Near East Kingdoms

Larsa (City State) (Sumer)

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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. It 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. Southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and the western edge of Iran) was subjected to permanent settlement, initially in the form of pastoralists but soon as farmers too. Cultures around the edges of this progression included the Hassuna and Samarra which began this settlement process, and perhaps elements of the Hissar culture in the Iranian highlands were also involved.

By the late fourth millennium BC, Sumer was divided into approximately a dozen city states which were independent of one another and which used local canals and boundary stones to mark their borders. Many early historical events in the region are found only in the Sumerian king list, which notates the rulers of the city states (and see feature link), but archaeology has also uncovered a wealth of detail.

Apart from one possible contender during the pre-flood period in which Bad-tibira held the kingship, the city of Larsa seems not to have had any other independent kings of its own until the very end of Sumerian civilisation.

Control of it was gained by the Amorite inheritors of southern Mesopotamia, becoming the centre of a moderately successful city state which also controlled Ur and Uruk. Its name (modern Tell as-Senkereh), was corrupted to Ellasar in the Bible, although the Biblical king Arioch of Ellasar is now thought to be the early Hurrian king Ariukki. Dates are according to the Middle Chronology, which (until recently at least) was the most popular. The Long Chronology sets the dates 120 years earlier, while the Low Chronology sets them 64 years later.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Mesopotamia: The Invention of the City, Gwendolyn Leick (Penguin Books, 2001), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character, Samuel Noah Kramer ('List 1' of Sumerian rulers, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1963), from First Farmers: The Origins of Agricultural Societies, Peter Bellwood (Second Ed, Wiley-Blackwell, 2022), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from The Ancient Near East, c.3000-330 BC, Amélie Kuhrt (Routledge, 2000, Vol I & II), 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 The Archaeology of Mesopotamia, S Lloyd (Revised Ed, London, 1984), 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 History of the Ancient Near East c.3000-323 BC, Marc van der Mieroop (Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 2007), from Ancient History: A Theory About Ancient Times, L C Gerts (List 4 of Sumerian rulers, Chapter 12: The Sumerian king list, 2002), from Mesopotamia, Chris Scarre (Ed, Past Worlds - The Times Atlas of Archaeology, Guild Publishing, London 1989), from The Age of the God-Kings, Kit van Tulleken (Ed, Time Life Books, Amsterdam 1987), and from External Links: Ancient Worlds, and The Sumerian Kings List, J A Black, G Cunningham, E Fluckiger-Hawker, E Robson, & G Zólyomi ('List 2' of Sumerian rulers, available via the Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford, 1998), and Ancient History, Anthony Michael Love ('List 3' of Sumerian rulers at Sarissa.org), and Images from History (University of Alabama).)

c.3100 - 2900 BC

The Uruk IV influence suddenly fades around 3100 BC (or 3200 BC in some modern sources) for reasons unknown. Local traditions re-emerge in places which had previously taken on board Uruk influences. Elam's advanced city of Susa experiences an influx of immigrants who introduce great changes there.

The Uruk III or Jemdet Nasr period in Sumer is one of comparative isolation as it rebuilds a new social structure which will become a fundamental part of the successive 'Early Dynasty' period. A host of early cities are mentioned at this time, on seals which are discovered at Jemdet Nasr itself. These cities include Kesh, Larsa, Nippur, Ur, Uruk, and Zabalam.

c.2440s BC

Eannatum of Lagash annexes virtually all of 'Post-Diluvian' Sumer, including Kish, Nippur, Uruk (briefly), Ur, and Larsa, and reduces his arch-rivals at Umma, twenty-nine kilometres away, to a tributary state with the defeat of Enakalle.

In addition, he extends his realm to parts of Elam and along the Persian Gulf, apparently using terror as a matter of policy. The stele of the vultures describes the violent treatment which is meted out to his enemies.

Urur of Akshak leads a northern coalition against him but that is destroyed, with Akshak recognising Lagash's supremacy along with Mari. Lagash is later eclipsed by Umma under Lugalzaggesi.

c.2330s BC

Sargon claims to be the first king to unite Mesopotamia (Sumer and Agade, plus a wide swathe of northern Mesopotamia), although Enshakushanna of Uruk has already achieved that in the mid-twenty-fifth century BC.

The second tell of Sippar, that of ed-Der or 'Little Sippar', is certainly settled and active during the 'Ur III' period, and may date back to the Akkadian period. It remains settled and active for as long as 'Great Sippar' remains settled and active. However, the southern sun sanctuary at Larsa generally eclipses the Sippar temples from 'Ur III' onwards.

c.2025 BC

With the power of the Third Dynasty at Ur crumbling, it seems that Larsa becomes independent, at least to a degree, founding its own line of kings.

Larsa (Amorite City State) (Southern Mesopotamia)

Larsa became a formidable force in southern Mesopotamia during the Old Babylonian Period. After the Third Dynasty of Ur collapsed, many of the larger city states hurried to fill the resultant power vacuum. Isin managed to regain many of the most important Sumerian sites, and appointed their own governors at Larsa. One of them, an Amorite of the Yamutbal tribe named Gungunum, broke with Isin, set up his own independent dynasty at Larsa, and seized the now diminished city of Ur. Whether his predecessors were also Amorites is not known.

