Near East Kingdoms

Marhashi (Barashe / Marhaši / Warahshe) (State) (Western Iran)

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The city states of Sumer formed one of the first great civilisations in human history (see feature link). This Near Eastern civilisation emerged a little way ahead of that of Africa's ancient Egypt, and up to a millennium before that of the Indus Valley culture.

Southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and the western edge of Iran) was subjected to permanent settlement during the Pottery Neolithic and, by the late fourth millennium BC, Sumer was divided into approximately a dozen city states, by which time other regions were emerging as population centres in their own right. Elam was located to the east of Sumer, with its own selection of city states at its core (and see feature link).

This region was located on an alluvial plan below the Zagros mountains, and its remoteness meant that it took some time for it to assimilate Sumer's groundbreaking social, agricultural, and administrative inventions. Access to Sumer was in the Zagros foothills, circling the marshes, but this meant difficulties in communication, and a feeling in Sumer of there being comparative barbarians on their eastern flank.

Culturally, Elamite states achieved less than their more advanced neighbours, and imported much of what they needed, including writing from Sumer and architecture from the later city and empire of Babylon. Elamite records are also extremely sparse in terms of local events, and large areas of its history are almost totally unknown except through Sumerian records.

For a good deal of its early independent history - and especially prior to sixth century BC dominance under the Achaemenid empire - Elam was generally a land of city states along the same lines as Sumer. Rarely was it formed into a single state, and then only really from the sixteenth century BC onwards, but sometimes it could be dominated by a single city or state.

With its obscure beginnings, the state of Marhashi is more correctly shown as Marhaši. It can also be translated as Barashe and Warashe, the latter notably in older twentieth century works. The Akkadians recorded the name as Paraḫšum (Parahshum) and Baraḫšum (Barahshum), both of which are generally taken to relate to the same state.

This was a very poorly-attested but clearly important state - or more probably a confederation - which lay immediately to the east of Elam. The nearest major Elamite city to its west was Anshan. Its eastern borders are unknown, and even its precise location cannot be satisfactorily confirmed, although it is also recorded as having been south of Gutium, which was in the central Zagros mountain range.

The archaeological site of Jiroft has been put forward as the polity's capital city. Its language was only very partially related to Elamite which itself was markedly different from Sumerian, but regional variations of it may have been in use as far east as the modern Iranian border, just to the west of Baluchistan. Despite its differences with Elamite and also the language of Simashki, it was likely part of a broader pre-Indo-European group called Elamo-Dravidian which reached into India.

During the twenty-third century BC, Marhashi was a major opponent of the Akkadian empire, and seems to have overrun Elam itself for a time, uniting local efforts against the Akkadians. In fact, it may have been the incessant military campaigns of Akkad which brought about the greater cohesion of Marhashi as a state as local rulers joined forces in a defensive reaction.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer ('List 1' of Sumerian rulers, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1963), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, Michael Road (Facts on File, 2000), from Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Enrico Ascalone (Dictionaries of Civilizations 1, University of California Press, 2007), from History of the Ancient Near East c.3000-323 BC, Marc van der Mieroop (Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 2007), from The Archaeology of Elam, D T Potts (Cambridge University Press, 1999), from The Elamite World, Javier Álvarez-Mon, Gian Pietro Basello, & Yasmina Wick (Eds, Routledge, 2018), and from External Links: Some Thoughts in Neo-Elamite Chronology, Jan Tavernier (PDF), and Ancient History, Anthony Michael Love (via Sarissa.org), and Pre-Sargonic Period: Early Periods, Volume 1 (2700-2350 BC), Douglas R Frayne (The Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia series, University of Toronto Press, 2008, with an overview available via JSTOR).)

c.2560s? BC

The name Û-húb of Kish comes from a vase which is excavated at Nippur, but this can be matched favourably to the name Enna-ill (or En-na-il - both are valid here). This king claims to be responsible for having smashed Elam (or at least Awan), following which he dedicates the inscribed vase to Inanna at Nippur.

