The Shimashki or Simashki dynasty (Šimaški) (𒈗𒂊𒋛𒈦𒄀𒆠, lugal-ene si-mash-giki "Kings of the country of Simashgi"), was an early dynasty of the ancient region of Elam, to the southeast of Babylonia, in approximately 2100–1900 BCE.[1] A list of twelve kings of Shimashki is found in the Elamite king-list of Susa, which also contains a list of kings of Awan dynasty.[2] It is uncertain how historically accurate the list is (and whether it reflects a chronological order[3]), although some of its kings can be corroborated by their appearance in the records of neighboring peoples.[2] The dynasty corresponds to the middle part of the Old Elamite period (dated c.2700 – c. 1600 BC). It was followed by the Sukkalmah Dynasty. Shimashki was likely near today's Masjed Soleyman.
Shimashki dynasty | |
---|---|
A map of the Near East detailing the approximated territorial extent of the Elamite Empire during the Shimashki dynasty Approximate location of the territory of Shimashki, in Western Asia, modern Iran. | |
Parent family | Awan dynasty |
Country | Elam |
Founded | c. 2100 BC |
Founder | Girnamme I |
Final ruler | Idattutemti |
Historic seat | Shimashki |
Titles | List
|
Connected families | Sukkalmah dynasty |
Dissolution | c. 1880 BC |
Nature of the "Dynasty"
editDaryaee suggests that, despite the impression from the king-list that the rulers of Shimashki was a dynasty of sequential rulers, it is perhaps better to think of Shimashki as an alliance of various peoples "rather than a unitary state."[4]
Occupation of Mesopotamia
editThe Shimashki confederacy led an alliance against the Ur III Empire, and managed to defeat its last ruler Ibbi-Sin.[5] After this victory, they destroyed the kingdom, looted the capital of Ur, and ruled through military occupation for the next 21 years.[5][6]
The Shimashki rulers became participants in an ongoing conflict with the rulers of Isin and Larsa after the fall of Third Dynasty of Ur.[7]
Under the Shimashki and their successors the Sukkalmah, Elam then became one of the most powerful kingdoms of West Asia, influencing the territories of Mesopotamia and Syria through commercial, military or diplomatic contacts.[5] Expansion in Mesopotamia was only halted by the Babylonian king Hammurabi in the 18th century BC.[5] After a prolonged conflict, the military forces of Elam were finally forced to retreat their forces positioned along the Tigris river, and to return to Susa.[5]
Paleography
editShimashki is first mentioned on the inscription to an image of Puzur-Inshushinak, king of Awan around 2100 BC, which depicts a Shimashkian king as subordinate to him.[8]
The Shimashki dynasty was followed by the Sukkalmah dynasty (c. 1900–1500).[7]
Individual Rulers
editThe names in the king-list, as found in Potts, are "Girnamme, Tazitta, Ebarti, Tazitta, Lu[?]-[x-x-x]-lu-uh-ha-an, Kindattu, Idaddu, Tan-Ruhurater, Ebarti, Idaddu, Idaddu-napir, Idaddu-temti, twelve Sumerian kings" (bracketed letters original).[9]
Girnamme ruled at the same time as Shu-Sin, king of Ur, and was involved, as either a groom or simply a facilitator, in the marriage of Shu-Sin's daughter.[10] Gwendolyn Leick places this event in 2037 BC.[10] Girnamme, along with Tazitta and Ebarti I, appears in "Mesopotamian texts establishing food rations issued to messengers," texts from 2044 to 2032 BC.[8]
Tazitta, the second figure in the list, is referred to in a document from the eighth year of the reign of Amar-Sin of Ur.[3]
Ebarat I (Old Elamite ia-ab-ra-at), king number 3 in the Shimashki kings list (SKL). He is mentioned in several documents of Third Dynasty of Ur, from year 44 of Šulgi (the earliest) to year 8 of Šu-Sin. Documents show that he ruled at about the same time as Girnamme and at the same time as Tazitta, kings #1 and #2 from the SKL. The inscription on bronze bowl MS 4476 mentions Ebarat (de-ba-ra-at) as a father of Kindattu and grandfather of Idadu I, kings no 6 and 7 in the SKL. The spelling ia-a-ba-ra-at later became e-ba-ra-at and e-ba-ar-ti reflecting the historic shift of /’a/ to /e/ in Elamite.
