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Awan dynasty

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The Awan dynasty[a] was the first dynasty of Elam of which very little of anything is known today—appearing at the dawn of recorded history. The dynasty corresponds to the early part of the first Paleo-Elamite period (dated to c. 2400 – c. 2015 BC); additionally, succeeded by the Shimashki (c. 2200 – c. 1980 BC) and Sukkalmah dynasties (c. 1980 – c. 1450 BC).[1][2] The Elamites were likely major rivals of neighboring Sumer from remotest antiquity—they were said to have been defeated by Enmebaragesi of Kish c. 2750 BC—who is the earliest archaeologically attested king named on the Sumerian King List (SKL); moreover, by a later monarch, Eannatum of Lagash c. 2450 BC.[3] Awan was a city-state or possibly a region of Elam whose precise location is not certain; but, it has been variously conjectured to have been within the: Ilam and/or Fars provinces of what is today known as the Islamic Republic of Iran, to the north of Susa (in south Luristan), close to Dezful (in Khuzestan), or Godin Tepe (in the Kermanshah Province).[4][5][6]

Awan dynasty
𒈗𒂊𒉈𒀀𒉿𒀭𒆠 (Sumerian)

Dynasty of Peli
Dynasty
A map of the Near East detailing the geopolitical situation in the region during the Awan dynasty c. 2600 BC occupied by various contemporaneous archaeological cultures and/or civilizations such as those of the:
  Minoans
  Elamites
  Egyptians
  Sumerians
  Hurrians
  Assyrians
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A clickable map of the present-day Islamic Republic of Iran detailing the locations of various ancient, archaeological sites, settlements, hamlets, villages, towns, and/or cities (and the approximated locations of six lost cities: Akkad, Akshak, Urua, Hidali, Hurti, and Kimash; also, the two lost capital cities of the Elamite Empire: Awan and Shimashki) that may have been visited, interacted and traded with, invaded, conquered, destroyed, occupied, colonized by and/or otherwise within the Elamites’ sphere of influence at some point temp. the dynasty of Awan.
Parent familyEarly Elamite kings
CountryElam
Current regionWestern Iran
Earlier spellingslugal-e-ne a-wa-anki
EtymologyKings of Awan
Place of originAsia
Foundedc. 2400 BC (c. 2400 BC) (c. 2600 BC)
Founder
  • Peli (fl. c. 2550 – c. 2400 BC)
  • (Unknown, (fl. c. 2600 – c. 2450 BC)
Final rulerPuzur-Inshushinak (r. c. 2100 BC)
Final headLuh-ishan (d. c. 2325 BC)
Historic seatAwan
Titles
List
Connected familiesSukkalmah dynasty
TraditionsElamite religion
Estate(s)Godin Tepe
Dissolutionc. 2015 BC (c. 2015 BC)
Depositionc. 2450 BC (c. 2450 BC)
Cadet branchesShimashki dynasty
The Elamites remained a major source of tension for the Sumerians, Akkadians, Amorites, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Kassites millennia after the supposed victory of the Awan dynasty over the first dynasty of Ur c. 2600 – c. 2340 BC as described on the Sumerian King List (SKL).

History

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Early Dynastic period (c. 2900 – c. 2350 BC)

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According to the Sumerian King List, a dynasty from Awan exerted hegemony in Sumer after defeating the First Dynasty of Ur, probably in the 25th century BC.[7] It mentions three Awan kings, who supposedly reigned for a total of 356 years.[8] Their names have not survived on the extant copies, apart from the partial names of the second and third kings, "...Lu" and Ku-ul...", who it says ruled for 36 years.[9] This information is not considered reliable, but it does suggest that Awan had political importance in the 3rd millennium BC.

A royal list found at Susa gives 12 names of the kings in the Awan dynasty.[10][11][12] The twelve kings of Awan given in the list are: Pieli, Tari/ip, Ukkutahieš, Hišur, Šušuntarana, Na-?-pilhuš, Kikkutanteimti, Luhhiššan, Hišepratep, Hielu?, Hita-Idaddu-napir, Puzur-Inšušinak. The twelve kings of the Shimashki Dynasty are: Girnamme, Tazitta, Ebarti, Tazitta, Lu?-x-luuhhan, Kindattu, Idaddu, Tan-Ruhurater, Ebarti, Idaddu, Idaddu-Temti.

