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City State of Mari
Mari was located just inside the border of
Syria on the
site of Tell Hariri on the west bank of the Euphrates - the most northerly
of all the Sumerian city
states. Thought to
have been inhabited since the fifth millennium BC, the inhabitants of Mari were
Semitic, probably part of the Eblaite and
Akkadian migration.
Their village became a flourishing city state from about
2900 BC until circa 1760 BC as a strategic stronghold between Sumer
and the city states of Syria and northern Mesopotamia. It was destroyed in
the 24th century BC and only revived when the Amorites succeeded the
Sumerians. Hammurabi's
Babylonian Empire eventually conquered and sacked it in the eighteenth
century BC.
This is the tenth set of entries on the Sumerian list comprising kings
60-65. Six kings achieved dominance over Sumer, ruling for 136 / 184 years (Lists
1 & 2). Here, "List 1" is primarily used,
backed up by "List 2" and "List 3"
(see Sumer for
details). There are also further names which are not on the list (apart from
Ilshu) and which seem to clash in their estimated dates. These are listed
with a
shaded background following Ilshu. |
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fl c.2600? BC |
Ninni-Zaza |
God-king deified with a temple in his name, founded c.2600
BC. |
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Mari holds the kingship from
Adab, gaining ascendancy
over areas of northern Sumer
(the dates do not fit in with those established for Adab if the kingship is
gained at the start of this dynasty, so more probably the kingship is
secured in around 2350 BC, perhaps only by Carrum-iter, with the list
including his entire dynasty to reflect his right to rule). |
c.2500 - 2470 BC |
Ilshu /
Anabu? / Anapu |
Ruled for 30/90 years. |
c.2470 - 2453 BC |
(Name unknown) /
Anba |
Son. Ruled for 17/7
years. |
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c.2470 - 2450 BC |
Lamgi-Mari |
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c.2453 - 2423 BC |
(Name unknown) /
Bazi |
Ruled for 30
years. The 'Leatherworker'. |
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c.2450 - 2445 BC |
Ikun-Shamash |
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c.2445 - 2425 BC |
Ikun-Shamagan |
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c.2440 - 2425 BC |
Mari is involved in frequent warfare against the dominant
Lagash.
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c.2425 - 2400 BC |
Iblul-Il |
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c.2400 BC |
Iblul-Il is credited with conquering the city state of Ebla.
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c.2423 - 2403 BC |
(Name unknown) /
Zizi |
Ruled for 20 years.
The 'Fuller'. |
c.2403 - 2373 BC |
(Name unknown) /
Limer |
Ruled for 30
years. The 'Gudu Priest'. |
c.2373 - 2364 BC |
(Name unknown) /
Carrum-iter |
Or Sharrum-Ite. Ruled for 9/7 years.
Gained the kingship? |
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c.2364? BC |
The king list records the
kingship next passing briefly to the Third Dynasty of
Kish. |
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c.2334? BC |
Mari is destroyed, although opinion is divided on the culprit. It is likely
either Sargon of Akkad
(who later states that he passed through Mari on his campaign to the west,
using it as a base of operations),
or Mari's traditional commercial rivals, the people of Ebla. The region declines
in importance with the city probably becoming little more than a village.
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c.2260s? BC |
At around the same time as the city is again destroyed, this time by Ebla, a 'dynasty of generals' (Akkadian shakkanakku) perhaps comes into
being as early as the reign of Manishtushu of
Akkad. They rule the city
as an independent state which remains that way for the next 350 years.
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c.2000? BC |
Ibit-Lim |
A member of the dynasty of generals. Also controlled Ebla. |
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AMORITE RULERS OF MARI
Some time before 2000 BC the population of Mari began
to swell again as a result of the arrival of a confederation of tribes in
Sumer
called the Amorites. By
1900 BC those of their population already settled in nearby Tel Ashara (Terqa),
about sixty kilometres to the north, managed to subdue Mari and establish
a relatively stable kingdom. A second age of prosperity began for the city,
although records for it are sparse.