Kindattu was also known as Kindadu.[11] A Kindattu, who according to Daryaeee was "apparently" the Shimashkian king of the list above, lead the army that destroyed the Third Dynasty of Ur in 2004 BC.[3] The operation was a joint effort between Kindattu and his then-ally Ishbi-Erra, who defeated Ur and captured Ibbi-Sin, its king.[8] The Ishbi-Erra hymn claims that Ishbi-Erra later expelled Kindattu from Mesopotamia.[3]
Idaddu I (also known as Indattu-Inshushinak,[8] or simply Indattu) called himself "king of Shimashki and Elam".[8] According to Stolper and André-Salvini, he was the son of Kindattu,[8] while Gwendolyn Leick calls him "son of Pepi," claiming that Kindattu may have been his grandfather.[12] According to Leick he ascended to the throne of Shimashki around 1970 BC.[12]
Tan-Ruhurater, also known as Tan-Ruhuratir, formed an alliance with Bilalama, the governor of Eshnunna, by marrying Bilama's daughter Mê-Kubi.[13][14]
Ebarti II of Shimashki may have been the same individual known as Ebarat, a Sukkalmah, or "Grand Regent".[15] If so, he was ruler simultaneously to the next member of the list of twelve Shimaskin kings: Idaddu II.[15]
Idaddu II was the son of Tan-Ruhurater, during whose reign he oversaw building projects as the governor of Susa.[16] According to Leick, he was the last of the Shimashkian kings.[1]
List of rulers
editThe following list should not be considered complete:
# | Portrait | Name | Succession | Title | Approx. dates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2119 BC) | ||||||
Unknown | Unclear succession | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 2240 – c. 2100 BC d. c. 2100 BC |
|||
Awan dynasty (c. 2600 – c. 2120 BC)[17][18] | ||||||
12th | Puzur-Inshushinak 𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞 |
Nephew of Khita (?) | Military Governor of Elam Governor of Susa Mighty King of Elam King of Awan |
Uncertain, fl. c. 2240 – c. 2100 BC |
| |
| ||||||
Ur III period (c. 2119 – c. 2025 BC) | ||||||
Shimashki dynasty (c. 2120 – c. 1980 BC) | ||||||
Girnamme I (?) | Unclear succession | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 2120 – c. 2028 BC | |||
Ebarat I (?) 𒂊𒁀𒊏𒀜 |
Relative of Gir-Namme I (?) | King of Shimashki | ||||
1st | Girnamme II | Relative of Ebarat I (?) | King of Shimashki |
| ||
3rd | Ebarat II 𒂊𒁀𒊏𒀜 |
Relative of Tazitta I | King of Shimashki |
| ||
2nd | Tazitta I | Relative of Gir-Namme I (?) | King of Shimashki |
| ||
4th | Tazitta II | Unclear succession | King of Shimashki |
| ||
5th | Lurak-Luhhan | Unclear succession | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 2028 BC d. c. 2022 BC |
| |
Tan-Ruhuratir I (?) | Same person as Lurak-Luhhan (?) | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 2028 BC |
| ||
Hutran-Temti I (?) | Same person as Kindattu (?) | King of Shimashki |
| |||
7th | Indattu-Inshushinak I 𒀭𒄿𒁕𒁺 |
Son of Hutran-Temti I (?) | King of Shimashki |
| ||
Isin-Larsa period (c. 2025 – c. 1894 BC) | ||||||
6th | Kindattu 𒆠𒅔𒁕𒌅 |
Son of Ebarat I (?) | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 2028 – c. 2001 BC (26 years) |
| |
Imazu | Son of Kindattu | King of Anshan | Uncertain, fl. c. 2015 BC |
| ||
8th | Tan-Ruhuratir II | Son of Indattu-Inshushinak I (?) | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 2001 – c. 1980 BC |
| |
