View source for Sumerian King List

The '''Sumerian King List''' is an ancient manuscript originally recorded in the [[Sumerian language]], listing kings of [[Sumer]] (ancient southern [[Iraq]]) from Sumerian and neighboring [[dynasty|dynasties]], their supposed reign lengths, and the locations of "official" [[kingship]]. Kingship was believed to have been handed down by the [[Mesopotamian mythology|gods]], and could be transferred from one city to another, reflecting perceived hegemony in the region.<ref name="Mieroop">{{Cite book|title=A History of the Ancient Near East |last=Van De Mieroop |first=Marc |authorlink= |year=2004 |publisher=Blackwell |location= |isbn=0-631-22552-8 |pages=41 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=oknsEhcALLEC&printsec=frontcover&cad=0#PPA41,M1}}</ref> Throughout its [[Bronze Age]] existence, the document evolved into a political tool. Its final and single attested version, dating to the [[Middle Bronze Age#Near East|Middle Bronze Age]], aimed to legitimize [[Isin]]'s claims to hegemony when Isin was vying for dominance with [[Larsa]] and other neighboring [[city-states]] in southern [[Mesopotamia]].<ref name="Mieroop"/><ref>The spelling of royal names follows the [http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.2.1.1# Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature]</ref>

==Composition==
The list blends prehistorical, presumably [[Mythology|mythical]] [[History of Sumer#Pre-dynastic period|predynastic]] rulers enjoying implausibly lengthy reigns with later, more plausibly historical dynasties. Although the primal kings are historically unattested, this does not preclude their possible correspondence with historical rulers who were later mythicized. Some [[Assyriology|Assyriologists]] view the predynastic kings as a later fictional addition.<ref name="Mieroop"/><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Ancient Orient |last=von Soden |first=Wolfram |authorlink= |coauthors=Donald G. Schley, translator |year=1994 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans |location= |isbn=0-8028-0142-0 |pages=47 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=n6u2t7dtcEcC&printsec=frontcover&cad=0#PPA47,M1 }}</ref> Only one ruler listed is known to be female: [[Kug-Bau]] "the (female) tavern-keeper", who alone accounts for the Third Dynasty of [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]. The earliest listed ruler whose historicity has been archaeologically verified is [[Enmebaragesi]] of Kish, ca. 2600 BC. Reference to him and his successor, [[Aga of Kish]] in the ''[[Epic of Gilgamesh]]'' has led to speculation that [[Gilgamesh]] himself may have been a historical king of Uruk. Three dynasties are absent from the list: the [[Larsa#Kings of Larsa|Larsa dynasty]], which vied for power with the (included) [[Isin#Kings of Isin|Isin dynasty]] during the [[History of Mesopotamia#Isin-Larsa period|Isin-Larsa period]]; and the [[Lagash dynasty period#Dynasties of Lagash|two dynasties of Lagash]], which respectively preceded and ensued the [[Akkadian Empire]], when [[Lagash]] exercised considerable influence in the region. Lagash in particular is known directly from archaeological artifacts dating from ca. 2500 BC. The list is important to the [[Chronology of the ancient Near East|chronology]] of the 3rd millennium BC. However, the fact that many of the dynasties listed reigned simultaneously from varying localities makes it difficult to reproduce a strict linear chronology.<ref name="Mieroop"/>

===Sources===
The following extant ancient sources contain the ''Sumerian King List'', or fragments:

* '''Apkullu-list''' (W.20030,7)
* '''Babyloniaca''' ([[Berossus]])
* '''[[Dynastic Chronicle]]''' (ABC 18)<ref>[http://www.livius.org/cg-cm/chronicles/abc18/dynastic1.html translation]</ref> including copies, '''K 11261+''' and '''K 12054'''
* '''Kish Tablet''' ([[Scheil dynastic tablet]])
* '''UCBC 9-1819''' ("California Tablet")
* '''WB 62'''
* '''WB 444''' ([[Weld-Blundell Prism]]) <ref>[http://www.livius.org/k/kinglist/sumerian.html translation]</ref>