(Additional information from External Link: International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia Online.)

c.2025 - 2004 BC

Presumably an Amorite of the Yamutbal.

c.2004 - 1998 BC

Possible son?

c.1998 BC

Larsa falls under the control of Isin in the century of disorder which follows the collapse of Sumerian civilisation. It seems by the Larsa king list that Emisum continues to govern the city, but probably only as a subject of Isin.

c.1998 - 1976 BC

c.1976 - 1941 BC

Possible son? Established Larsa as a rival to Isin.

c.1941 - 1933 BC

Governor of Larsa under Isin's rule?

c.1932 - 1905 BC

Son? Governor of Larsa under Isin's rule. First king of Larsa.

c.1920? BC

Gungunum, Isin's governor of the province of Lagash, breaks with his masters and sets up his own dynasty in Larsa, although the reasons for this are largely unknown. To further frustrate Isin's rulers, he seizes Ur, cutting Isin's vital trade route and economically crippling the city.

c.1905 - 1894 BC

Son?

c.1905 - 1866 BC

Gungunum's two successors in the rule of Larsa and Ur seek to cut off Isin's access to water by rerouting canals to Larsa. There is evidence that acquiring access to water in this increasingly arid region poses quite a problem for most of southern Mesopotamia in this period, so making it an increasingly vital resource. After this period, Isin quickly loses political and economical force.

c.1894 - 1866 BC

Son?

c.1865 - 1850 BC

c.1850 - 1843 BC

c.1843 - 1841 BC

Son?

c.1841 - 1836 BC

c.1836 - 1835 BC

Son? Killed in battle by Sabium of Babylon.

c.1835 BC

Silli-Adad is defeated and killed in battle by Sabium of Babylon, apparently leaving the kingdom in a political vacuum which is quickly filled by Elamites.

fl c.1835 BC

King of an Elamite state north of Susa? Died c.1822 BC?

c.1834 BC

Kudur-mabug or Kudur-mabuk, apparent king of an otherwise unknown Elamite state to the north of the Elamite capital at Susa, manages to install his son, Warad-Sin, on the throne of Larsa.

c.1834 - 1823 BC

Son. Died.

One Eri-Aku of Tyre has been linked to an Eri-Aku, son of Kudur-mabug. When Warad-Sin dies he may briefly be succeeded by his brother, Eri-Aku, and then by another brother, Rim-Sin (I).

c.1823 - 1822 BC

Brother. Succession uncertain and certainly brief.

When Rim-Sin succeeds, he conquers much of southern Mesopotamia. Isin is taken in c.1796 BC (or perhaps earlier), and Sin-muballit of Babylon is defeated. Uruk is also defeated (c.1810 BC) and then finally captured (c.1803/2 BC).

The city state's possessions reach their peak, such as it is, controlling about ten to fifteen other cities - nowhere near the territory controlled by many previous dynasties in Sumerian history. Even so, the city state manages to undertake huge building projects and agricultural undertakings.

c.1822 - 1763 BC

Brother. 'Shepherd of the land of Nippur'.

c.1822 BC

Rim-Sin enjoys the longest reign of any king in ancient Mesopotamian history, totalling sixty years. At the start of his reign his family control a stretch of southern Mesopotamia which reaches from Nippur and Mashkan-shapir in the north to the head of the Persian Gulf in the south, including Larsa and Ur.

c.1810 - 1800 BC

In the king's thirteenth year - 1810 BC - he defeats a coalition of forces which is led by Uruk, Isin, and Babylon. He captures some villages near Uruk, but a pause occurs until further action is possible. He seems to have to fight near Larsa itself - and is victorious - before recapturing Nippur (which clearly has been lost, perhaps in 1810 BC), and then destroying Uruk in 1800 BC.

c.1793 BC

Isin is finally captured by Rim-Sin. The city has long been one of his fiercest rivals, and one of the main organisers of resistance against him, so he ensures he fully ends the city's independence. His only remaining rival is the small but growing city state of Babylon.

c.1763 BC

Now an old man, Rim-Sin is attacked by Hammurabi's growing Babylonian empire for his failure to provide any real assistance in the allied effort to beat back the growing threat of the powerful Elamites. Given Rim-Sin's ancestry perhaps the lack of support should not have been a surprise. Hammurabi now controls most of Sumer.

c.1741 - 1736 BC

An adventurer.

Along with many others at the time of Hammurabi's death, Rim-Sin II sees an opportunity to lead a revolt against the rule of Samsu-iluna's Babylonian empire. The two fight for five years, with Rim-Sin allied to Eshnunna, and most battles taking place on the Elam/Sumer border before Rim-Sin is captured and executed.

c.539 BC

Archaeological evidence suggests that Larsa remains occupied until the end of the Neo-Babylonian empire, when it is abandoned, either upon Babylonia becoming part of the Persian Achaemenid empire, or shortly afterwards.