Shulgi (
dŠulgi, formerly read as Dungi) of
Ur was the second king of the
Third Dynasty of Ur
The Third Dynasty of Ur, also called the Neo-Sumerian Empire, refers to a 22nd to 21st century BC ( middle chronology) Sumerian ruling dynasty based in the city of Ur and a short-lived territorial-political state which some historians consider t ...
. He reigned for 48 years, from c. 2094 – c. 2046 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 ...
) or possibly c. 2030 – 1982 BC (
Short Chronology). His accomplishments include the completion of construction of the
Great Ziggurat of Ur
The Ziggurat (or Great Ziggurat) of Ur ( Sumerian: "Etemenniguru", meaning "temple whose foundation creates aura") is a Neo-Sumerian ziggurat in what was the city of Ur near Nasiriyah, in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq. The structure wa ...
, begun by his father
Ur-Nammu
Ur-Nammu (or Ur-Namma, Ur-Engur, Ur-Gur, Sumerian: , ruled c. 2112 BC – 2094 BC middle chronology, or possibly c. 2048–2030 BC short chronology) founded the Sumerian Third Dynasty of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, following several centuries ...
. On his inscriptions, he took the titles "King of Ur", "
King of Sumer and Akkad
King of Sumer and Akkad ( Sumerian: ''lugal-ki-en-gi-ki-uri'', Akkadian: ''šar māt Šumeri u Akkadi'') was a royal title in Ancient Mesopotamia combining the titles of "King of Akkad", the ruling title held by the monarchs of the Akkadian E ...
" and "
King of the four corners of the universe". He used the symbol for divinity (
) before his name, marking his
apotheosis, from the 23rd year of his reign.
Life and work
Shulgi was the son of
Ur-Nammu
Ur-Nammu (or Ur-Namma, Ur-Engur, Ur-Gur, Sumerian: , ruled c. 2112 BC – 2094 BC middle chronology, or possibly c. 2048–2030 BC short chronology) founded the Sumerian Third Dynasty of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, following several centuries ...
king of
Ur – according to one later text (CM 48), by a daughter of the former king
Utu-hengal
Utu-hengal ( sux, , ), also written Utu-heg̃al, Utu-heĝal, and sometimes transcribed as Utu-hegal, Utu-hejal, Utu-Khengal, was one of the first native kings of Sumer after two hundred years of Akkadian and Gutian rule, and was at the origin ...
of
Uruk
Uruk, also known as Warka or Warkah, was an ancient city of Sumer (and later of Babylonia) situated east of the present bed of the Euphrates River on the dried-up ancient channel of the Euphrates east of modern Samawah, Al-Muthannā, Iraq.Harm ...
– and was a member of the
Third dynasty of Ur
The Third Dynasty of Ur, also called the Neo-Sumerian Empire, refers to a 22nd to 21st century BC ( middle chronology) Sumerian ruling dynasty based in the city of Ur and a short-lived territorial-political state which some historians consider t ...
. Year-names are known for all 48 years of his reign, providing a fairly complete contemporary view of the highlights of his career.
Shulgi is best known for his extensive revision of the scribal school's curriculum. Although it is unclear how much he actually wrote, there are numerous praise poems written by and directed towards this ruler. He proclaimed himself a god in his 23rd regnal year.
Some early chronicles castigate Shulgi for his impiety: The ''Weidner Chronicle'' (ABC 19) states that "he did not perform his rites to the letter, he defiled his purification rituals". CM 48 charges him with improper tampering with the rites, composing "untruthful stelae, insolent writings" on them. The ''
Chronicle of Early Kings
The Chronicle of Early Kings, Chronicle 20 in Grayson’s ''Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles'' and Mesopotamian Chronicle 40 in Glassner’s ''Chroniques mésopotamiennes'' is preserved on two tablets, tablet ABM 26472 (98-5-14, 290) tablet A. ...
'' (ABC 20) accuses him of "criminal tendencies, and the property of Esagila and Babylon he took away as booty."