The last two sources (WB) are a part of the "Weld-Blundell collection", donated by [[Herbert Weld Blundell]] to the [[Ashmolean Museum]]. WB 62 is a small clay tablet, inscribed only on the obverse, unearthed from [[Larsa]]. It is the oldest dated source (c. 2000 BC) containing the list.<ref>Langdon, OECT2 (1923), pl. 6.</ref> WB 444 in contrast is a unique inscribed vertical prism,<ref name="Mieroop"/><ref>[http://www.etana.org/coretexts/20340.pdf] Stephen Langdon,
Historical inscriptions, containing principally the chronological prism, W-B 444, Oxford University Press, 1923</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdli.ucla.edu/dl/photo/P384786.jpg |title=WB-444 High Resolution Image from CDLI}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cdli.ucla.edu/dl/lineart/P384786_l.jpg |title=WB-444 Line Art from CDLI}}</ref> dated c. 1817 BC, although some scholars prefer c. 1827 BC.<ref>Ancient Iraq: (Assyria and Babylonia), Peter Roger Stuart Moorey, Ashmolean Museum, 1976; ''The Sumerian King List'', T. Jacobsen, University of Chicago Press, 1939, p. 77.</ref> The Kish Tablet or [[Scheil dynastic tablet]] is an early 2nd millennium BC tablet which came into possession of [[Jean-Vincent Scheil]]; it only contains king list entries for four Sumerian cities.<ref>"The Early Chronology of Sumer and Egypt and the Similarities in Their Culture", S. Langdon, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 7, No. 3/4, Oct., 1921, p. 133. [http://www.jstor.org/pss/3853561]</ref> UCBC 9-1819 is a clay tablet housed in the collection of the Museum of Anthropology at the [[University of California]].<ref>"The Antediluvian Kings: A University of California Tablet", J. J. Finkelstein, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2, 1963, p. 39.</ref> The tablet was inscribed during the reign of the Babylonian King [[Samsu-iluna]], or slightly earlier, with a minimum date of 1712 BC.<ref>Finkelstein, 1963, pp.39-40.</ref> The Dynastic Chronicle (ABC 18) is a Babylonian king list written on six columns, beginning with entries for the antideluvian Sumerian rulers. K 11261+<ref>Lambert and Millard, Cuneiform Texts 46 Nr. 5</ref> is one of the copies of this chronicle, consisting of three joined [[Neo-Assyrian]] fragments discovered at the [[Library of Ashurbanipal]].<ref>''Bilingual Chronicle Fragments'', Irving L. Finkel, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 32, No. 2, Apr., 1980, pp. 65-80.</ref> K 12054 is another of the Neo-Assyrian fragments from [[Uruk]] (c. 640 BC) but contains a variant form of the antediluvians on the list. The later [[List of Kings of Babylon|Babylonian]] and [[Kings of Assyria|Assyrian]] king lists, preserved the earliest portions of the list well into the 3rd century BC, when Berossus' ''Babyloniaca'' popularized fragments of the list in the [[Ancient Greece|Hellenic world]]. In 1960, the Apkullu-list (Tablet No. W.20030, 7) or “Uruk List of Kings and Sages” (ULKS) was discovered by German archaeologists at an ancient temple at [[Uruk]]. The list, dating to c. 165 BC, contains a series of kings, equivalent to the Sumerian antediluvians called "Apkullu".<ref>A copy of the tablet appears in Jan van Dijk and Werner R. Mayer, ''Texte aus dem Rès-Heiligtum
in Uruk-Warka, Bagdader Mitteilungen Beiheft 2'' (Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1980), text no. 89 (= BaMB 2 89). For an edition of the text, see J. van Dijk, ''Die Inschriftenfunde, Vorläufiger Bericht über die... Ausgrabungen'' in Uruk-Warka 18 (1962), 44-52 and plate 27. [http://www1.pacific.edu/~alenzi/Lenzi_Uruk%20List%20of%20Kings%20and%20Sages%20JANER.pdf]</ref>

==The list==
Early dates are approximate, and are based on available archaeological data; for most pre-Akkadian rulers listed, this king list is itself the lone source of information. Beginning with [[Lugal-zage-si]] and the Third Dynasty of Uruk (which was defeated by [[Sargon of Akkad]]), a better understanding of how subsequent rulers fit into the [[chronology of the ancient Near East]] can be deduced. The [[short chronology]] is used here.