As there are very few other sources for this period, most of these names are not certain. Little more of these kings' reigns is known, but Elam seems to have kept up a heavy trade with the Sumerian city-states during this time, importing mainly foods, and exporting cattle, wool, slaves and silver, among other things. A text of the time refers to a shipment of tin to the governor of the Elamite city of Urua, which was committed to work the material and return it in the form of bronze — perhaps indicating a technological edge enjoyed by the Elamites over the Sumerians.

It is also known that the Awan kings carried out incursions in Mesopotamia, where they ran up against the most powerful city-states of this period, Kish and Lagash. One such incident is recorded in a tablet addressed to Enetarzi, a minor ruler or governor of Lagash, testifying that a party of 600 Elamites had been intercepted and defeated while attempting to abscond from the port with plunder.[13]

Akkadian period (c. 2350 – c. 2154 BC)

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Events become a little clearer at the time of the Akkadian Empire (c. 2300 BC), when historical texts tell of campaigns carried out by the kings of Akkad on the Iranian plateau. Sargon of Akkad boasted of defeating a "Luh-ishan king of Elam, son of Hishiprashini", and mentions plunder seized from Awan, among other places. Luhi-ishan is the eighth king on the Awan king list, while his father's name "Hishiprashini" is a variant of that of the ninth listed king, Hishepratep - indicating either a different individual, or if the same, that the order of kings on the Awan king list has been jumbled.[14][15][9][1]

Sargon's son and successor, Rimush, is said to have conquered Elam, defeating its king who is named as Emahsini. Emahsini's name does not appear on the Awan king list, but the Rimush inscriptions claim that the combined forces of Elam and Warahshe, led by General Sidgau, were defeated at a battle "on the middle river between Awan and Susa". Scholars have adduced a number of such clues that Awan and Susa were probably adjoining territories.

With these defeats, the low-lying, westerly parts of Elam became a vassal of Akkad, centred at Susa. This is confirmed by a document of great historical value, a peace treaty signed between Naram-Sin of Akkad and an unnamed king or governor of Awan, probably Khita or Helu. It is the oldest document written in Elamite cuneiform that has been found.

Although Awan was defeated, the Elamites were able to avoid total assimilation. The capital of Anshan, located in a steep and mountainous area, was never reached by Akkad. The Elamites remained a major source of tension, that would contribute to destabilizing the Akkadian state, until it finally collapsed under Gutian pressure.

Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2112 BC)

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When the Akkadian empire started to break down around 2240 BC, it was Kutik-Inshushinak (or Puzur-Inshushinak), the governor of Susa on behalf of Akkad, who liberated Awan and Elam, ascending to the throne.

By this time, Susa had started to gain influence in Elam (later, Elam would be called Susiana), and the city began to be filled with temples and monuments. Kutik-Inshushinak next defeated Kimash and Hurtum (neighboring towns rebelling against him), destroying 70 cities in a day. Next he established his position as king, defeating all his rivals and taking Anshan, the capital. Not content with this, he launched a campaign of devastation throughout northern Sumer, seizing such important cities as Eshnunna. When he finally conquered Akkad he was declared king of the four quarters, owner of the known world. Later, Ur-Nammu of Ur, founder of the 3rd dynasty of Ur defeated Elam, ending the dynasty of Awan.

Kutik-Inshushinak's work was not only as a conqueror; he created Elam's organization and the administrative structure. He extended the temple of Inshushinak, where he erected a statue of her.

After his defeat, the Awan dynasty disappears from history, probably cut down by the Guti or Lullubi tribes that then sowed disorder in Mesopotamia and the Zagros, and Elam was left in the hands of the Shimashki dynasty.

The toponym "Awan" only occurs once more following the reign of Kutik-Inshushinak, in a year-name of Ibbi-Sin of Ur. The name Anshan, on the other hand, which only occurs once before this time (in an inscription of Manishtushu), becomes increasingly more commonplace beginning with king Gudea of Lagash, who claimed to have conquered it around the same time. It has accordingly been conjectured that Anshan not only replaced Awan as one of the major divisions of Elam, but that it also included the same territory.[15]

List of rulers

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The following list should not be considered complete:

# Depiction Ruler Succession Epithet Approx. dates Notes
Early Dynastic IIIa period (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC)
Awanite dynasty of Sumer (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC)

"Then Ur was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan."

