Manishtushu (, ''Ma-an-ish-tu-su'') was the third king of the
Akkadian Empire
The Akkadian Empire () was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia after the long-lived civilization of Sumer. It was centered in the city of Akkad () and its surrounding region. The empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one ...
, reigning from c. 2270 BC until his assassination in 2255 BC (
Middle Chronology
The chronology of the ancient Near East is a framework of dates for various events, rulers and dynasties. Historical inscriptions and texts customarily record events in terms of a succession of officials or rulers: "in the year X of king Y". Com ...
). He was the son of
Sargon the Great
Sargon of Akkad (; akk, ''Šarrugi''), also known as Sargon the Great, was the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, known for his conquests of the Sumerian city-states in the 24th to 23rd centuries BC.The date of the reign of Sargon is highl ...
, the founder of the Akkadian Empire, and he was succeeded by his son,
Naram-Sin.
Biography
Manishtushu was the third king of the
Akkadian Empire
The Akkadian Empire () was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia after the long-lived civilization of Sumer. It was centered in the city of Akkad () and its surrounding region. The empire united Akkadian and Sumerian speakers under one ...
. He was the son of
Sargon of Akkad and Queen
Tashlultum
Tashlultum () was a wife of King Sargon of Akkad. Her name is known to archaeology only from a single shard of an alabaster vase or bowl with an inscription indicating it was dedicated to the temple by her steward.Enheduanna
Enheduanna ( sux, , also transliterated as , , or variants) was the priestess of the moon god Nanna (Sīn) in the Sumerian city-state of Ur in the reign of her father, Sargon of Akkad. She was likely appointed by her father as the leader of t ...
,
Rimush
Rimush (or Rimuš, ''Ri-mu-uš'') was the second king of the Akkadian Empire. He was the son of Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu, and was an uncle of Naram-Sin of Akkad. Rimush reported having a s ...
, and
Shu-Enlil, and the father of
Naram-Sin.
He became king in c. 2270 BC after the death of his brother
Rimush
Rimush (or Rimuš, ''Ri-mu-uš'') was the second king of the Akkadian Empire. He was the son of Sargon of Akkad and Queen Tashlultum. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu, and was an uncle of Naram-Sin of Akkad. Rimush reported having a s ...
. Manishtushu, freed of the rebellions of his brother's reign, led campaigns to distant lands. According to a passage from one of his inscriptions, he led a fleet down the Persian Gulf where 32 kings allied to fight him. Manishtushu was victorious and consequently looted their cities and silver mines, along with other expeditions to kingdoms along the Persian Gulf. He also sailed a fleet down the
Tigris River
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the P ...
that eventually traded with 37 other nations, conquered the city of Shirasum in
Elam, and rebuilt the destroyed temple of
Inanna in
Nineveh in c. 2260 BC. In
Elam and
Pashime
Pashime, also Bashime ( ''ba-si-meKI''), was an ancient region of southern Mesopotamia. It has recently been identified with Tell Abu Sheeja, Iraq, about 7 km from Iraq's border with Iran. Pashime corresponded to an area of interaction between Mes ...
, in the coastal area of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, Manishtushu had governors installed for the Akkadian Empire:
Eshpum
Eshpum ( ''esh18-pum'', formerly read Geba) was Akkadian Governor of Elam around 2269–2255 BCE. He was a vassal of the Akkadian Empire ruler Manishtushu.
While Eshpum was in charge of Elam, another Governor of Manistushu named Ilshu-rabi was in ...
was in charge of Elam, while
Ilshu-rabi was in charge of Pashime.
In c. 2255 BC Manishtushu died, assassinated by members of his own court, and was succeeded by his son
Naram-Sin. A pyramidal stele erected by Manishtushu bearing a long cuneiform inscription in Akkadian is featured in the
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
.
He held the title "King of
Kish
Kish may refer to:
Geography
* Gishi, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, a village also called Kish
* Kiş, Shaki, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality also spelled Kish
* Kish Island, an Iranian island and a city in the Persian Gulf
* Kish, Iran, ...