===Antediluvian rulers===

None of the following predynastic "[[flood myth|antediluvian]]" rulers has been verified as historical via [[archeology|archaeological excavations]], [[epigraphy|epigraphical inscriptions]], or otherwise. It is possible that they correspond to the [[Early Bronze Age]] [[Jemdet Nasr period]] culture which ended approximately 2900 BC, immediately preceding the dynasts,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/Civ/papers/Jemdt_Nasr_04D.pdf |title=The Earliest Bronze Age in Southwest Asia (3100-2700 BC) |accessdate=2008-07-04 |last=Wright |first=Henry}}</ref> if they were not purely mythological inventions.

The antediluvian reigns were measured in Sumerian numerical units known as ''sars'' (units of 3600), ''ners'' (units of 600), and ''sosses'' (units of 60).<ref>[http://cdli.ucla.edu/pubs/cdlj/2009/cdlj2009_001.html] Christine Proust, Numerical and Metrological Graphemes: From Cuneiform to Transliteration, Cuneiform Digital Library Journal, 2009, ISSN 1540-8779</ref>

{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in [[Eridu]]g. In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years."''
|-
| [[Alulim]] || || 8&nbsp;sars&nbsp;(28,800&nbsp;years) || Between 35th and 30th century BC||
|-
| [[Alalngar]] || || 10&nbsp;sars&nbsp;(36,000&nbsp;years) || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then [[Eridug]] fell and the kingship was taken to [[Bad-tibira]]."''
|-
| [[En-men-lu-ana]] || || 12&nbsp;sars&nbsp;(43,200&nbsp;years) || ||
|-
| [[En-men-gal-ana]] || || 8&nbsp;sars&nbsp;(28,800&nbsp;years) || ||
|-
| [[Dumuzid, the Shepherd]]&nbsp; || ''"the&nbsp;shepherd"'' || 10&nbsp;sars&nbsp;(36,000 years) || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then [[Bad-tibira]] fell and the kingship was taken to [[Larsa|Larag]]."'' 
|-
| [[En-sipad-zid-ana]] || || 8&nbsp;sars&nbsp;(28,800&nbsp;years) || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then [[Larag]] fell and the kingship was taken to [[Sippar|Zimbir]]."''
|-
| [[En-men-dur-ana]] || || 5&nbsp;sars&nbsp;and&nbsp;5&nbsp;ners&nbsp;(21,000&nbsp;years) || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then [[Zimbir]] fell and the kingship was taken to [[Shuruppak|Shuruppag]]."''
|-
| [[Ubara-Tutu]] || || 5&nbsp;sars&nbsp;and&nbsp;1&nbsp;ner&nbsp;(18,600&nbsp;years) || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then the [[Sumerian flood myth|flood]] swept over."''<ref>http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/section2/tr211.htm</ref>

::Excavations in Iraq have revealed evidence of localized flooding at Shuruppak (modern Tell Fara, Iraq) and various other Sumerian cities. A layer of riverine sediments, [[radiocarbon dating|radiocarbon dated]] to ca. 2900 BC, interrupts the continuity of settlement, extending as far north as the city of [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]. [[Polychrome]] pottery from the [[Jemdet Nasr period]] (3000-2900 BC) was discovered immediately below the Shuruppak flood stratum.<ref>{{Citation |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=eX8y3yW04n4C&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q=Sumerian%20King%20List&f=false |title=Sumer and the Sumerians |author=Harriet Crawford |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-53338-6}}</ref>
|}

