Ush ( Uš, possibly read Ninta; ) was King or '' ensi'' of

Umma Umma () in modern Dhi Qar Province in Iraq, was an ancient city in Sumer. There is some scholarly debate about the Sumerian and Akkadian names for this site. Traditionally, Umma was identified with Tell Jokha. More recently it has been sugges ...

, a city-state in

Sumer Sumer () is the earliest known civilization, located in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia (now south-central Iraq), emerging during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, early Bronze Ages between the sixth and fifth millennium BC. ...

. Ush is mentioned in various inscriptions, such as the Cone of Entemana as having violated the frontier with

Lagash Lagash (; cuneiform: LAGAŠKI; Sumerian language, Sumerian: ''Lagaš'') was an ancient city-state located northwest of the junction of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and east of Uruk, about east of the modern town of Al-Shatrah, Iraq. 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 Eannatum ( ; ) was a Sumerian ''Ensi (Sumerian), Ensi'' (ruler or king) of Lagash. He established one of the first verifiable empires in history, subduing Elam and destroying the city of Susa, and extending his domain over the rest of Sumer and Akk ...

, 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

: 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 Period (Mesopotamia), 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 ...

. File:Stele_of_Vultures_detail_02.jpg, Soldiers of Enakalle being left to the vultures, after their defeat by

. File:Stele of Vultures detail 01 reverse.jpg, Prisoners captured in nets.

. File:Ush ensi Uma-ki.jpg,

, king of Lagash, later made a boundary treaty with Enakalle, successor of Ush, settling the matter, as described in the Cone of Entemana.

References

{{Rulers of Sumer Kings of Umma 25th-century BC Sumerian kings 25th-century BC murdered monarchs 3rd-millennium BC births 25th-century BC deaths

See also

References