— Sumerian King List (SKL)
1st   Unknown Same person as Peli (?)[16] Uncertain, fl. c. 2600 BC[17]
2nd   ...Lu Same person as Tata (?)[16] Uncertain, fl. c. 2580 BC[18]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer[9]
3rd   Kur-Ishshak
𒆪𒌌 		Same person as Ukku-Tanhish (?)[16] Uncertain, fl. c. 2550 BC
(36 years)
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer[9]

"3 kings; they ruled for 356 years. Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish."

— SKL
# Depiction Ruler Succession Epithet Approx. dates Notes
Early Dynastic IIIb period (c. 2500 – c. 2350 BC)
Dynasty of Peli (c. 2500 – c. 2015 BC)
1st   Peli or Feyli Founder Uncertain, fl. c. 2500 BC
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
  • Founder of the, "Dynasty of Peli"[9]
2nd Tata
𒋫𒀀𒅈 		Same person as ...Lu (?)[16] Uncertain, fl. c. 2450 BC[16]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
3rd Ukku-Tanhish Same person as Kur-Ishshak (?)[16] Uncertain, fl. c. 2430 BC[16]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
4th Hishutash Uncertain, fl. c. 2400 BC[16]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
5th Shushun-Tarana
𒋗𒋗𒌦𒋫𒊏𒈾 		Uncertain, fl. c. 2380 BC[12]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
6th Napi-Ilhush
𒈾𒉿𒅍𒄷𒄷 		Uncertain, fl. c. 2360 BC
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
7th Kikku-Siwe-Temti Uncertain, fl. c. 2350 BC
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
# Depiction Ruler Succession Epithet Approx. dates Notes
Proto-Imperial period (c. 2350 – c. 2334 BC)
8th   Luh-ishan
𒇻𒄴𒄭𒅖𒊮𒀭 		Son of Ḫišibrasini[9] Uncertain, d. c. 2325 BC[16]
# Depiction Ruler Succession Epithet Approx. dates Notes
Akkadian period (c. 2334 – c. 2154 BC)
9th   Hishep-Ratep I Same person as Ḫišibrasini (?)[16] Uncertain, fl. c. 2320 BC[16]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
10th Helu Uncertain, fl. c. 2300 BC[16]
  • Historicity uncertain
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
11th   Khita
𒄭𒋫𒀀 		Same person as Hita'a (?)[16] Uncertain, reigned c. 2220 BC[16]
  • temp. of Naram-Suen
  • Held the title of, "King of Awan"
# Depiction Ruler Succession Epithet Approx. dates Notes
Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2112 BC)
12th   Puzur-Inshushinak
𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞 		Son of Shinpi-hish-huk Uncertain, r. c. 2150 BC[16]
  • temp. of Gudea
  • Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam", "Governor of Susa", and, "King of Awan"
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See also

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Sumerian: 𒈗𒂊𒉈𒀀𒉿𒀭𒆠, romanized: Awan, lit. 'Kings of Awan' ; transliterated: lugal-e-ne a-wa-anki

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Leick 2001, p. 99.
  2. ^ Ir 2015b.
  3. ^ Jacobsen 1939, pp. 82–85.
  4. ^ Gershevitch 1985, p. 25–26.
  5. ^ Liverani 2013, p. 142.
  6. ^ Hansen & Ehrenberg 2002, p. 233.
  7. ^ Kriwaczek 2010, p. 136: "Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan."
  8. ^ Legrain 1922, pp. 10–22.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Stolper 1987.
  10. ^ Hinz 1972.
  11. ^ Cameron 1936.
  12. ^ a b Vallat 1998.
  13. ^ Kramer 1963, p. 331.
  14. ^ Scheil 1931.
  15. ^ a b Hansman 1985.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kessler 2021.
  17. ^ Majidzadeh 1997.
  18. ^ Majidzadeh 1991.
  19. ^ "Awan King List".
  20. ^ SCHEIL, V. (1931). "Dynasties Élamites d'Awan et de Simaš". Revue d'Assyriologie et d'archéologie orientale. 28 (1): 1–46. ISSN 0373-6032. JSTOR 23283945.

Sources

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Bibliography

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Journals
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Further reading
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