Proto-Elamite inscriptions from the site at Jiroft (possible capital of Marhashi) have fairly recently been found at the Konar-Sandal subsection of the site, dating to somewhere between 3000-2500 BC

c.2350 BC

Lugalannemundu of Adab extends Sumer's control to include territory from the Persian Gulf right up to the Mediterranean, bordering the Taurus mountains in the north, and the Zagros mountains in the east. Having subjected the Gutians, he confronts the king of the Marhashi state or confederation and leaves an inscription to record the event.

fl c.2340s BC

'King of Warahshe' (Marhashi), but the name is Semitic.

Modern opinion (including Frayne) considers the inscription to be an early second millennium BC invention or contortion of events, one which is unlikely to originate in the 'Early Dynastic' period. The name Migir-Enlil is Semitic in origin, a group which is contemporaneously numerous in Canaan and northern and central Mesopotamia, but which is entirely unknown in Elam, let alone farther east.

Instead it may mean 'favourite of [the god] Enlil', as used by Shamash-shumi-ukin, son of Esarhaddon of Assyria and ruler of Babylon in the middle of the seventh century BC.

c.2300 BC

Marhashi appears to become a dominant force to the east of Elam, but it is conquered by Sargon 'the Great' of Akkad after he has destroyed Urua (URUxA) and rampaged through Elamite lands.

An inscription hails Sargon as 'king of the totality, slayer of Elam [which is dominated by Awan] and Barahshum [Marhashi]'.  It also mentions Awan's minor allies, such as Zina, ishakku (prince) of Huhunuri and Hidarida, ishakku of Gunilaha (location unknown), along with several minor cities such as Saliamu, Karne, Heni, and Bunban (all unlocated by archaeology).

Elam appears to remain tributary to Akkad for the subsequent century - with a governor at Susa - so it seems likely that Marhashi does too.

fl c.2300? BC

'General' of Parahsum (Marhashi).

c.2278 BC

It is Abalgamash who is responsible for leading the forces of Elam, Marhashi, Kupin, Zahara, and Meluhha, (a settlement of the Indus Valley civilisation) in a coalition against the Akkadian empire. This force invades the western reaches of Elam (no doubt involving Susa) to free it of late Sargon-period occupation and await retribution from his successor, Rimush.

fl c.2278 BC

King of Warakshe (Marhashi). Contemporary with Rimush.

Abalgamash is defeated in battle by Rimush. It is stated that 'Zahara and Elam arrayed themselves for battle in the midst of Barahshum, but Rimush was victorious. Emahsini, king of Elam (Abalgamash's successor and potentially his senior general), was captured...' Shar-GA-PI from Zahara is captured between Awan and Susa by the River Qablitum, mounds of corpses are heaped up in the city.

fl c.2275 BC

Possible king of Warakshe, or of Elamite lands.

fl c.2270 BC

Former general. King of Warakshe. Hurrian name.

c.2270 BC

Both Abalgamash and Sidga'u (Si-it-ga-ù), described as GÌR.NÍTA of Barahshum, have Hurrian names according to Potts (1999) and his reference to Zadok (1993). This is at the very beginning of the establishment of a notable Hurrian presence in history. The title of GÌR.NÍTA is taken to mean vassal of the king, in this case his former position as a general for Emahsini.

The unlikely implication taken from this is that the location for the entirety of Marhashi should be moved north to accommodate this one name instead of taking the more obvious path of attributing his presence here to migration and integration.

Together with Awan in Elam, Sidga'u rebels against the overlordship of the Akkadian empire. Rimush re-conquers both states. Subsequently he tears 'the roots of Marhashi from the land of Elam'.

This act would appear to suggest a removal in Elam of Marhashi controls or influences, and a detachment of Marhashi from Elam itself. However, genuine Elamite history can be traced from this point.

fl c.2250s? BC

King of Marhashi. Contemporary with Naram-Sin.

c.2240? BC

Marhashi declares independence from Akkad along with the city state of Awan in Elam, although perhaps not immediately as it seems they are re-conquered for a time by Naram-Sin.

c.2210 BC

Marhashi overruns Elam for a time, and unites eastern efforts in fighting against the Akkadian empire (Sabum is also counted as an opponent). A battle is fought between the two states near Akshak, at the confluence of the Diyala and Tigris rivers. The Akkadian name for the following year suggests that Shar-kali-sharri of Agade claims the victory.

