Gutian rule in Mesopotamia (original) (raw)

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Gutian Dynasty of Sumer

Gutian Dynasty of Sumer
c. 2141 BC–c. 2050 BC
Capital Adab
Common languages Gutian language and Sumerian language
Government Monarchy
fl. c. 2141—2138 BC Erridu-pizir (first)
fl. c. 2055—2050 BC Tirigan (last)
Historical era Bronze Age
• Established c. 2141 BC
• Disestablished c. 2050 BC
Preceded by Succeeded by Akkadian Empire Third Dynasty of Ur
Today part of Iraq

The Gutian dynasty (Sumerian: 𒄖𒋾𒌝𒆠, gu-ti-umKI) was a line of kings, originating among the Gutian people. Originally thought to be a horde that swept in and brought down Akkadian and Sumerian rule in Mesopotamia, the Gutians are now known to have been in the area for at least a century by then. By the end of the Akkadian period, the Sumerian city of Adab was occupied by the Gutians, who made it their capital.[1][2] The Gutian Dynasty came to power in Mesopotamia near the end of the 3rd millennium BC, after the decline and fall of the Akkadian Empire. How long Gutian kings held rulership over Mesopotamia is uncertain, with estimates ranging from a few years up to a century. The end of the Gutian dynasty is marked by the accession of Uruk ruler Utu-hengal (c. 2055–2048 BC), marking the short-lived "Fifth dynasty of Uruk", followed by Ur ruler Ur-Nammu (c. 2047–2030 BC), founder of the Third Dynasty of Ur.

There are very few hard facts available regarding the rulers of the Gutian Dynasty, still fewer about the Gutian people; even their homeland is not known. We have a few royal inscriptions from one ruler, Erridu-pizir, an inscribed macehead from another, La-erabum, a handful of passing mentions from contemporary Mesopotamian rulers, and one long inscription by Uruk ruler Utu-hengal. And there are the many versions of the Sumerian King List, most recensions of which were written long after the time of the Gutian Dynasty and give different, sometimes conflicting versions of history. The earliest version of the Sumerian King List, written in the Ur III period, not long afterward in time, does not mention the Gutians and lists a Gutian ruler, Tirigan, as a king of Adab.[3] Yet the SKL remains our only source for most Gutian kings.

Still, clearly the Gutian rulers had a huge impact on late–3rd-millennium Mesopotamia, reflected in the vast array of literary compositions featuring them, continuing for almost two millennia.

Votive macehead of Gutian king La-erabum, circa 2150 BC, and its inscription "La-eraab, great King of Gutiim" (𒆷𒂍𒊏𒀊 𒁕𒈝 𒈗 𒄖𒋾𒅎 la-e-ra-ab da-num lugal gutiim). The name is quite damaged and was initially read "Lasiraab".[4] British Museum (BM 90852)

The Gutians attacking a Babylonian city, as Akkadians are making a stand outside their city. Modern 19th century illustration.

At one time it was believed that Gutium was known from the 24th century BC, well before the time of the Gutian Dynasty. This was based on a tablet purportedly from the Early Dynastic ruler of Adab Lugal-Anne-Mundu. The inscription included Gutium in the area paying tribute to the ruler. This inscription is now understood to be an Old Babylonian period literary composition written many centuries after the time of Lugal-Anne-Mundu.[5][6] The first attestation of Gutium came from early in the Sargonic period when the Gutians are mentioned in year names of Akkadian rulers and established a capital at the prominent Early Dynastic Sumerian city of Adab.[1]

The full history of the Gutian dynasty is not known. It is known that it lies roughly between two major empires of the late 3rd millennium BC, the Akkadian Empire and the later Ur III Empire. Towards the end of the reign of the last notable Akkadian ruler, Shar-Kali-Sharri (c. 2153–2129 BC), the Akkadian Empire went on to a period of disarray under several weak rulers beginning a tumultuous time in Mesopotamia as Early Dynastic city-states such as Lagash and Uruk began to re-assert themselves. The Gutian newcomers in Adab also asserted their claim to rulership.[1] This contentious time ended with the rise of Ur III under Ur-Nammu (c. 2048–2030 BC).[7]

The end point of the Gutian dynasty is felt to be certain based on a long inscription of Utu-hengal (c. 2055 – 2048 BC) who was ruler of Uruk (and thought to be the brother of the first Ur II ruler Ur-Nammu) which described the destruction of the Gutians under their king Tirigan.[8] For what happened up to then our only sources are the many conflicting recensions of the Sumerian King List (SKL) and the various literary compositions that were produced in the following centuries and millennia. Neither are historically reliable sources but can be mined for insights into the events of the Gutian period.[3] [9][10][11][12]

Contemporary sources

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Shar-kali-sharri Year Names

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In the period before the Gutian Dynasty gained rulership over Mesopotamia the Akkadian Empire controlled the region. Two year names of Akkadian ruler Shar-kali-sharri (the last before the empire began to unravel) reflect of interaction with Gutium.

