The Shimashki dynasty was an early dynasty of the ancient region of Elam, to the southeast of Babylonia, (). A list of twelve kings of Shimashki is found in the Elamite king-list of Susa, which also contains a list of kings of Awan dynasty. It is uncertain how historically accurate the list is (and whether it reflects a chronological order), although some of its kings can be corroborated by their appearance in the records of neighboring peoples. The dynasty corresponds to the second Paleo-Elamite period (dated to ). It was followed by the Sukkalmah dynasty. Shimashki was likely near today's Masjed Soleyman.
History Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2112 BC) Shimashki is first mentioned on the inscription to an image of Puzur-Inshushinak, king of Awan around 2100 BC, which depicts a Shimashkian king as subordinate to him. A royal inscription recorded "in a single day he made (those lands) fall prostrate at his feet; and, when the king of Šimaški came up (on learning about it), he seized the feet of PuzurInšušinak (in submission)".Paladre, Clélia, "Glyptic Art from the Ur III to the Šimaški Periods: Heritage and Overtaking of the Models", Ur in the Twenty-First Century CE: Proceedings of the 62nd Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale at Philadelphia, July 11–15, 2016, edited by Grant Frame, Joshua Jeffers and Holly Pittman, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, pp. 341-370, 2021
Daryaee suggests that, despite the impression from the king-list that the rulers of Shimashki was a dynasty of sequential rulers, it is perhaps better to think of Shimashki as an alliance of various peoples "rather than a unitary state."
Ur III period (c. 2112 – c. 2004 BC) The names in the king-list, as found in Potts, are "Girnamme, Tazitta, Ebarti, Tazitta, Lu[?]-[x-x-x]-lu-uh-ha-an, Kindattu, Idaddu, Tan-Ruhurater, Ebarti, Idaddu, Idaddu-napir, Idaddu-temti, twelve Sumerian kings" (bracketed letters original).D. T. Potts (1999). The Archaeology of Elam. Cambridge University Press. p. 141. An inscription establishes Idattu I was the son of Kindattu and the grandson of Ebarat (Yabrat/Ebarti) I.Piotr Steinkeller, "New Light on Šimaški and Its Rulers", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie 97, pp. 215–32, 2007
Girnamme ruled at the same time as Shu-Sin, king of Ur, and was involved, as either a groom or simply a facilitator, in the marriage of Shu-Sin's daughter. Gwendolyn Leick places this event in 2037 BC. Girnamme, along with Tazitta and Ebarti I, appears in "Mesopotamian texts establishing food rations issued to messengers," texts from 2044 to 2032 BC.
Tazitta, the second figure in the list, is referred to in a document from the eighth year of the reign of Amar-Sin of Ur.
Ebarat I (Old Elamite ia-ab-ra-at), king number 3 in the Shimashki kings list (SKL). He is mentioned in several documents of Third Dynasty of Ur, from year 44 of Šulgi (the earliest) to year 8 of Šu-Sin. Documents show that he ruled at about the same time as Girnamme and at the same time as Tazitta, kings #1 and #2 from the SKL. The inscription on bronze bowl MS 4476 mentions Ebarat (de-ba-ra-at) as a father of Kindattu and grandfather of Idadu I, kings no 6 and 7 in the SKL. The spelling ia-a-ba-ra-at later became e-ba-ra-at and e-ba-ar-ti reflecting the historic shift of /’a/ to /e/ in Elamite.
The Shimashki confederacy led an alliance against the Ur III Empire, and managed to defeat its last ruler Ibbi-Sin. After this victory, they destroyed the kingdom, looted the capital of Ur, and ruled through military occupation for the next 21 years.
Kindattu was also known as Kindadu. A Kindattu, who according to Daryaeee was "apparently" the Shimashkian king of the list above, lead the army that destroyed the Third Dynasty of Ur in 2004 BC. The operation was a joint effort between Kindattu and his then-ally Ishbi-Erra, who defeated Ur and captured Ibbi-Sin, its king. The Ishbi-Erra hymn claims that Ishbi-Erra later expelled Kindattu from Mesopotamia.
Isin-Larsa period (c. 2004 to c. 1763 BC) Idaddu I (also known as Indattu-Inshushinak, or simply Indattu) called himself "king of Shimashki and Elam". According to Stolper and André-Salvini, he was the son of Kindattu, while Gwendolyn Leick calls him "son of Pepi," claiming that Kindattu may have been his grandfather. According to Leick he ascended to the throne of Shimashki around 1970 BC.
Tan-Ruhurater, also known as Tan-Ruhuratir, formed an alliance with Bilalama, the governor of Eshnunna, by marrying Bilama's daughter Mê-Kubi.On the alliance, see On Bilalama's position as governor of Eshnunna, see
Ebarti II of Shimashki may have been the same individual known as Ebarat, a Sukkalmah, or "Grand Regent". If so, he was ruler simultaneously to the next member of the list of twelve Shimaskin kings: Idaddu II.
Idaddu II was the son of Tan-Ruhurater, during whose reign he oversaw building projects as the governor of Susa. According to Leick, he was the last of the Shimashkian kings.
The Shimashki rulers became participants in an ongoing conflict with the rulers of Isin and Larsa after the fall of Third Dynasty of Ur.