Indattu-Inshushinak II (?) | Son of Tan-Ruhuratir I (?) | King of Shimashki |
| |||
Epartid dynasty (c. 1980 – c. 1850 BC) | ||||||
9th | Ebarat III 𒂊𒁀𒊏𒀜 |
Unclear succession | Sukkalmah King of Anshan and Susa King of Shimashki |
Uncertain, fl. c. 1980 – c. 1928 BC |
| |
10th | Indattu-Inshushinak III 𒀭𒄿𒁕𒁺 |
Son of Pepi[19] | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 1980 – c. 1928 BC (≥3 years) |
| |
Shilhaha | Son of Ebarat II | Sukkalmah King of Anshan and Susa |
Uncertain, fl. c. 1980 – c. 1928 BC | |||
Kuk-Nashur I | Son of Shilhaha | Sukkalmah | ||||
Sukkalmah dynasty (c. 1850 – c. 1450 BC) | ||||||
Palar-Ishshan | Unclear succession | Sukkalmah | Uncertain, fl. c. 1980 – c. 1928 BC | |||
Kuk-Sanit | Son of Palar-Ishshan (?) | |||||
Lankuku | Father of Kuk-Kirwash | |||||
Kuk-Kirwash | Nephew of Palar-Ishshan (?) | Sukkalmah Sukkal of Elam and Shimashki and Susa |
||||
Tem-Sanit | Son of Kuk-Kirwash | Uncertain, fl. c. 1928 – c. 1894 BC | ||||
Kuk-Nahhunte | Son of Kuk-Kirwash | |||||
Old Babylonian period (c. 1894 – c. 1450 BC) | ||||||
Attakhushu | Son of Kuk-Nashur I (?) | Sukkal and Ippir of Susa Shepherd of the people of Susa Shepherd of Inshushinak |
Uncertain, fl. c. 1928 – c. 1894 BC | |||
Tetep-Mada | Son of Kuk-Nashur I (?) | Shepherd of the people of Susa | ||||
11th | Idattunapir | Unclear succession | King of Shimashki | Uncertain, fl. c. 1894 – c. 1792 BC |
| |
12th | Idattutemti | Unclear succession | King of Shimashki | |||
| ||||||
Shirukduh | Descendant of Shilhaha (?) | Sukkalmah | Uncertain, fl. c. 1792 – c. 1778 BC |
| ||
Siwe-Palar-Khuppak | Son of Shirukduh (?) | Sukkalmah Sukkal of Susa Prince of Elam |
Uncertain, reigned c. 1778 – c. 1745 BC |
| ||
Tan-Uli | Unclear succession | Sukkalmah Sukkal |
Uncertain, fl. c. 1745 – c. 1650 BC | |||
Temti-Halki | Son of Tan-Uli (?) | Sukkalmah Sukkal of Elam and Simashki and Susa |
See also
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ a b Gwendolyn Leick (31 January 2002). Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Routledge. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-134-78795-1.
- ^ a b I. E. S. Edwards; C. J. Gadd; N. G. L. Hammond (31 October 1971). The Cambridge Ancient History. Cambridge University Press. p. 654. ISBN 978-0-521-07791-0.
- ^ a b c d Touraj Daryaee (16 February 2012). The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-19-020882-0.
- ^ Touraj Daryaee (16 February 2012). The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-19-020882-0.
- ^ a b c d e Bryce, Trevor (2009). The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia: The Near East from the Early Bronze Age to the fall of the Persian Empire. Routledge. p. 221. ISBN 9781134159079.
- ^ D. T. Potts (12 November 2015). The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State. Cambridge University Press. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-107-09469-7.
- ^ a b Sigfried J. de Laet; Ahmad Hasan Dani (1994). History of Humanity: From the third millennium to the seventh century B.C. UNESCO. p. 579. ISBN 978-92-3-102811-3.
- ^ a b c d e f Matthew Stolper; Béatrice André-Salvini (1992). "The Written Record". The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre. Metropolitan Museum of Art. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-87099-651-1.