One year name of Ur ruler Ur-Nammu mentions Gutium. It is uncertain if the year name was from the time when he was only governor at Ur, leaving the possibility it was a reflected year name of Utu-hengal, or was later after he had assumed rulership over Mesopotamia.

Tablet of Lugalannatum

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"Gutium"

The name 𒄖𒋾𒌝𒆠, gu-ti-umKI appears in the last column. Louvre Museum.

The tablet marks the building of a temple, E-gidru, in Umma. In passing it mentions the name of a Gutian ruler.

Cylindrical Tablet of Nammahni

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The Umma ruler Nammahni, marking the construction of a temple to the goddess Ninura, mentioned in passing the name of a Gutian ruler.

A tablet from Umma, dating to the waning days of the Akkadian empire, mentions a Gutian governor.

Tablet of Utu-hengal

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Utu-Hengal victory stele AO 6018 (photograph and transcription of the obverse). Louvre Museum

An inscription of the Uruk ruler Utu-hengal, known from 3 Old Babylonian copies, commemorated the defeat of Gutian (and its king Tirigan) and the return of rulership to Sumer. Note the Mesopotamian names of Tirigan's generals.

In later literature

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Great Revolt against Naram-Sin

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This source lives on the borderline between history and literary composition. Some elements of it are from Old Babylonian copies of Naram-Sin royal inscriptions. That core was transformed into a wide variety of literary efforts with names like "Naram-Sin and the Enemy Hordes". A relevant one is "Gula-AN and the Seventeen Kings against Naram-Sin". The narrative is that Gutian king Gula-AN, leading 17 other kings, attacks Akkad and is defeated, captured, and then paroled by Naram-Sin, only to attack again resulting in a huge battle the results of which are unknown.

Geographical Treatise on Sargon of Akkad's Empire

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Another source of uncertain historicity or dating. It is known from a single tablet, findspot thought to be Qalat Sherqat, which was translated in 1925, in the early days of cuneiform studies. Gutium is listed among the area in Sargon's domain.

The Weidner Chronicle is a literary composition, known from 7 mostly fragmentary Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian (1st Millennium BC) recensions purportedly a copy of a damaged Old Babylonian Period (1894 - 1595 BC) original which described events of centuries earlier. In the case of the Gutians the premise is that the Gutians destroyed the Akkadian Empire because Naram-Sin was mean to the city of Babylon.[21] There are scholars who state that the description of the Gutian rule over parts of Mesopotamia was fiction or that it at least gave undue importance to the Guti horde. This is believed to be perpetuated by the chroniclers of Uruk to turn Utu-hegal's minor victory into an event of universal significance for the purpose of solidifying support for his emergent regime. This view is based on the varying accounts of the surviving manuscripts, with many of them in total disagreement as to the length of the king's reign and even the identities of the Guti kings.[12] The Weidner Chronicle accounts for the Gutian period as follows:

In this text, the Gutians are "scattered" by an unknown horde, the Umman Manda on their way to attacking Naram-Sin with the Gutians then picking up the pieces afterward.[23] An excerpt reads

Tablet of Islikun-Dagan

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A tablet, thought to be from Uruk and from the period following the fall of the Akkadian Empire Islikun-Dagan, known from another tablet read:

Lugal-Ane-mundu inscription

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Originally thought to be an authentic inscription of the 24th century BC ruler it is now known to be a pseudoautobiographical literary composition. It is known from 3 Old Babylonian tablet copies. The fragmentary text lists areas that are tributary to Lugal-Ane-mundu.[5]

More commonly called the Curse of Agade (known by Sumerians as "The Frown of Enlil"), this is a Sumerian literary composition, many sources and versions of which have been found, purporting to describe the fall of the Akkadian Empire because it had been cursed by the gods. On the Gutians it says:

We know little about what deities the Gutian rulers worshiped though we do know that they did follow gods (both their own, and those of Mesopotamia based on inscriptions of their first known ruler, Erridu-pizir such as this one:

and

And on the mace head of a later Gutian ruler La-erabum

One possible god of Gutium has been proposed, Abublab, identified with Ninurta.[30]