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c.1900 BC |
The 'dynasty of generals' comes to an end, for reasons unknown, and Mari may
even be abandoned. Either way, the
Amorite peoples living in Tel Ashara, the north-western Syrian Sim'alite
branch, are able to move in and take over
the region, establishing their own dynasty by c.1850 BC.
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c.1820 - 1811 BC |
Yaggid-Lim / Iagitlim |
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Mari and
Ekallatum begin a feud
that lasts until c.1761 BC. |
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c.1811 - 1795 BC |
Yahdun-Lim / Iadhun-Lim |
Assassinated by his servants. |
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c.1800? BC |
Yahdun-Lim sends troops north towards the Mediterranean, to join those of
Yamkhad in fighting against several previously subject Syrian tribal states,
including Tuttul. The enemy armies are defeated and their towns are
attacked. |
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c.1795 - 1791 BC |
Sumu-Yamam |
Son. |
c.1791 BC |
Shamshi-Adad sets up an empire which stretches from the Mediterranean to the Zagros Mountains,
the kingdom of Upper
Mesopotamia.
He conquers Mari, placing Yasmah-Adad, one of his sons, on
the throne. |
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c.1791 - 1776 BC |
Yasmah-addu / Yasmah-Adad |
Upper Mesopotamian 'Governor of Mari'. Overthrown. |
c.1776 BC |
Upon
the death of Shamshi-Adad, his kingdom falls apart. In Mari, the
Amorite Zimri-Lim
destroys Yasmah-Adad's forces. Yasmah-Adad himself is either killed or flees
(sources fail to agree). The new ruler establishes strong ties with
Babylon and Alep. He had
already married
Princess Shiptu, daughter of Sumu'epuh of Alep, and had been sold the city
state of Alakhtum. He also establishes trade relations with at least
thirty-two kings (mentioned in the palace archives), including those of Apum. |
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c.1776 - 1761 BC |
Zimri-Lim /
Zimrilim |
Expanded royal
palace to 300+ rooms. Founded state archives. |
c.1761 BC |
Hammurabi turns on his old ally, defeating Zimri-Lim in battle and
conquering Mari. Two years later Mari is sacked and devastated by Hammurabi and the region
is incorporated into the
Babylonian Empire. The area is subsequently occupied by scattered groups
of
Assyrians and Babylonians, with the former city remaining a
village. Power in the Middle Euphrates shifts some 100kms north to Zimri-Lim's
homeland of Terqa. |
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c.1730 BC |
The
Kassites invade
Mesopotamia, taking Mari. |
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KASSITE RULERS OF MARI
The Kassites were another non-Semitic, non-Indo-European mountain people just like the
Amorites.
They invaded the Babylonian Empire
in the eighteenth century BC and eventually conquered it, ruling over it until 748 BC.
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c.1730 - 1705 BC |
Gandash |
Kassite leader when they invaded the
Babylonian Empire. |
c.1715 BC |
The
invading Kassite army
under Gandash is crushed by Iluma-Ilum of the
Sealand Dynasty.
However, Gandash does successfully conquer Mari, and the Kassite kings
reside there. |
c.1705 - 1690 BC |
Agum I |
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c.1690 - 1680 BC |
Kashtiliash I |
King of Hana. |
c.1680 - 1665 BC |
Ushshi |
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c.1665 - 1650 BC |
Abirattash |
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c.1650 - 1640 BC |
Kashtiliash II |
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c.1640 - 1630 BC |
Urzigurumash |
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c.1630 - 1600 BC |
Harbashihu |
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c.1600 - 1595 BC |
Tiptakzi |
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c.1595 BC |
Agum II |
Conquered
Babylon. |
c.1595 BC |
The
economically weakened
Babylonian Empire is sacked
by the
Hittites, allowing the
Kassites
to move south from Mari and take over control of Babylonia. |
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c.331 BC |
The village
of Mari disappears from history upon the arrival
of the
Greeks. |
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