Simurrum

The Simurrum Kingdom (Akkadian: 𒋛𒈬𒌨𒊑𒅎: Si-mu-ur-ri-im)[1] was an important city state of the Mesopotamian area from around 2000 BCE to 1500 BCE, during the period of the Akkadian Empire down to Ur III. The Simurrum Kingdom disappears from records after the Old Babylonian period.[2] It was neighbour and sometimes ally with the Lullubi kingdom.[3] It has been proposed that the city was on the Sirwan River (in Iran) which becomes the Diyala river in Iraq.[4]

Simurrum Kingdom
𒋛𒈬𒌨𒊑𒅎
2000 BCE–1500 BCE
Territory of Simurrum in the Mesopotamia area.
Territory of Simurrum in the Mesopotamia area.
Common languagesUnclassified
Akkadian (inscriptions)
Religion
Mesopotamian religions
GovernmentMonarchy
Historical eraAntiquity
• Established
2000 BCE
• Disestablished
1500 BCE
Today part ofIraq

Kingdom
Iddin-Sin, King of Simurrum, armed with a bow and an axe, trampling a foe. Circa 2000 BCE (detail)

The Simurrum Kingdom seems to have been part of a belt of Hurrian city states in the northeastern portion of Mesopotamian area.[5][2] They were often in conflict with the rulers of Ur III.[2][6]

Several Kings (𒈗, pronounced Šàr, "Shar", in Akkadian)[7] of Simurrum are known, such as Iddin-Sin and his son Zabazuna.[8][2] Various inscriptions suggest that they were contemporary with king Ishbi-Erra (1953—c.1920 BCE).[6] Another king, mentioned in The Great Revolt against Narām-Sîn, was mPu-ut-ti-ma-da-al.[9]

Conflicts

Several inscriptions suggest that Simurrum was quite powerful, and shed some light on the conflicts around the Zagros area, another such example being the Anubanini rock relief of the nearby Lullubi Kingdom.[2] Four inscriptions and a relief (now in the Israel Museum) of the Simurrum have been identified at Bitwata near Ranya in Iraq, and one from Sarpol-e Zahab in Iran.[6][10][11]

The Simurrun were regularly in conflict with the Akkadian Empire. The names of four years of the reign of Sargon of Akkad describe his campaigns against Elam, Mari, Simurrum, and Uru'a (an Elamite city-state):[12][13]

  1. Year in which Sargon went to Simurrum
  2. Year in which Sargon destroyed Uru'a
  3. Year in which Uru'a was destroyed
  4. Year in which Sargon destroyed Elam
  5. Year in which Mari was destroyed
— Known regnal year names of Sargon.[14][13][15]

One unknown year during the reign of Akkadian Empire king Naram-Sin of Akkad was recorded as "the Year when Naram-Sin was victorious against Simurrum in Kirasheniwe and took prisoner Baba the governor of Simurrum, and Dubul the ensi (ruler) of Arame".[16][17]

After the Akkadian Empire fell to the Gutians, the Lullubians and the Simurrums rebelled against the Gutian ruler Erridupizir, according to the latter's inscriptions:

Ka-Nisba, king of Simurrum, instigated the people of Simurrum and Lullubi to revolt. Amnili, general of [the enemy Lullubi]... made the land [rebel]... Erridu-pizir, the mighty, king of Gutium and of the four quarters hastened [to confront] him... In a single day he captured the pass of Urbillum at Mount Mummum. Further, he captured Nirishuha.

— Inscription R2:226-7 of Erridupizir.[18]

At one point, Simurrum may have become a vassal of the Gutians.[2]

The Ur III empire was frequently in conflict with the city. A year name of the second ruler, Shulgi, was "Year Simurrum and Lullubum were destroyed for the ninth time". In one of these conflicts Shulgi captured the ruler of Sumurrum, Tabban-darah, and sent him to exile in Drehem. Sillus-Dagan is known to have been a governor of Simurrum under Ur III.[19][20] Military strugles continues up to the time of the final ruler of Ur III, Ibbi-Sin.[21] Simurrum seems to have become independent after the collapse of Ur III.[6]

