Shakkanakku ( Sumerian: , GIR.NITA or ''šagina'', , ''Shakkanakku''), was an

Akkadian language Akkadian (, Akkadian: )John Huehnergard & Christopher Woods, "Akkadian and Eblaite", ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages''. Ed. Roger D. Woodard (2004, Cambridge) Pages 218-280 is an extinct East Semitic language t ...

title designating a military governor. Mari was ruled by a dynasty of hereditary Shakkanakkus which was originally set by 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 ru ...

and gained independence following Akkad's collapse. It is considered that the Shakkanakka gained some form of independence and came to be considered as "Kings" from the time of Apil-Kin. A critical analysis of the Shakkanakku List of Mari has been published. The title is also known around the same time in

Elam Elam (; Linear Elamite: ''hatamti''; Cuneiform Elamite: ; Sumerian: ; Akkadian: ; he, עֵילָם ''ʿēlām''; peo, 𐎢𐎺𐎩 ''hūja'') was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of modern-day Iran, stre ...

, where several "Shakkanakku (Military Governor) of the country of

" with typically Akkadian names ruled for the Akkadian kings.Translation into French in The title also existed in

Qatna Qatna (modern: ar, تل المشرفة, Tell al-Mishrifeh) (also Tell Misrife or Tell Mishrifeh) was an ancient city located in Homs Governorate, Syria. Its remains constitute a tell situated about northeast of Homs near the village of al-M ...

in the 14th century BC, and

Dilmun Dilmun, or Telmun, ( Sumerian: , later 𒉌𒌇(𒆠), ni.tukki = DILMUNki; ar, دلمون) was an ancient East Semitic-speaking civilization in Eastern Arabia mentioned from the 3rd millennium BC onwards. Based on contextual evidence, it was l ...

under the

Kassites The Kassites () were people of the ancient Near East, who controlled Babylonia after the fall of the Old Babylonian Empire c. 1531 BC and until c. 1155 BC ( short chronology). They gained control of Babylonia after the Hittite sack of Babyl ...

Shakkanakkus under the Akkadians

Shakkanakkus, or ''Shagina'' military governors are known from the time of the

. For example,

Shar-kali-sharri Shar-Kali-Sharri (, '' DShar-ka-li-Sharri''; reigned c. 2217–2193 BC middle chronology, c. 2153–2129 BC short chronology) was a king of the Akkadian Empire. Rule Succeeding his father Naram-Sin in c. 2217 BC, he came to the throne in an age ...

had a military governor in

Nippur Nippur ( Sumerian: ''Nibru'', often logographically recorded as , EN.LÍLKI, "Enlil City;"The Cambridge Ancient History: Prolegomena & Prehistory': Vol. 1, Part 1. Accessed 15 Dec 2010. Akkadian: ''Nibbur'') was an ancient Sumerian city. It wa ...

taking charge of the construction of the temple of

Enlil Enlil, , "Lord f theWind" later known as Elil, is an ancient Mesopotamian god associated with wind, air, earth, and storms. He is first attested as the chief deity of the Sumerian pantheon, but he was later worshipped by the Akkadians, Baby ...

. One of his year names reads: "Year in which Szarkaliszarri appointed Puzur-Esztar the ''shagina'' (general)" to build the temple of Enlil "Year Szarkaliszarri appointed Puzur-Eshtar, the shagina, to build the temple of Enlil".

Main Shakkanakkus of Mari

Several Shakkanakkus of Mari are known from archaeological artifacts: File:Ishtup-Ilum statue (front, wider).jpg, Statue of Ishtup-Ilum, Shakkanakku of Mari. (c.2150 BC) File:Idi-ilum Louvre AO 19486 n01.jpg, Statue of Iddi-Ilum, Shakkanakku of Mari. (c. 2090 BC) File:Statue of Puzur-Ishtar.jpg, Puzur Ishtar, Shakkanakku of Mari. (c. 2050 BC) File:Statue of governor of Tura Dagan, Mari. Originally from Mari, found in Babylon. 1894-1594 BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul.jpg, Tura-Dagan, Shakkanakku of Mari. Originally from Mari (c. 2071–2051 BC).

List of Shakkanakku rulers of Mari

Main Shakkanakkus of Elam

The title is also known around the same time in

, as in the inscription of the "Table au Lion",

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 BC, ...

appears as "Puzur-Inshushin(ak) Ensi (Governor) of

Susa Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...

, Shakkanakku (Military Governor) of the country of

" ( ''kutik-inshushinak ensi shushi^ki skakkanakku mati NIM^ki'').Translation into French in A ruler with an Akkadian name, Ili-ishmani, at the time of

Naram-Sin of Akkad Naram-Sin, also transcribed Narām-Sîn or Naram-Suen ( akk, : '' DNa-ra-am D Sîn'', meaning "Beloved of the Moon God Sîn", the "𒀭" being a silent honorific for "Divine"), was a ruler of the Akkadian Empire, who reigned c. 2254–2218 BC ...

Shar-Kali-Sharri Shar-Kali-Sharri (, '' DShar-ka-li-Sharri''; reigned c. 2217–2193 BC middle chronology, c. 2153–2129 BC short chronology) was a king of the Akkadian Empire. Rule Succeeding his father Naram-Sin in c. 2217 BC, he came to the throne in an age ...

, also used the same title of "Skakkanakku of the country of Elam". This suggest that Ili-ishmani was a vassal of the Akkadian Empire.

List of the Shakkanakkus of Elam

References

Sources

* * Gubernatorial titles Akkadian Empire {{AncientNearEast-stub