| King ofAkkad | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| First monarch | Sargon |
| Last monarch | Shu-turul |
| Formation | c. 2334BC |
| Abolition | c. 2154 BC 530 BC(King of Sumer and Akkad) |
| Appointer | Divine right, hereditary |
Theking of Akkad (Akkadian:šar māt Akkadi,lit. 'king of the land of Akkad'[1]) was the ruler of the city ofAkkad andits empire, inancient Mesopotamia. In the 3rd millennium BC, from the reign ofSargon of Akkad to the reign of his great-grandsonShar-Kali-Sharri, the Akkadian Empire represented the dominant power in Mesopotamia and the first known great empire.
The empire would rapidly collapse following the rule of its first five kings, owing to internal instability andforeign invasion, probably resulting in Mesopotamia re-fracturing into independent city-states, but the power that Akkad had briefly exerted ensured that its prestige and legacy would be claimed by monarchs for centuries to come.Ur-Nammu ofUr, who founded theNeo-Sumerian Empire and reunified most of Mesopotamia, created the title "King of Sumer and Akkad" which would be used until the days of theAchaemenid Empire.
AlthoughSargon of Akkad is often referred to as the "founder" ofAkkad, the city itself probably existed before his rule; a pre-Sargonic inscription refers to it by name and the name "Akkad" itself is not actually of theAkkadian language of Sargon and his successors.[2][3] Sargon's reign does however mark the transition of Akkad from a city-state into the first known great empire, with the Akkadian king ruling all Mesopotamia. His rise to power began with the defeat of theSumerian kingLugal-zage-si, who had ruledLower Mesopotamia fromUruk, and the conquest of his empire.[4] Through military campaigns, Sargon subjugated regions as far west as theMediterranean and as far north asAssyria, which he boasted of in his inscriptions.[5]
Sargon's successors consolidated his vast realm and continued expanding the borders of theAkkadian Empire. Sargon's grandson and the fourth king of Akkad,Naram-Sin, brought the empire to its greatest extent and assumed a new title to illustrate his great power,King of the Four Quarters, which referenced the entire world. He was also the first king in Mesopotamia to bedeified in his lifetime, being addressed as "the god of Akkad".[6][7]
Although at least seven kings would rule Akkad after him, the Akkadian Empire quickly collapsed after Naram-Sin's reign and prominent central authority under a single king would not be restored in Mesopotamia until the rise of theNeo-Sumerian Empire. It's likely that the region reverted to local governance under kings of city-states in the time between the two empires.[8] A major cause of this collapse was the invasion of Mesopotamia by a people referred to as theGutians, who would be defeated and driven away by the founder of the Neo-Sumerian Empire,Ur-Nammu.[citation needed]
The following list should not be considered complete:
| # | Depiction | King | Approx. date of reign | Succession | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akkadian period (c. 2335 – c. 2154 BC) | |||||
| Sargonic dynasty (c. 2335 – c. 2193 BC) | |||||
— Sumerian King List (SKL) | |||||
| 1st |  | Sargon 𒈗𒁺 Šarru-ukīn | r. c. 2335 – c. 2279 BC (MC) r. c. 2270 – c. 2215 BC |
|
|
| 2nd |  | Rimush 𒌷𒈬𒍑 Ri-mu-uš | r. c. 2279 – c. 2270 BC (MC) r. c. 2214 – c. 2206 BC | Son of Sargon | |
| 3rd |  | Manishtushu 𒈠𒀭𒅖𒌅𒋢 Ma-an-ish-tu-su | r. c. 2270 – c. 2255 BC (MC) r. c. 2205 – c. 2191 BC | Brother of Rimush and son of Sargon |
|
| 4th | .jpg) | Naram-Sin 𒀭𒈾𒊏𒄠𒀭𒂗𒍪 Na-ra-amSîn | r. c. 2255 – c. 2218 BC (MC) r. c. 2191 – c. 2154 BC | Son of Manishtushu |
|
| 5th |  | Shar-Kali-Sharri 𒊬𒂵𒉌 𒈗𒌷 Šar-ka-li-šar-ri | r. c. 2218 – c. 2193 BC (MC) r. c. 2154 – c. 2129 BC | Son of Naram-Sin |
|
— SKL | |||||
| Akkadian interregnum (c. 2193 – c. 2189 BC) | |||||
| # | Depiction | King | Approx. date of reign | Succession | Notes |
| 6th | _Published_in_1923.jpg) | Igigi 𒄿𒄀𒄀 I-gi-gi | r. c. 2193 – c. 2192 BC (MC) r. c. 2129 – c. 2128 BC | Unclear succession | |
| 7th |  | Imi 𒄿𒈪 I-mi | r. c. 2192 – c. 2191 BC (MC) r. c. 2128 – c. 2127 BC | Unclear succession |
|
| 8th | .jpg) | Nanum 𒈾𒉡𒌝 Na-nu-um | r. c. 2191 – c. 2190 BC (MC) r. c. 2127 – c. 2126 BC | Unclear succession |
|
| 9th | .jpg) | Ilulu 𒅋𒇽 Ilu-lu | r. c. 2190 – c. 2189 BC (MC) r. c. 2126 – c. 2125 BC | Unclear succession |
|
— SKL | |||||
| Final kings of Akkad (c. 2189 – c. 2154 BC) | |||||
| # | Depiction | King | Approx. date of reign | Succession | Notes |
| 10th |  | Dudu 𒁺𒁺 Du-du | r. c. 2189 – c. 2168 BC (MC) r. c. 2125 – c. 2104 BC | Possibly a son of Sharkalisharri |
|
| 11th | .jpg) | Shu-turul 𒋗𒉣𒇬𒍌 Šu-ṭur-ul | r. c. 2168 – c. 2154 BC (MC) r. c. 2104 – c. 2083 BC | Son of Dudu | |
— SKL | |||||
Although Akkad and what remained of its empire was destroyed, its power and prominence led to rulers of later Mesopotamian empires wishing to claim its prestige and legacy for themselves. Ur-Nammu, who founded the Neo-Sumerian Empire in the aftermath of the Gutian rule of Mesopotamia assumed the title "King of Sumer and Akkad". Although the title was meant to justify his rule over both southern (Sumer) and northern (Akkad) Mesopotamia, it also clearly connected Ur-Nammu to the old Akkadian kings,[10] who may have been against linking Sumer and Akkad in such a fashion even though they had ruled both regions.[11]
Ur-Nammu's title would endure for more than 1,500 years. It was assumed byHammurabi, founder of theOld Babylonian Empire, and used byBabylonian kings up until the 8th century BC.[12] It was also prominently used in theMiddle andNeo-Assyrian Empires[12] and in theNeo-Babylonian Empire.[1] ForAssyrian kings, "King of Sumer and Akkad" was used as a marker of their control ofBabylon (which was in the South, e.g. Sumer) and only those Assyrian kings who actually controlled Babylon used the title in their inscriptions.[12]
The final king to assume the title of "King of Sumer and Akkad" wasCyrus the Great of theAchaemenid Empire, who reigned from 559 to 530 BC. In theCyrus Cylinder, written in Akkadiancuneiform script following Cyrus'sconquest of Babylon, he assumed several traditionalMesopotamian royal titles, most of which were not used by his successors.[13]