The city of Mari in modern Syria was ruled by several dynasties in the Bronze Age. The history of the city is divided into three kingdoms. Rulers in orange are legendary figures with notably uncertain historicity.
First kingdom The Sumerian King List (SKL) records a dynasty of six kings from Mari enjoying hegemony between the dynasty of Adab and the dynasty of Kish. The names of the Mariote kings were damaged on the early copies of the list, and those kings were correlated with historical kings that belonged to the second kingdom. However, an undamaged copy of the list that date to the Old Babylonian period was discovered in Shubat-Enlil, and the names bears no resemblance to any of the historically attested monarchs of the second kingdom, indicating that the compilers of the list had an older and probably a legendary dynasty in mind, that predate the second kingdom. #InscriptionRulerEpithetReignNotesEarly Dynastic IIIa period ()First Mariote kingdom ()1stAnbu𒀭𒁍c. 2550 BC(60 years)This name is also read as Ilshu Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer Known from the SKL; very little otherwise2ndAnba𒀭𒁀c. 2550 BC(12 years)Historicity uncertain Known from the SKL; very little otherwise Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer Son of Anbu3rdBazi𒁀𒍣"the leatherworker"c. 2550 BC(30 years)Historicity uncertain Known from the SKL; very little otherwise Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer4thZizi𒍣𒍣"the fuller"c. 2550 BC(20 years)Historicity uncertain Known from the SKL; very little otherwise Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer5thLimer𒇷𒅎𒅕"the 'gudug' priest"c. 2550 BC(30 years)Historicity uncertain Known from the SKL; very little otherwise Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer6thSharrum-iter𒈗𒄿𒌁c. 2550 BC(8 years)Historicity uncertain It has been suggested that only Sharrum-iter held the hegemony after Lugal-Anne-Mundu Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Mari; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer
Second kingdom The chronological order of the kings from the second kingdom era is highly uncertain; nevertheless, it is assumed that the letter of Enna-Dagan lists them in a chronological order. Many of the kings were attested through their own votive objects discovered in the city, and the dates are highly speculative. DepictionRulerReignNotesEarly Dynastic IIIb period ()Second Mariote kingdom ()Ikun-Mari𒄣𒄿𒈠𒌷𒆠c. 2500 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Ush This name is inscribed on a jar in MariIkun-Shamash𒄿𒆪𒀭𒌓c. 2500 BCHeld the title of, "King" May have ruled before the reign of Ur-Nanshe temp. of Lugal-zage-si (?)Iku-Shamagan𒄿𒆪𒀭𒊭𒈠𒃶c. 2500 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Ur-Lumma His name was inscribed on a votive statue offered by his official "Shibum"Ansudc. 2423 – c. 2416 BCHis name is inscribed on a jar (as Hanusum) sent to Mari by Mesannepada of Ur The name was read by Pettinato as AnubuSa'umuc. 2416 – c. 2400 BCtemp. of Kun-Damu He was attested in Enna-Dagan's letter as conquering many landsIshtup-Ishar𒅖𒁾𒄿𒊬c. 2400 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Il He was attested in Enna-Dagan's letter as conquering Emar and other Eblaite vassalsIblul-Il𒅁𒈜𒅋c. 2380 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Igrish-Halam He forced Ebla to pay tributeNizic. 2360 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of EnentarziEnna-Daganc. 2355 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Irkab-Damu He wrote a letter to Irkab-Damu of Ebla to assert Mari's authorityProto-Imperial period ()Ishqi-Mari𒅖𒄄𒈠𒌷c. 2350 - c. 2330 BCtemp. of Ur-Zababa His name was previously read as Lamgi-Mari Hypothetically the last king before the conquests of AkkadIkun-Ishar𒄿𒆪𒊬c. 2320 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Meskigal He forced Ebla to pay tributeHidarc. 2300 BCHeld the title of, "King" temp. of Enshakushanna He is attested in the archives of Ebla, which was destroyed during his reign
Third kingdom The third kingdom was ruled by two dynasties: the Shakkanakkus and the Lim. For the Shakkanakkus, the lists are incomplete and after Hanun-Dagan who ruled at the end of the Ur era c. 2008 BC (c. 1920 BC Short chronology), they become full of lacunae. Roughly 13 more Shakkanakkus succeeded Hanun-Dagan but only few are known, with the last known one reigning not too long before the reign of Yaggid-Lim who founded the Lim dynasty in c. 1830 BC, which was interrupted by Assyrian occupation in 1796–1776 BC. DepictionRulerReignNotesAkkadian period ()Third Mariote kingdom ()Shakkanakku dynasty ()Ididishc. 2266 - c. 2206 BCHeld the title of, "Military Governor"Shu-Daganc. 2206 - c. 2200 BCHeld the title of, "Military Governor" Son of IdidishIshma-Dagan𒅖𒈣𒀭𒁕𒃶c. 2200 - c. 2154 BCHeld the title of, "Military Governor"Nûr-Mêr𒉌𒉿𒅈𒈨𒅕c. 2154 - c. 2148 BCHeld the title of, "Military Governor" Son of Ishma-DaganGutian period ()Ishtup-Ilum𒅖𒁾𒀭c. 2148 – c. 2136 BCHeld the title of, "Military Governor" Son of Ishma-DaganIshgum-Addu𒅖𒄣𒀭𒅎c. 2136 - c. 2127 BCHeld the title of, "Military Governor"Ur III period ()Apil-kin 𒀀𒉈𒄀c. 2127 - c. 2091 BCWas designated with the royal title Lugal in a votive inscription set by his daughter Son of Ishgum-AdduIddi-ilum𒄿𒋾𒀭c. 2091 - c. 2085 BCHis name is also read as Iddi-Ilum; his name was inscribed on his votive statueIli-Ishar𒀭𒄿𒊬c. 2085 - c. 2072 BCHis name is inscribed on a brickTura-Dagan𒌅𒊏𒀭𒁕𒃶c. 2072 - c. 2050 BCSon of Apil-kinPuzur-Ishtar𒆃𒊭𒁹𒁯c. 2050 – c. 2025 BCUsed the royal title Son of Tura-DaganHitlal-Errac. 2025 – c. 2017 BCUsed the royal title Son of Puzur-IshtarHanun-Daganc. 2017 – c. 2008 BCUsed the royal title Son of Puzur-IshtarIsin-Larsa period ()Isi-Daganc. 2000 BCThis name is inscribed on a sealEnnin-Daganc. 1900 BCSon of Isi-DaganItur-(...)c. 1900 BCThis name is damaged, a gap separate him from Ennin-DaganAmer-Nunuc. 1900 BCThis name is inscribed on a sealTir-Daganc. 1900 BCSon of Itur-(...)Dagan-(...)c. 1900 BCThis name is damaged and is the last attested ShakkanakkuLim dynasty ()Yaggid-Limc. 1830 – c. 1820 BCHe may have ruled in Suprum rather than in MariYahdun-Limc. 1820 – c. 1797 BCSon of Yaggid-LimSumu-Yamamc. 1797 – c. 1796 BCOld Assyrian period ()Dynasty of Shamshi-Adad ()Yasmah-Adadc. 1796 – c. 1776 BCSon of Shamshi-Adad IIshar-Limc. 1776 – c. 1775 BCHe was an Assyrian official who usurped the throne for a few months between Yasmah-Adad's escape and Zimri-Lim's arrivalLim restoration ()Zimri-Lim𒍣𒅎𒊑𒇷𒅎c. 1775 – c. c. 1760 BC
Gallery
References Notes
Citations
Bibliography