  • King Iddin-Sin of the Kingdom of Simurrum, holding an axe and a bow, trampling a foe. Circa 2000 BCE. Israel Museum
    King Iddin-Sin of the Kingdom of Simurrum, holding an axe and a bow, trampling a foe. Circa 2000 BCE. Israel Museum
  • Stela of Iddi-Sin, King of Simurrum. It dates back to the Old-Babylonian Period. From Qarachatan Village, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan. The Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
    Stela of Iddi-Sin, King of Simurrum. It dates back to the Old-Babylonian Period. From Qarachatan Village, Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan. The Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
  • Sarpol-e Zahab, relief I. Beardless warrior with axe, trampling a foe. Sundisk above. A name "Zaba(zuna), son of ..." can be read. He is usually considered as a ruler of the Lullubi, but he could be a ruler of the Kingdom of Simurrum, son of Iddin-Sin.
    Sarpol-e Zahab, relief I. Beardless warrior with axe, trampling a foe. Sundisk above. A name "Zaba(zuna), son of ..." can be read. He is usually considered as a ruler of the Lullubi,[22][23] but he could be a ruler of the Kingdom of Simurrum, son of Iddin-Sin.[6]
  • Outline of relief I (extracted). Beardless warrior with axe, trampling a foe. Sundisk above. A name "Zaba(zuna), son of ..." can be read.
    Outline of relief I (extracted). Beardless warrior with axe, trampling a foe. Sundisk above. A name "Zaba(zuna), son of ..." can be read.[22]

See also
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References
  1. Shaffer, Aaron (2003). Iddi(n)-Sîn, King of Simurrum: A New Rock-Relief Inscription and a Reverential Seal. Zeitschrift für Assyoriologie. pp. 7–12.
  2. Eidem, Jesper (2001). The Shemshāra Archives 1: The Letters. Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selskab. p. 24. ISBN 9788778762450.
  3. Hamblin, William J. (2006). Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. Routledge. pp. 115–116. ISBN 9781134520626.
  4. Frayne, D.R., 1997. On the location of Simurrum. Crossing Boundaries and Linking Horizons: Studies in Honor of Michael C. Astour, 243-269
  5. Hallo W.W., Simurrum and the Hurrian Frontier, Revue Hittite et Asianique, pp. 71-81, 1978
  6. Frayne, Douglas (1990). Old Babylonian Period (2003-1595 BCE). University of Toronto Press. pp. 707 ff. ISBN 9780802058737.
  7. Shaffer, Aaron (2003). Iddi(n)-Sîn, King of Simurrum: A New Rock-Relief Inscription and a Reverential Seal. Zeitschrift für Assyoriologie. pp. 32–35.
  8. Seidl, U., Das Relief, in A. Shaffer and N. Wasserman, Iddi(n)-Sin, King of Simurrum: A New Rock Relief Inscription and a Reverential Seal, ZA 93, 39-52, 2003
  9. J. G. Westenholz, "Legends of the Kings of Akkade", Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1997
  10. Osborne, James F. (2014). Approaching Monumentality in Archaeology. SUNY Press. p. 120. ISBN 9781438453255.
  11. Fouadi, A. H. A., Inscriptions and Reliefs from Bitwata.", Sumer, vol. 34, no. 1-2, pp. 122–29, 1978
  12. Sargon's year-names
  13. Potts, D. T. (2016). The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State. Cambridge University Press. p. 92-93. ISBN 978-1-107-09469-7.
  14. "Year Names of Sargon". cdli.ox.ac.uk.
  15. Álvarez-Mon, Javier; Basello, Gian Pietro; Wicks, Yasmina (2018). The Elamite World. Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-317-32983-1.
  16. Year-Names of Naram-Sin of Agade
  17. Cohen, Mark E. "A New Naram-Sin Date Formula.", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 28, no. 4, 1976, pp. 227–32
  18. Hamblin, William J. (2006). Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. Routledge. pp. 115–116. ISBN 9781134520626.
  19. Owen, David I., and S. Graziani. "The royal gift seal of Ṣilluš-Dagan, Governor of Simurrum." Studi sul Vicino Oriente antico dedicati alla memoria di Luigi Cagni 61 (2000): 815-846
  20. Collon, Dominique. “THE LIFE AND TIMES OF TEḪEŠ-ATAL.” Revue d’Assyriologie et d’archéologie Orientale, vol. 84, no. 2, 1990, pp. 129–36
  21. Jacobsen, Thorkild., "The Reign of Ibbī-Suen.". Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 7, no. 2, 1953
  22. Osborne, James F. (2014). Approaching Monumentality in Archaeology. SUNY Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 9781438453255.
  23. Osborne, James F. (2014). Approaching Monumentality in Archaeology. SUNY Press. pp. 123–124. ISBN 9781438453255.
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