Name
Early uncertainties about the reading of cuneiform led to the readings "Shulgi" and "Dungi" being common transliterations before the end of the 19th century. However, over the course of the 20th century, the scholarly consensus gravitated away from ''dun ''towards ''shul'' as the correct pronunciation of the sign. The spelling of Shulgi's name by scribes with the ''
diĝir'' determinative reflects his
deification
Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...
during his reign, a status and spelling previously claimed by his
Akkadian predecessor
Naram-Sin.
File:Portraits of Shulgi.jpg, Portraits of Shulgi from his Nuska
Nuska or Nusku, possibly also known as Našuḫ, was a Mesopotamian god best attested as the sukkal (divine vizier) of Enlil. He was also associated with fire and light, and could be invoked as a protective deity against various demons, such as ...
seal. Louvre Museum
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 ...
File:Portrait of Shulgi as a builder, on a foundation nail.jpg, Portrait of Shulgi as a builder, on a foundation nail. Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
Personal glorification
![Self-praise of Shulgi (Shulgi D)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Self-praise_of_Shulgi_%28Shulgi_D%29.jpg)
Shulgi also boasted about his ability to maintain high speeds while running long distances. He claimed in his 7th regnal year to have run from
Nippur to
Ur, a distance of not less than 100 miles.
[ Hamblin, William J. ''Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC''. New York: Routledge, 2006.] Kramer refers to Shulgi as "The first long distance running champion."
Shulgi wrote a long royal hymn to glorify himself and his actions, in which he refers to himself as "the king of the four-quarters, the pastor of the
black-headed people".
Shulgi claimed that he spoke
Elamite
Elamite, also known as Hatamtite and formerly as Susian, is an extinct language that was spoken by the ancient Elamites. It was used in what is now southwestern Iran from 2600 BC to 330 BC. Elamite works disappear from the archeological record ...
as well as he spoke
Sumerian.
Armed conflicts
While
Der had been one of the cities whose temple affairs Shulgi had directed in the first part of his reign, in his 20th year he claimed that the gods had decided that it now be destroyed, apparently as some punishment. The inscriptions state that he "put its field accounts in order" with the pick-axe. His 18th year-name was ''Year Liwir-mitashu, the king's daughter, was elevated to the ladyship in
Marhashi
Marhaši ( Sumerian: ''Mar-ḫa-šiKI'' , ''Marhashi'', ''Marhasi'', ''Parhasi'', ''Barhasi''; in earlier sources Waraḫše. Akkadian: "Parahshum" ''pa2-ra-ah-shum2-ki'') was a 3rd millennium BC polity situated east of Elam, on the Iranian platea ...
'', referring to a country east of Elam and her dynastic marriage to its king, Libanukshabash. Following this, Shulgi engaged in a period of expansionism at the expense of highlanders such as the
Lullubi
Lullubi, Lulubi ( akk, 𒇻𒇻𒉈: ''Lu-lu-bi'', akk, 𒇻𒇻𒉈𒆠: ''Lu-lu-biki'' "Country of the Lullubi"), more commonly known as Lullu, were a group of tribes during the 3rd millennium BC, from a region known as ''Lulubum'', now the Sha ...
, and destroyed
Simurrum
The Simurrum Kingdom ( akk, 𒋛𒈬𒌨𒊑𒅎: ''Si-mu-ur-ri-im'') 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 fr ...
(another
mountain tribe
Hill people, also referred to as mountain people, is a general term for people who live in the hills and mountains.
This includes all rugged land above and all land (including plateaus) above elevation.
The climate is generally harsh, with s ...
) and
Lulubum nine times between the 26th and 45th years of his reign.
In his 30th year, his daughter was married to the governor of
Anshan
Anshan () is an inland prefecture-level city in central-southeast Liaoning province, People's Republic of China, about south of the provincial capital Shenyang. As of the 2020 census, it was Liaoning's third most populous city with a population ...
; in his 34th year, he was already levying a punitive campaign against the place. He also destroyed Kimash and Humurtu (cities to the east of
Ur, somewhere in
Elam) in the 45th year of his reign.