Aside from a few inscriptions, mostly from a single ruler, Erridupizir, most of what is known about the names and reigns of Gutian rulers comes from the Sumerian King List (SKL). There are about two dozen sources, most fragments, for the SKL which often conflict. The earliest source is from the Ur III period, well after some of the events described. Unlike the literary narratives, which have the Akkadian Empire falling to the Gutian hordes, the SKL has rulership passing from Akkad to Uruk, which then falls to the Gutians. It is also unknown if the dynasties listed in the SKL are all sequential or if there is overlap in rulership. Note that the order and dates vary in different recensions of the SKL. The listed reign lengths throughout much of the Gutian period are comparatively short and uniform. The following list should not be considered complete:

# Portrait or inscription Ruler Approx. date and length of reign Comments, notes, and references for mentions
Akkadian period (c. 2350 – c. 2154 BC)
Gutian kings not on the SKL (c. 2350 – c. 2211 BC)
1st Sarlak Uncertain, fl. c. 2350 – c. 2250 BC (MC)fl. c. 2250 – c. 2150 BC(SC) Historicity uncertain temp. of Enshakushanna temp. of Sargon
2nd Gula-AN Uncertain, fl. c. 2250 – c. 2220 BC(MC)fl. c. 2150 – c. 2147 BC(SC) Historicity uncertain temp. of Naram-Suen according to the narrative Gula-AN and the Seventeen Kings against Naram-Sin
3rd Erridupizir𒂊𒅕𒊑𒁺𒉿𒍣𒅕 Uncertain, reigned c. 2220 – c. 2211 BC(MC)r. c. 2147 – c. 2138 BC(SC)(9 years) temp. of Naram-Suen temp. of Ka-Nisba Thought to be the, "king without a name" mentioned on the SKL Held the title of, "King of the Four Corners" Known from a number of royal inscriptions[29]
Gutian kings on the SKL (c. 2211 – c. 2120 BC)
_"Then the reign of Uruk was abolished and the kingship was taken to the land of Gutium. In the land of Gutium, at first no king was famous; they ruled themselves for 5 years."_— Sumerian King List (SKL)
4th Imta Uncertain, fl. c. 2211 – c. 2208 BC(MC)fl. c. 2138 – c. 2135 BC(SC)(3 years)
5th Inkishush𒅔𒆠𒋙 Uncertain, fl. c. 2208 – c. 2202 BC(MC)fl. c. 2135 – c. 2129 BC(SC)(6 or 7 years) temp. of Naram-Suen
6th Sarlagab𒉌𒆸𒆷𒃮 Uncertain, fl. c. 2202 – c. 2196 BC(MC)fl. c. 2129 – c. 2126 BC(SC)(6 years) Same person as Sharlag (?) temp. of Sharkalisharri[31]
7th Shulme𒂄𒈨𒂊 Uncertain, fl. c. 2196 – c. 2190 BC(MC)fl. c. 2126 – c. 2120 BC(SC)(6 years)
8th Elulmesh𒋛𒇻𒇻𒈨𒌍 Uncertain, fl. c. 2190 – c. 2184 BC(MC)fl. c. 2120 – c. 2114 BC(SC)(6 or 7 years) Same person as Elulu (?)
9th Inimabakesh𒄿𒉌𒈠𒁀𒆠𒌍 Uncertain, fl. c. 2184 – c. 2179 BC(MC)fl. c. 2114 – c. 2109 BC(SC)(5 or 6 years)
10th Igeshaush𒄿𒄄𒌍𒀀𒍑 Uncertain, fl. c. 2179 – c. 2173 BC(MC)fl. c. 2109 – c. 2103 BC(SC)(3 or 6 years)
11th Yarlagab𒅀𒅈𒆷𒃮 Uncertain, fl. c. 2173 – c. 2158 BC(MC)fl. c. 2103 – c. 2088 BC(SC)(5 or 15 years)
12th Ibate𒄿𒁀𒋼 Uncertain, fl. c. 2158 – c. 2155 BC(MC)fl. c. 2088 – c. 2085 BC(SC)(3 years)
Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2119 BC)
13th Yarla𒅀𒅈𒆷 Uncertain, fl. c. 2155 – c. 2152 BC(MC)fl. c. 2085 – c. 2082 BC(SC)(3 years)
14th Kurum𒆪𒊒𒌝 Uncertain, fl. c. 2152 – c. 2151 BC(MC)fl. c. 2082 – c. 2081 BC(SC)(1 or 3 years)
15th Apilkin𒀀𒉈𒆠𒅔 Uncertain, fl. c. 2151 – c. 2148 BC(MC)fl. c. 2081 – c. 2078 BC(SC)(3 years)
16th La-erabum𒆷𒂍𒊏𒁍𒌝 Uncertain, fl. c. 2148 – c. 2146 BC(MC)fl. c. 2078 – c. 2076 BC(SC)(2 years) Known from a alabaster mace head inscription found at Sippar[29]