- ^ D. T. Potts (1999). The Archaeology of Elam. Cambridge University Press. p. 141.
- ^ a b Gwendolyn Leick (31 January 2002). Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Routledge. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-134-78795-1.
- ^ Touraj Daryaee (16 February 2012). The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-19-973215-9.
- ^ a b Gwendolyn Leick (31 January 2002). Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Routledge. p. 92. ISBN 978-1-134-78795-1.
- ^ On the alliance, see Katrien De Graef; Jan Tavernier (7 December 2012). Susa and Elam. Archaeological, Philological, Historical and Geographical Perspectives.: Proceedings of the International Congress held at Ghent University, December 14–17, 2009. BRILL. p. 54. ISBN 978-90-04-20741-7.
- ^ On Bilalama's position as governor of Eshnunna, see Douglas Frayne (1990). Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 BC). University of Toronto Press. p. 491. ISBN 978-0-8020-5873-7.
- ^ a b Elizabeth Carter; Matthew W. Stolper (1984). Elam: Surveys of Political History and Archaeology. University of California Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-520-09950-0.
- ^ Gwendolyn Leick (31 January 2002). Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Routledge. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-134-78796-8.
- ^ Some archaeologists have suggested that Simashki was located in the north of Elam and Anshan near modern Isfahan.
- ^ Cameron, 1936; The Cambridge History of Iran; Hinz, 1972; The Cambridge Ancient History; Majidzadeh, 1991; Majidzadeh, 1997; Vallat "Elam ...", 1998.
- ^ Hinz, 1972.
Bibliography
edit- Cameron, G. (1936). History of Early Iran (Thesis). United States: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780608165332.
- Daryaee, T. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190208820.
- Diakonoff, I. (1956). История Мидии От Древнейших Времен До Конца IV Века До Н.э. [The history of Media from ancient times to the end of the 4th century BCE] (in Russian). Moscow and Leningrad.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Edwards, I.; Gadd, C.; Hammond, N. (1970). "II". Early history of the Middle East. The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. I (revised ed.). London; New York: CUP. ISBN 9780521070515.
- EIr, T. (2015). "SUSA". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- Gershevitch, I. (1968). The Median and Achaemenian periods. The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521200912.
- Hansen, D.; Ehrenberg, E. (2002). Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060552.
- Hansman, J. (1985). "Anshan". Encyclopædia Iranica. 1. Vol. II. pp. 103–107.
- Hayes, W.; Rowton, M.; Stubbings, F. (1964). "VII". Chronology. The Cambridge Ancient History. Vol. I (Revised ed.). Bureau of Military History: CUP (published 1961).
- Hinz, W. (1972). Written at United Kingdom. The Lost World of Elam: Re-creation of a Vanished Civilization. Translated by Barnes, J. University of California: Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 9780283978630.
- Jacobsen, T. (1939). Sumerian King List (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Oriental Institute. ISBN 9780226622736.
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- Legrain, L. (1922). Historical Fragments. Vol. XIII. United States: University of Pennsylvania Museum. ISBN 9780598776341.
- Leick, G. (2001). Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Who's Who series. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415132312.
- Liverani, M. (2013). The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Routledge. ISBN 9781134750849.
- Majidzadeh, Y. (1991). تاريخ و تمدن ايلام [History and civilization of Elam] (in Persian). Iran: University of Tehran Press.
- Majidzadeh, Y. (1997). تاريخ و تمدن بين النهرين [History and civilization of Mesopotamia] (in Persian). Vol. 1. Iran: University of Tehran Press. ISBN 9789640108413.
- Scheil, V. (1931). "Dynasties Élamites d'Awan et de Simaš". Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale. 28 (1). Presses Universitaires de France: 1–46. ISSN 0373-6032. JSTOR 23283945.
- Stolper, M. (1987). "AWAN". Encyclopædia Iranica. 2. Vol. III. pp. 113–114.
- Vallat, F. (1998). "ELAM i. The history of Elam". Encyclopædia Iranica. 3. Vol. VIII. pp. 301–313.