Ultimately, Shulgi was never able to rule any of these distant peoples; at one point, in his 37th year, he was obliged to build a large wall in an attempt to keep them out.
Susa
Shulgi is known to have made dedications at
Susa, as foundation nails with his name, dedicated to god
Inshushinak
Inshushinak ( Linear Elamite: ''Inšušnak'', Cuneiform: , ''dinšušinakki''; possibly from Sumerian '' en-šušin-a ', "lord of Susa") was one of the major gods of the Elamites and the protector deity of Susa. He was called ''rišar napap ...
have been found there. One of the votive foundation nails reads: ''"The god 'Lord of Susa,' his king, Shulgi, the mighty male, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad, the..., his beloved temple, built."''. An
etched carnelian bead, now located in the Louvre Museum (
Sb 6627) and inscribed with a dedication by Shulgi was also found in Susa, the inscription reading: ''"
Ningal
Ningal ( Sumerian: "Great Queen"), also known as Nikkal in Akkadian, was a Mesopotamian goddess of Sumerian origin regarded as the wife of the moon god, Nanna/Sin. She was particularly closely associated with his main cult centers, Ur and Harran ...
, his mother, Shulgi, god of his land, King of Ur, King of the four world quarters, for his life dedicated (this)"''.
The Ur III dynasty had held control over Susa since the demise of
Puzur-Inshushinak
Puzur-Inshushinak ( Linear Elamite: ''Puzur Šušinak'', Akkadian: , ''puzur3- dinšušinak'', also , ''puzur4- dinšušinak'' "Calling Inshushinak"), also sometimes thought to read Kutik-Inshushinak in Elamite, was king of Elam, around 2100 ...
, and they built numerous buildings and temples there. This control was continued by Shulgi as shown by his numerous dedications in the city-state.
He also engaged in marital alliances, by marrying his daughters to rulers of eastern territories, such as
Anšan,
Marhashi
Marhaši ( Sumerian: ''Mar-ḫa-šiKI'' , ''Marhashi'', ''Marhasi'', ''Parhasi'', ''Barhasi''; in earlier sources Waraḫše. Akkadian: "Parahshum" ''pa2-ra-ah-shum2-ki'') was a 3rd millennium BC polity situated east of Elam, on the Iranian platea ...
and
Bashime
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 ...
.
File:Votive tablet of Shulgi, excavated in Susa.jpg, Votive tablet of Shulgi, excavated in Susa: "For the goddess Ninhursag
, deity_of=Mother goddess, goddess of fertility, mountains, and rulers
, image= Mesopotamian - Cylinder Seal - Walters 42564 - Impression.jpg
, caption= Akkadian cylinder seal impression depicting a vegetation goddess, possibly Ninhursag, sittin ...
of Susa, his Lady, Shulgi, the great man, King of Ur, King of Sumer and Akkad, built her temple ". Louvre Museum
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 ...
, Sb 2884.
File:Foundation nail-Sb 2879-P5280608-gradient.jpg, Foundation nail dedicated by Shulgi to the Elamite god Inshushinak
Inshushinak ( Linear Elamite: ''Inšušnak'', Cuneiform: , ''dinšušinakki''; possibly from Sumerian '' en-šušin-a ', "lord of Susa") was one of the major gods of the Elamites and the protector deity of Susa. He was called ''rišar napap ...
, found in Susa. Louvre Museum
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 ...
File:Carnelian bead with dedicatory inscription by Shulgi-Sb 6627 (transcription).jpg, Carnelian bead with dedicatory inscription by Shulgi, found in Susa. Louvre Museum, Sb 6627
Modernization
Shulgi apparently led a major modernization of the
Third Dynasty of Ur
The Third Dynasty of Ur, also called the Neo-Sumerian Empire, refers to a 22nd to 21st century BC ( middle chronology) Sumerian ruling dynasty based in the city of Ur and a short-lived territorial-political state which some historians consider t ...
.