Under the Shimashki and their successors the Sukkalmah, Elam then became one of the most powerful kingdoms of West Asia, influencing the territories of Mesopotamia and Syria through commercial, military or diplomatic contacts. Expansion in Mesopotamia was only halted by the Babylonian king Hammurabi in the 18th century BC. After a prolonged conflict, the military forces of Elam were finally forced to retreat their forces positioned along the Tigris river, and to return to Susa.
The Shimashki dynasty was followed by the Sukkalmah dynasty (c. 1900–1500).
List of rulers The following list should not be considered complete: #PortraitNameSuccessionTitle datesNotesGutian period ()UnknownUnclear successionKing of ShimashkiUncertain, temp. of Puzur-InshushinakAwan dynasty ()Some archaeologists have suggested that Simashki was located in the north of Elam and Anshan near modern Isfahan.Cameron, 1936; The Cambridge History of Iran; Hinz, 1972; The Cambridge Ancient History; Majidzadeh, 1991; Majidzadeh, 1997; Vallat "Elam ...", 1998.12thPuzur-Inshushinak𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞Nephew of Khita (?)Military Governor of Elam Governor of Susa Mighty King of Elam King of AwanUncertain, temp. of Puzer-Mama temp. of Gudea temp. of Ur-NammuUr III period ()Shimashki dynasty ()Girnamme I (?)Unclear successionKing of ShimashkiUncertain, Ebarat I (?)𒂊𒁀𒊏𒀜Relative of Gir-Namme I (?)King of Shimashki1stGirnamme IIRelative of Ebarat I (?)King of Shimashkitemp. of Shulgi3rdEbarat II𒂊𒁀𒊏𒀜Relative of Tazitta IKing of Shimashkitemp. of Shulgi2ndTazitta IRelative of Gir-Namme I (?)King of Shimashkitemp. of Amar-Sin4thTazitta IIUnclear successionKing of Shimashkitemp. of Shu-SinIsin-Larsa period ()6thKindattu𒆠𒅔𒁕𒌅Son of Ebarat I (?)King of ShimashkiUncertain, (26 years)Conquered Ur temp. of Ishbi-ErraImazuSon of KindattuKing of AnshanUncertain, temp. of Shu-Ilishu5thLurak-LuhhanUnclear successionKing of Shimashkitemp. of Shu-SinTan-Ruhuratir I (?)Same person as Lurak-Luhhan (?)King of Shimashkitemp. of Shu-SinHutran-Temti I (?)Same person as Kindattu (?)King of Shimashkitemp. of Shu-Sin7thIndattu-Inshushinak I𒀭𒄿𒁕𒁺Son of Hutran-Temti I (?)King of ShimashkiUncertain, temp. of Ibbi-Sin8thTan-Ruhuratir IISon of Indattu-Inshushinak I (?)King of ShimashkiUncertain, temp. of Iddin-DaganIndattu-Inshushinak II (?)Son of Tan-Ruhuratir I (?)King of Shimashkitemp. of BilalamaEpartid dynasty ()9thEbarat III𒂊𒁀𒊏𒀜Unclear successionSukkalmah King of Anshan and Susa King of ShimashkiUncertain, temp. of Iddin-Dagan10thIndattu-Inshushinak III𒀭𒄿𒁕𒁺Son of PepiHinz, 1972.King of ShimashkiUncertain, (≥3 years)temp. of GungunumShilhahaSon of Ebarat IISukkalmah King of Anshan and SusaUncertain, Kuk-Nashur ISon of Shilhaha SukkalmahSukkalmah dynasty ()Palar-IshshanUnclear successionSukkalmahUncertain, Kuk-SanitSon of Palar-Ishshan (?)LankukuFather of Kuk-Kirwash Kuk-KirwashNephew of Palar-Ishshan (?)Sukkalmah Sukkal of Elam and Shimashki and SusaTem-SanitSon of Kuk-KirwashUncertain, Kuk-NahhunteSon of Kuk-KirwashOld Babylonian period ()AttakhushuSon of Kuk-Nashur I (?)Sukkal and Ippir of Susa Shepherd of the people of Susa Shepherd of InshushinakUncertain, Tetep-MadaSon of Kuk-Nashur I (?)Shepherd of the people of Susa11thIdattunapirUnclear successionKing of ShimashkiUncertain, temp. of Sumuabum12thIdattutemtiUnclear successionKing of ShimashkiShirukduhDescendant of Shilhaha (?)SukkalmahUncertain, temp. of Shamshi-Adad ISiwe-Palar-KhuppakSon of Shirukduh (?)Sukkalmah Sukkal of Susa Prince of ElamUncertain, temp. of HammurabiTan-UliUnclear successionSukkalmah SukkalUncertain, Temti-HalkiSon of Tan-Uli (?)Sukkalmah Sukkal of Elam and Simashki and Susa
Gallery
See also Elam Awan (ancient city) Awan dynasty Sukkalmah dynasty List of rulers of Elam List of Assyrian kings List of kings of Babylon Sumerian King List List of kings of Akkad List of rulers of the pre-Achaemenid kingdoms of Iran List of monarchs of Persia
References Notes
Citations
Sources
Bibliography
Piotr Steinkeller, "On the Dynasty of Šimaški: Twenty years (or so) After", in: W. Henkelman et al. (eds.), Extraction and control: studies in honor of Matthew W. Stolper, Oriental Institute, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 68, pp. 287–296, 2014 Matthew W. Stolper, "On the Dynasty of Šimaški and the Early Sukkalmahs", Zeitschrift für Assyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archäologie 72, pp. 42–6, 1982
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