Ur-nigin, also Ur-nigina (, ''ur-niŋin'') or Ur-nigar (, ''ur-ni-gar'') was a Governor ( ensi) 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 ...

who lived in 22nd century BCE. According to the

Sumerian King List The ''Sumerian King List'' (abbreviated ''SKL'') or ''Chronicle of the One Monarchy'' is an ancient literary composition written in Sumerian that was likely created and redacted to legitimize the claims to power of various city-states and king ...

, Ur-Nigin destroyed 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 (city), Akkad () and its surrounding region. The empire united Akkadian language, Akkadian and ...

, which had probably already be weakened by the

Gutians The Guti () or Quti, also known by the derived exonyms Gutians or Guteans, were a nomadic people of West Asia, around the Zagros Mountains (Modern Iran) during ancient times. Their homeland was known as Gutium (Sumerian language, Sumerian: ,''Gu ...

, and established a short-lived Fifth Dynasty of Uruk. The ''Sumerian King List'', describing the confusion of the decline of the

after the death of

Shar-kali-shari 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 ...

, mentions the rule of several kings, among them Ur-Nigin: Ur-Nigin is also mentioned in several votive inscriptions by his son

Ur-gigir Ur-gigir (, ''ur-gigir'') was the son of Ur-nigin and a Governor ( ensi) of Uruk who lived in 22nd century BCE. According to the Sumerian King List, Ur-gigir's father Ur-nigin destroyed the Akkadian Empire, which had probably already be weakened ...

. One of them reads: The Fourth Dynasty of Uruk was finally destroyed by the

Gutian Dynasty The Gutian dynasty, also Kuti or Kutians ( Sumerian: , gu-ti-umKI) was a dynasty, originating among the Gutian people, that came to power in Mesopotamia ''c.'' 2199—2119 BC ( middle), or possibly ''c.'' 2135—2055 BC ( short), after displacing ...

."This threat was apparently met for a time by the establishment of a new kingdom in southern Babylonia, the fourth dynasty of Uruk; and around this standard flocked those who would oppose the Semitic throne of Akkad as well as those who desired to resist the growing power of Gutium. But the five kings who made up the fourth dynasty of Uruk (Ur-nigin, Ur-giger, Kudda, Puzur-ili, and Ur-Utu), proved unable to stay the invaders; and the land passed under the control of the Guti.” in

References

, - {{Early Rulers of Mesopotamia 22nd-century BC Sumerian kings Kings of Uruk Sumerian rulers

See also

References