He improved communications, reorganized the army, reformed the writing system and weight and measures, unified the tax system and created a strong bureaucracy.
He also promulgated the law code known as the
Code of Ur-Nammu after his father.
Year names
There are extensive remains for the year names of Shulgi, which have been entirely reconstructed from year 1 to year 48. Some of the most important are:
Marriage with a princess from Mari and other royal women
Shulgi was a contemporary of the ''
Shakkanakku
Shakkanakku ( Sumerian: , GIR.NITA or ''šagina'', , ''Shakkanakku''), was an Akkadian language title designating a military governor. Mari was ruled by a dynasty of hereditary Shakkanakkus which was originally set by the Akkadian Empire and gain ...
'' rulers of
Mari, particularly
Apil-kin and
Iddi-ilum
Iddi-ilum, also Iddi-El or Iddin-El (, ''i-ti-ilum'', ruled 2090-2085 BCE), was a military governor, or '' Shakkanakku'', of the ancient city-state of Mari in eastern Syria, following the conquest, the destruction and the control of the city by ...
. An inscription mentions that
Taram-Uram, the daughter of Apil-kin, became the "daughter-in-law" of
Ur-Nammu
Ur-Nammu (or Ur-Namma, Ur-Engur, Ur-Gur, Sumerian: , ruled c. 2112 BC – 2094 BC middle chronology, or possibly c. 2048–2030 BC short chronology) founded the Sumerian Third Dynasty of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, following several centuries ...
, and therefore the Queen of king Shulgi. In the inscription, she called herself "daughter-in-law of
Ur-Nammu
Ur-Nammu (or Ur-Namma, Ur-Engur, Ur-Gur, Sumerian: , ruled c. 2112 BC – 2094 BC middle chronology, or possibly c. 2048–2030 BC short chronology) founded the Sumerian Third Dynasty of Ur, in southern Mesopotamia, following several centuries ...
", and "daughter of Apil-kin, ''
Lugal
Lugal ( Sumerian: ) is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man." In Sumerian, ''lu'' "𒇽" is "man" and ''gal'' " 𒃲" is "great," or "big."
It was one of several Sumerian titles that a ruler of a city-state coul ...
'' ("King") of Mari", suggesting for Apil-kin a position as a supreme ruler, and pointing to a marital alliance between Mari and
Ur.
Nin-kalla
Nin-kalla was the wife or concubine of Shulgi, second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur. Her name is Sumerian and means ''precious sister''. The name was very common making it often difficult to identify the queen in the ancient sources as there were ...
was a queen at the end of the king's reign. Many texts show that she was running the palace in Nippur.
Another important royal woman, but not a queen, was
Ea-niša. She appears in many texts and had an influential position at the royal court, perhaps as concubine. A similar status had
Shulgi-simti Shulgi-simti was the wife or concubine of Shulgi, second king of the Third Dynasty of Ur
The Third Dynasty of Ur, also called the Neo-Sumerian Empire, refers to a 22nd to 21st century BC ( middle chronology) Sumerian ruling dynasty based in the c ...
who is known from a high number of texts presenting evidence for her economic power. Another important woman was
Geme-Ninlilla who appears in texts at the end of the king's reign. Other, less well known royal women are
Šuqurtum and
Simat-Ea.
Shulgi is known to have had five sons, Amar-
dDa-mu, Lu-
dNanna, Lugal-a-zi-da, Ur-
dSuen,
Amar-Sin
Amar-Sin ( akk, : '' DAmar D Sîn'', after the Moon God Sîn", the "𒀭" being a silent honorific for "Divine"), initially misread as Bur-Sin (c. 2046-2037 BC middle chronology, or possibly ca. 1982–1973 BC short chronology) was the third rule ...
as well as one daughter, Peš-tur-tur.