17th Irarum𒄿𒊏𒊒𒌝 Uncertain, fl. c. 2146 – c. 2144 BC(MC)fl. c. 2076 – c. 2074 BC(SC)(2 years)
18th Ibranum𒅁𒊏𒉡𒌝 Uncertain, fl. c. 2144 – c. 2143 BC(MC)fl. c. 2074 – c. 2073 BC(SC)(1 year)
19th Hablum𒄩𒀊𒈝 Uncertain, fl. c. 2143 – c. 2141 BC(MC)fl. c. 2073 – c. 2071 BC(SC)(2 years)
20th Puzur-Suen𒅤𒊭𒀭𒂗𒍪 Uncertain, fl. c. 2141 – c. 2134 BC(MC)fl. c. 2071 – c. 2064 BC(SC)(7 years) Son of Hablum
21st Yarlaganda𒅀𒅈𒆷𒂵𒀭𒁕 Uncertain, fl. c. 2134 – c. 2127 BC(MC)fl. c. 2064 – c. 2057 BC(SC)(7 years) Known from inscription of Nammahni of Umma.[29]
22nd Siium𒋛𒅇𒌝 Uncertain, fl. c. 2127 – c. 2120 BC(MC)fl. c. 2057 – c. 2050 BC(SC)(7 years) temp. of Lugalannatum Known from a foundation inscription at Umma[32]
23rd Tirigan𒋾𒌷𒂵𒀀𒀭 Uncertain, fl. c. 2120 – c. 2119 BC(MC)fl. c. 2055, c. 2050 BC(SC)(40 days) temp. of Utu-hengal temp. of Ur-Nammu Defeated by the Uruk king (Utu-hengal) according to victory stele erected in Uruk[33]
_"23 kings; they ruled for 125 years and 40 days. Then the army of Gutium was defeated and the kingship was taken to Uruk."_— SKL
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  2. ^ Susanne Paulus, "Fraud, Forgery, and Fiction: Is There Still Hope for Agum-Kakrime?", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 70, pp. 115–66, 2018
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  13. ^ Lambert, Wilfred G., "Babylon: Origins". Babylon: Wissenskultur in Orient und Okzident", edited by Eva Cancik-Kirschbaum, Margarete van Ess and Joachim Marzahn, Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 71-76, 2011
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  18. ^ Kraus, Nicholas. "The Weapon of Blood: Politics and Intrigue at the Decline of Akkad" Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 108, no. 1, pp. 1-9, 2018
  19. ^ Westenholz, Joan Goodnick. "Chapter 9. The Great Revolt against Naram-Sin". Legends of the Kings of Akkade: The Texts, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 221-262, 1997
  20. ^ Albright, W. F., "A Babylonian Geographical Treatise on Sargon of Akkad's Empire", Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 45, pp. 193–245, 1925
  21. ^ Finkelstein, J. J., "Mesopotamian Historiography", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 107, no. 6, pp. 461–72, 1963
  22. ^ Al-Rawi, F. N. H. “Tablets from the Sippar Library. I. The ‘Weidner Chronicle’: A Supposititious Royal Letter Concerning a Vision.” Iraq, vol. 52, pp. 1–13, 1990
  23. ^ O. R. Gurney, "The Sultantepe Tablets (Continued). IV. The Cuthaean Legend of Naram-Sin", Anatolian Studies, vol. 5, pp. 93–113, 1955
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  25. ^ Smith, Sidney, "Notes on the Gutian Period", Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 2, pp. 295–308, 1932
  26. ^ Cooper, Jerrold S., The Curse of Agade., The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore/London, 1983
  27. ^ Jacobsen, Thorkild, The Harps that Once .... Sumerian Poetry in Translation. Yale University Press: New Haven/London, 1987
  28. ^ Markina, Ekaterina, "They embraced his feet, saying ... and ezēbum as idioms of loyalty and defiance in Sargonic", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie, vol. 100, no. 2, pp. 165-168, 2010
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  30. ^ [1]Litke, Richard L., "A Reconstruction of the Assyro-Babylonian God-Lists, AN: dA NU-UM and AN: ANU SA AMÉLI", New Haven: Yale University, 1998
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