One of the daughters of the ruler of Marhashi is married either to Shar-kali-sharri of Agade or his son, perhaps as a consequence of the battle, and as a sign of renewed ties of peace.

c.2200 BC

An indigenous Bronze Age culture emerges in Central Asia between modern Turkmenistan and down towards the Oxus (otherwise known as the Amu Darya), the somewhat nebulous region called Transoxiana. It is known as the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex, or Oxus Civilisation (in Bactria and Margiana).

It trades and interacts to some extent with Elam and the Indus Valley civilisation, with Marhashi no doubt forming an important link in the network of trading cities which lies between these two extreme ends.

c.2070s? BC

Hashibatal is a contemporary of Shulgi of Ur, although any more precise dating is unavailable. He is placed first in this order to allow Shulgi to attempt to preserve (or improve) relations with Libanukshabash, perhaps as a newly-ascendant king of Marhashi.

fl c.2070s? BC

King of Marhashi. Contemporary with Shulgi or Ur.

fl c.2060s/2042 BC

King of Marhashi. Killed or otherwise removed from power?

c.2068 BC

In his twenty-sixth year, Shulgi of Ur attempts to forge an alliance between himself and Libanukshabash, perhaps to renew forty year-old ties of peace, but perhaps also to ward off a decline in relations. He gives his daughter, Nialimmidashu, in marriage to the king.

c.2050 - 2046 BC

During his long reign, Shulgi of Ur extends his father's empire to include all of the Assyrian city states and their at-present non-Assyrian neighbours such as the Lullubi. He also re-conquers Susa (and Urua) from Elam and its Simashki rulers, and may be responsible for finishing off rebuilding work at Nippur.

Year 46 (circa 2048 BC) of the reign of Shulgi is named the year 'Shulgi, the mighty man, king of Ur, king of the four quarters, destroyed Kimash [Simashki], Hu'urti, and their lands in a single day'. Ambassadors from Marhashi are received at Puzrish-Dagan.

This conquest carries such weight that two years later the year name is 'Harshi [Marhashi], Kimash [Simashki], and U'urti and their lands were destroyed in a single day' - not a repeat destruction but the continued recognition of a major event. Libanukshabash is recorded as an ensi (governor) of Elam circa 2042 BC.

fl c.2040s? BC

Immediate successor to Libanukshabash?

c.2040s? BC

The intended alliance between Marhashi under Libanukshabash and Shulgi of Ur is short-lived. Libanukshabash's successor causes Amar-Sin of Ur to launch a campaign against him and also against Huhnuri in Elam (possibly one and the same campaign). The outcome is unknown but, probably not coincidentally, this is the last mention of Marhashi as a major opponent.

c.2030 BC

The seventh year of the reign of Shi-Sin of Ur is named as the year 'Shu-sin, the king of Ur, king of the four quarters, destroyed the land of Zabshali'.

He also dedicates a statue of himself for the god Enlil, with it being made from gold which has been taken as booty from the lands of the Su people, and the lands of Zabshali, Shigrish, Iabulmat, Alumiddatum, Karta, Shatilu, Bulma, and Nushushmar (and possibly other equally vague and little-known Elamite territories, but the dedication is cut short).

c.2004 BC

With the collapse of Sumerian civilisation, record-keeping becomes fragmentary for a period of approximately two centuries. Elam under the Simashki kings serves to fill the power vacuum in the east but records from that state are fragmentary at the best of times. By the time Mesopotamia has restored a level of cohesiveness, Marhashi has become a smaller player in its affairs but it clearly survives.

c.1764 BC

A major invasion of Babylon by a coalition army of Elamites, Assyrians, Gutians, and Eshnunnians is defeated and crushed, and Hammurabi retaliates against Elam.

The year name for the following year (Hammurabi's thirtieth on the throne) is: 'Year Hammurabi the king, the mighty, the beloved of Marduk, drove away with the supreme power of the great gods the army of Elam who had gathered from the border of Marhashi, Subartu, Gutium, Tupliash (Eshnunna), and Malgium who had come up in multitudes, and having defeated them in one campaign, he (Hammurabi) secured the foundations of Sumer and Akkad'.

Possibly not coincidentally, this is the last genuine mention in history of the state. It is named as a border of the territory of Kiddin-Khutran III of the Igehalkid dynasty in late thirteenth century BC Elam. The mention is due to the Kassite use of outdated terminology which it copies from older Akkadian terms.