" in some of his inscriptions.
Manishtushu trampling enemies
A probable statue of Manishtushu discovered in
Susa,
Elam, shows him trampling vanquished enemies. It was among other Akkadian Empire statues taken there in the 12th century BC by Elamite king
Shutruk-Nahhunte
Šutruk-Nakhunte was king of Elam from about 1184 to 1155 BC (middle chronology), and the second king of the Shutrukid Dynasty.
Elam amassed an empire that included most of Mesopotamia and western Iran.
Under his command, Elam defeated the Ka ...
. There are inscriptions on the bodies of the enemies, identifying them. The statue is in the Louvre Museum (Sb 48).
File:Musée du Louvre Darafsh (1149).jpg, Remain of the statue
Musée du Louvre Darafsh (1152).jpg, Enemy being trampled
File:Musée du Louvre Darafsh (1153).jpg, Enemy being trampled
Other artifacts
File:P1050576 Louvre Oblélisque de Manishtusu rwk.JPG, alt=Manishtushu Obelisk, Louvre Museum., Manishtushu Obelisk
The Manishtushu Obelisk is a diorite, four-sided stele. The stele is obelisk-shaped, as well as it narrows upward to its (damaged) top, in a pyramidal-form. The obelisk was erected by Manishtushu, son of Sargon the Great, of the Akkadian Empire, ...
, Louvre Museum[Full transcription of the Manishtusu obelisk: ]
File:P1050578 Louvre Obélisque de Manishtusu détail rwk.JPG, Detail of inscription on the obelisk
File:Throne of Manishtushu Louvre Museum.jpg, Throne of Manishtushu, Louvre Museum
File:Votive stone mace-head from Uruk, Iraq., the name of the Akkadian king Manishtushu a appears, r. 2270-2255 BC. Iraq Museum.jpg, Votive stone mace-head in the name of Manishtushu, from Uruk, Iraq. 2270–2255 BC. Iraq Museum
The Iraq Museum ( ar, المتحف العراقي) is the national museum of Iraq, located in Baghdad. It is sometimes informally called the National Museum of Iraq, a recent phenomenon influenced by other nations' naming of their national museum ...
.
File:Manishtushu Lugal Kish.jpg, Macehead inscription of Manishtushu: ''Manishtushu Lugal Kish'', "Manishtushu King of Kish
Kish may refer to:
Geography
* Gishi, Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan, a village also called Kish
* Kiş, Shaki, Azerbaijan, a village and municipality also spelled Kish
* Kish Island, an Iranian island and a city in the Persian Gulf
* Kish, Iran, ...
"
File:BM 91018 Macehead in the name of Manishtushu.jpg, Macehead in the name of Manishtushu, British Museum, BM 91018
See also
*
History of Sumer
The history of Sumer spans the 5th to 3rd millennia BCE in southern Mesopotamia, and is taken to include the prehistoric Ubaid and Uruk periods. Sumer was the region's earliest known civilization and ended with the downfall of the Third Dynasty o ...
*
Sumerian king list
*
Manishtushu Obelisk
The Manishtushu Obelisk is a diorite, four-sided stele. The stele is obelisk-shaped, as well as it narrows upward to its (damaged) top, in a pyramidal-form. The obelisk was erected by Manishtushu, son of Sargon the Great, of the Akkadian Empire, ...
*
List of kings of Akkad
The king of Akkad (Akkadian: , ') was the ruler of the city of Akkad and its empire, in ancient Mesopotamia. In the 3rd millennium BC, from the reign of Sargon of Akkad to the reign of his great-grandson Shar-Kali-Sharri, the Akkadian Empire re ...
References
{{Authority control
23rd-century BC kings of Akkad
Akkadian people
Sumerian rulers
Ancient murdered monarchs
23rd-century BC deaths
Year of birth unknown
Akkadian Empire