Artifacts and inscriptions
File:Lugal Urimkima Lugal Kiengi Kiuri, King of Ur, King of Sumer and Akkad, on a seal of Shulgi (transcription).jpg, ''Lugal Urimkima/ Lugal Kiengi Kiuri'' , "King of Ur, King of Sumer and Akkad
King of Sumer and Akkad ( Sumerian: ''lugal-ki-en-gi-ki-uri'', Akkadian: ''šar māt Šumeri u Akkadi'') was a royal title in Ancient Mesopotamia combining the titles of "King of Akkad", the ruling title held by the monarchs of the Akkadian E ...
, on a votive tablet of Shulgi. The final ''ke4'' is the composite of -k ( genitive case) and -e (ergative case).
File:Ancient_ziggurat_at_Ali_Air_Base_Iraq_2005.jpg, Shulgi completed the great Ziggurat of Ur
The Ziggurat (or Great Ziggurat) of Ur ( Sumerian: "Etemenniguru", meaning "temple whose foundation creates aura") is a Neo-Sumerian ziggurat in what was the city of Ur near Nasiriyah, in present-day Dhi Qar Province, Iraq. The structure ...
File:Earrings from Shulgi.JPG, Earrings inscribed in the name of Shulgi.
File:Seal of Shulgi, with Gilgamesh fighting a winged monster.jpg, Seal of Shulgi, with Gilgamesh
sux, , label=none
, image = Hero lion Dur-Sharrukin Louvre AO19862.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assy ...
fighting a winged monster: "To Shulgi, son of the king, Ur-dumuzi the scribe, his servant".
File:Seal of Shulgi, with worshipper and seated deity.jpg, Seal of Shulgi, with worshipper and seated deity: "Shulgi, the mighty hero, King of Ur, king of the four regions, Ur-(Pasag?) the scribe, thy servant".
File:Mace head inscribed with the name of Shulgi, from Ur, Iraq. British Museum.jpg, Mace head in the name of Shulgi (inscription upside down). British Museum.
File:Official weight of 2 mina, reign of Shulgi, from Ur, Iraq. British Museum.jpg, Duck-shaped official weight of 2 mina, reign of Shulgi, from Ur, Iraq. British Museum.
File:Meluhha village tablet - BM17751.jpg, A tablet from the period of Shulgi, mentioning the "Meluhha
or ( sux, ) is the Sumerian language, Sumerian name of a prominent trading partner of Sumer during the Middle Bronze Age. Its identification remains an open question, but most scholars associate it with the Indus Valley civilisation.
Etymolo ...
" village in Sumer. British Museum, BM 17751.[Simo Parpola, Asko Parpola and Robert H. Brunswig, J]
"The Meluḫḫa Village: Evidence of Acculturation of Harappan Traders in Late Third Millennium Mesopotamia?"
in Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient Vol. 20, No. 2, 1977, p. 136-137 "Meluhha" () actually appears on the beginning of the other side (column II, 1) in the sentence "The granary of the village of Meluhha".
File:Weight AO22187 mp3h9146.jpg, Weight of mina (actual weight 248 gr.) dedicated by King Shulgi and bearing the emblem of the crescent moon: it was used in the temple of the Moon-God at Ur. Diorite, beginning of the 21st century BC (Ur III). Louvre Museum, Department of Oriental Antiquities, Richelieu, first floor, room 2, case 6
File:Tablet of Shulgi.JPG, Tablet of Shulgi, glorifies the king and his victories on the Lullubi people and mentions the modern-city of Erbil and the modern-district of Sulaymaniyah, Sulaymaniyah Museum, Iraq
See also
*
Correspondence of the Kings of Ur
The ''Correspondence of the Kings of Ur'' (CKU), also known as the ''Royal Correspondence of Ur'', is a collection of 24 literary letters written in the Sumerian language and attributed to kings of the Ur III period, 2048–1940 BCE (2112–2004 ...
*
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
*
Self-praise of Shulgi
References
External links
Shulgi's axe sold illegally in Germanyfrom the German Middle East magazine zenith
, -
{{Rulers of Sumer
Sumerian rulers
21st-century BC Sumerian kings
20th-century BC Sumerian kings
Deified people
Third Dynasty of Ur