Near East Kingdoms

Andarig / Anderiq (City State) (Northern Mesopotamia)

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In southern Mesopotamia the city states of Sumer formed one of the first great civilisations in human history (see feature link). This Near Eastern civilisation developed out of the end of the Pottery Neolithic across the Fertile Crescent, a period which had seen Neolithic Farmer practices spread far and wide across the Near East and beyond.

As irrigation improved so the more southerly reaches of the Euphrates could at last be occupied by humans and their animals, with permanent settlements arising from the sixth millennium BC. Initially these were pastoralist settlements, but soon farming villages appeared and they gradually grew and improved. At the same time, northern Mesopotamia experienced its own burgeoning development processes, largely starting under the Hassuna culture.

These processes took longer here than they did in the south, in what is now northern Iraq, the western edge of Iran, the south-eastern corner of Turkey, and the eastern wedge of Syria. An urban lifestyle only really appeared in the third millennium BC, thanks in part to such influences being imposed during Sumerian empire-building periods. Archaeology has uncovered a wealth of detail about settlements in this region, but many more sites remain to be examined.

The Mari documents reveal the existence of a number of kings of Andarig (alternatively translated as Andariq). This was an important city on the Sinjar plain in northern Mesopotamia, but only for a short period after the fall of the late nineteenth century BC 'Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia'.

As yet the city's precise location is unknown. As a result, its history and its ultimate fate are both uncertain. Opinion leans towards the idea that it was located at the modern Tell Khoshi archaeological site, the royal city and capital of Yamutbal. This was one of the larger regional cities, over a hundred hectares in size, during the early and middle Bronze Age, and can be dated back to the start of the third millennium BC.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from History of the Ancient Near East c.3000-323 BC, Marc van der Mieroop (Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 2007), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Enrico Ascalone (Dictionaries of Civilizations 1, University of California Press, 2007), from Early Mesopotamia: Society and Economy at the Dawn of History, J N Postgate (Routledge, 1994), from The First Empires, J N Postgate (Oxford 1977), from Mesopotamia, Chris Scarre (Ed, Past Worlds - The Times Atlas of Archaeology, Guild Publishing, London 1989), and from External Links: Ancient Worlds, and Ancient History, Anthony Michael Love ('List 3' of Sumerian rulers at Sarissa.org).)

c.1809 - 1776 BC

Andarig is probably a vassal state under Shamshi-Adad's 'Kingdom of Upper Mesopotamia' during this period. With its king eventually aging, around 1776 BC the kingdom is attacked simultaneously by Yamkhad and Eshnunna.

While southern Mesopotamia flourished during the third millennium BC, it took longer for the same effect to be felt in northern Mesopotamia, with the first larger cities and city states only really emerging towards the end of the millennium (click or tap on map to view full sized)

Given that the approximate date in which he had begun his initial rule of Ekallatum is 1829 BC, fifty-three years before, then he must be at least sixty by now (if the possibility of a child-king is included) or even in his early seventies, an advanced age for the period.

Following this latest attack of several towards the end of his reign, Shamshi-Adad's death, either in battle or of natural causes, means that his empire quickly falls apart. Andarig's own rulers prove also to be powerful regional replacements, managing to dominate several cities.

c.1776 - 1770? BC

Unknown king who oversaw Andarig's independence.

c.1772? - 1770 BC

The next king, Qarni-Lim, is strong enough to influence many of his neighbours, sometimes imposing rulers on states. He claims responsibility for handling the funeral of Turum-natki of Apum, and also places his two successors on the throne there - Haya-abum and Zuzu (his own son) - before the city is briefly seized by Elam.

The palace of Qarni-Lim at Tell Leilan - the ancient city of Shehna, capital of the second millennium BC state of Apum, displays the Andarig king's domination of the city

c.1770 - 1766 BC

Killed and beheaded, body dumped in the Habur.

c.1766 BC

Upon Qarni-Lim's mysterious death, Zimri-Lim of Mari is urged to take personal control of Andarig, but he first tries to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, Atamrum, claimed as being king of a state of 'Allahad', besieges the city of Razama with a force of Elamite and Eshnunnan troops under his command. His father is one Warad-Sin who may well be the Elamite Warad-Sin of Larsa of the late 1800s BC. This would also explain his force of Elamites.

He is ordered by Zimri-Lim to raise his siege. Although Atamrum perhaps is ranked highly in comparison to Zimri-Lim in terms of regional correspondence now that Qarni-Lim is dead, it is clear whose authority carries the most weight, even though the order is apparently ignored.

c.1765 - ? BC

Son of Warad-Sim (of Larsa?). King of Allahad.

c.1765 BC

A little over a year after the death of Qarni-Lim, Atamrum assumes control of Andarig after being handed the city by Eshnunnan troops (who are presumably stationed there). Soon after he takes back the state of Apum from its Elamite rulers, and it remains under the control of Andarig during the reign of Atamrum's son.

The Sinjar plain (now in northern Iraq) was the location of the city of Andarig, although the city's remains have yet to be discovered and examined by archaeologists

c.1764 BC

Zimri-Lim of Mari comes to the aid of Andarig in a regional dispute which undoubtedly involves Atamrum's apparent ignoring of Zimri-Lim's order to raise his siege of Andarig.

c.1761 BC

Andarig is besieged by Zimri-Lim of Mari, but in the same year Mari itself is crushed by Hammurabi of Babylon. The region is incorporated into the Babylonian empire, and is subsequently occupied by scattered groups of Assyrians and Babylonians.

fl c.1750s? BC

Son and military leader. Fate unknown.

Himdija inherits the throne from his father, and before his reign begins he conquers the otherwise unknown city of Amaz. Often in conflict with his opposite number in Kurda, Hammu-Rabi, the two eventually make peace.

This tablet from eighteenth century BC Mari contains records of food supplies, with the symbol of a human head with a triangular object in front of it being the verb 'to eat' in later Sumerian

fl c.1740s? BC

Son or brother? Fate unknown.

Andarig's fate is unknown after this ruler, with he and Himdija being the last to be recorded as ruling here. Northern Mesopotamia itself is in decline, with many cities being abandoned, so Andarig most likely suffers this fate.