Ush ( Uš, possibly read Ninta) was King or ''
ensi'' of
Umma, a city-state in
Sumer
Sumer () is the earliest known civilization in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. It is one of the cradles of c ...
, circa 2450 BCE.
Ush is mentioned in various inscriptions, such as the
Cone of Entemana as having violated the frontier with
Lagash, a frontier which had been solemnly established by king
Mesilim.
According to Enmetena's account, Ush is the one who invaded the territory of Lagash, and his invasion was then repelled, although the name of the ruler of Lagash who confronted him that time is not mentioned explicitly:
It is thought that Ush was severely defeated by
Eannatum, king of Lagash.
The victory of Eannatum is mentioned in a fragmentary inscription on the stele, suggesting that after the loss of 3,600 soldiers on the field, Ush, king of Umma, was killed in a rebellion in his capital city of
Umma:
File:Stele_of_Vultures_detail_03.jpg, Slain soldiers of the army of Ush, on the battlefield. Stele of the Vultures
The Stele of the Vultures is a monument from the Early Dynastic IIIb period (2600–2350 BC) in Mesopotamia celebrating a victory of the city-state of Lagash over its neighbour Umma. It shows various battle and religious scenes and is named after ...
.
File:Stele_of_Vultures_detail_02.jpg, Soldiers of Enakalle being left to the vultures, after their defeat by Eannatum of Lagash. Stele of the Vultures
The Stele of the Vultures is a monument from the Early Dynastic IIIb period (2600–2350 BC) in Mesopotamia celebrating a victory of the city-state of Lagash over its neighbour Umma. It shows various battle and religious scenes and is named after ...
.
File:Stele of Vultures detail 01 reverse.jpg, Prisoners captured in nets. Stele of the Vultures
The Stele of the Vultures is a monument from the Early Dynastic IIIb period (2600–2350 BC) in Mesopotamia celebrating a victory of the city-state of Lagash over its neighbour Umma. It shows various battle and religious scenes and is named after ...
.
File:Ush ensi Uma-ki.jpg,
Eannatum, king of Lagash, later made a boundary treaty with
Enakalle
Enakalle ( sux, , ), or Enakalli, was the king of Umma circa 2500–2400 BC, a Sumerian city-state, during the Early Dynastic III period (2600–2350 BC). His reign lasted at least 8 years.
Enakalle in the cone of Entemena
His predecessor Ush, ...
, successor of Ush, settling the matter, as described in the
Cone of Entemana.
See also
*
List of Mesopotamian dynasties
References
{{Rulers of Sumer
Kings of Umma
25th-century BC Sumerian kings
25th-century BC murdered monarchs