyrian period (c. 1796 – c. 1761 BC)
Dynasty of Shamshi-Adad (c. 1796 – c. 1776 BC)
Yasmah-Adad Son of Shamshi-Adad I[44] r. c. 1796 – c. 1776 BC
Ishar-Lim r. c. 1776 BC
  • He was an Assyrian official who usurped the throne for a few months between Yasmah-Adad's escape and Zimri-Lim's arrival[45]
Lim restoration (c. 1776 – c. 1761 BC)
Zimri-Lim
𒍣𒅎𒊑𒇷𒅎
r. c. 1776 – c. 1761 BC
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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Gudug was a rank in the hierarchy of the Mesopotamian temple workers, a guduj priest was not specialized to a certain deity cult, and served in many temples.[7]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Haldar 1971, p. 16.
  2. ^ a b c d e Astour 2002, p. 58.
  3. ^ a b Liverani 2013, p. 117.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Cohen 2013, p. 148.
  5. ^ Hamblin 2006, p. 279.
  6. ^ Kramer 2010, p. 329.
  7. ^ Black et al. 2004, p. 112.
  8. ^ Frayne 2008, p. 293–298.
  9. ^ Frayne 2008, p. 293–298.
  10. ^ a b Hamblin 2006, p. 244.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Marchesi, Gianni (January 2015). Sallaberger, Walther; Schrakamp, Ingo (eds.). "Toward a Chronology of Early Dynastic Rulers in Mesopotamia". History and Philology (ARCANE 3; Turnhout): 139–156.
  12. ^ Frayne 2008, p. 315.
  13. ^ Cooper 1986, p. 87.
  14. ^ a b c d Liverani 2013, p. 119.
  15. ^ Astour 2002, p. 57.
  16. ^ Frayne 2008, p. 299.
  17. ^ Frayne 2008, p. 333.
  18. ^ Roux 1992, p. 142.
  19. ^ Frayne 2008, p. 339.
  20. ^ Heimpel 2003, p. 3.
  21. ^ Bretschneider, Van Vyve & Leuven 2009, p. 5.
  22. ^ Frayne 1990, p. 593.
  23. ^ a b Frayne 1990, p. 597.
  24. ^ Bertman 2005, p. 87.
  25. ^ Leick 2002, p. 152.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Oliva 2008, p. 86.
  27. ^ Leick 2002, p. 81.
  28. ^ Leick 2002, p. 18.
  29. ^ Michalowski 1995, p. 187.
  30. ^ Leick 2002, p. 76.
  31. ^ Leick 2002, p. 78.
  32. ^ Leick 2002, p. 168.
  33. ^ a b c Oliva 2008, p. 91.
  34. ^ Oliva 2008, p. 92.
  35. ^ Leick 2002, p. 67.
  36. ^ Frayne 1990, p. 594.
  37. ^ Frayne 1990, p. 596.
  38. ^ Oliva 2008, p. 87.
  39. ^ Frayne 1990, p. 598.
  40. ^ Frayne 1990, p. 599.
  41. ^ Frayne 1990, p. 600.
  42. ^ Porter 2012, p. 31.
  43. ^ Feliu 2003, p. 86.
  44. ^ Tetlow 2004, p. 125.
  45. ^ Dalley 2002, p. 143.
  46. ^ Spycket, Agnès (1981). Handbuch der Orientalistik (in French). BRILL. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-90-04-06248-1.
  47. ^ Parrot, André (1953). "Les fouilles de Mari Huitième campagne (automne 1952)" (PDF). Syria. 30 (3/4): 196–221. doi:10.3406/syria.1953.4901. ISSN 0039-7946. JSTOR 4196708.

Bibliography

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