===First Dynasty of Kish===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length of reign !! Approx. dates !! Comments
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"After the flood had swept over, and the kingship had descended from heaven, the kingship was in [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]."''
|-
| [[Jushur]] || || 1200 years || historicity uncertain || names before Etana do not appear in any other known source, and their existence is archaeologically unverified
|-
| [[Kullassina-bel]] || || 960 years || ||
|-
| [[Nangishlishma]] || || 670 years || ||
|-
| [[En-tarah-ana]] || || 420 years || ||
|-
| [[Babum]] || || 300 years || ||
|-
| [[Puannum]] || || 840 years || ||
|-
| [[Kalibum]] || || 960 years || ||
|-
| [[Kalumum]] || || 840 years || ||
|-
| [[Zuqaqip]] || || 900 years || ||
|-
| [[Atab]] (or [[A-ba]]) || || 600 years || ||
|-
| [[Mashda]] || ''"the son of Atab"'' || 840 years || ||
|-
| [[Arwium]] || ''"the son of Mashda"'' || 720 years || ||
|-
| [[Etana]] || ''"the shepherd, who ascended to heaven and consolidated all the foreign countries"'' ||1500 years|| ||
|-
| [[Balih]] || ''"the son of Etana"'' || 400 years || ||
|-
| [[En-me-nuna]] || || 660 years || ||
|-
| [[Melem-Kish]] || ''"the son of En-me-nuna"'' || 900 years || ||
|-
| [[Barsal-nuna]] || (''"the son of En-me-nuna"'')* || 1200 years || ||
|-
| [[Zamug]] || ''"the son of Barsal-nuna"'' || 140 years || ||
|-
| [[Tizqar]] || ''"the son of Zamug"'' || 305 years || ||
|-
| [[Ilku]] || || 900 years || ||
|-
| [[Iltasadum]] || || 1200 years || ||
|-
| [[En-me-barage-si]] || ''"who made the land of [[Elam]] submit"'' || 900 years || ca. 2600 BC || the earliest ruler on the List confirmed independently from epigraphical evidence
|-
| [[Aga of Kish]] || ''"the son of En-me-barage-si"'' || 625 years || ca. 2600 BC || contemporary with [[Gilgamesh]] of [[Uruk]], according to the [[Epic of Gilgamesh]][http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.1.8.1.1#] Gilgameš and Aga Translation at ETCSL
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[E-ana]]."''
|}

===First Dynasty of Uruk===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Mesh-ki-ang-gasher]] of [[E-ana]] || ''"the son of Utu"'' || 324 years || ca. 27th ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Mesh-ki-ang-gasher entered the sea and disappeared."''
|-
| [[Enmerkar]] || ''"the son of Mesh-ki-ang-gasher, the king of Unug, who built [[Unug]] (Uruk)"'' || 420 years || ||
|-
| [[Lugalbanda]] || ''"the shepherd"'' || 1200 years || ||
|-
| [[Dumuzid, the Fisherman|Dumuzid]] (Dumuzi) || ''"the fisherman whose city was [[Kuara (Sumer)|Kuara]]."''<br />(''"He captured [[En-me-barage-si]] single-handed."'')* || 100 years || ca. 2600 BC ||
|-
| [[Gilgamesh]] || ''"whose father was a phantom (?), the lord of Kulaba"'' || 126 years || ca. 2600 BC || contemporary with [[Aga (King of Sumer)|Aga]] of [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]], according to the [[Epic of Gilgamesh]]<ref name="Ox.ac.uk">[http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=t.1.8.1.1#] Gilgameš and Aga Translation at ETCSL</ref>
|-
| [[Ur-Nungal]] || ''"the son of Gilgamesh"'' || 30 years || ||
|-
| [[Udul-kalama]] || ''"the son of Ur-Nungal"'' || 15 years || ||
|-
| [[La-ba'shum]] || || 9 years || ||
|-
| [[En-nun-tarah-ana]] || || 8 years || ||
|-
| Mesh-he ||''"the smith"'' || 36 years || ||
|-
| Melem-ana || || 6 years || ||
|-
| Lugal-kitun || || 36 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Ur]]im (Ur)."''
|}

===First Dynasty of Ur===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Mesh-Ane-pada]] || || 80 years || ca. 26th century BC ||
|-
| Mesh-ki-ang-Nuna || ''"the son of Mesh-Ane-pada"'' || 36 years || ||
|-
| [[Elulu]] || || 25 years || ||
|-
| [[Balulu]] || || 36 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Awan dynasty|Awan]]."''
|}

===Dynasty of Awan===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Three kings of Awan || || 356 years || ca.&nbsp;26th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]."''
|}

===Second Dynasty of Kish===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Susuda || ''"the fuller"'' || 201 years || ca.&nbsp;26th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC ||
|-
| Dadasig || || 81 years || ||
|-
| Mamagal || ''"the boatman"'' || 360 years || ||
|-
| Kalbum || ''"the son of Mamagal"'' || 195 years || ||
|-
| Tuge || || 360 years || ||
|-
| Men-nuna || ''"the son of Tuge"'' || 180 years || ||
|-
| ({{Not a typo|Enbi}}-Ishtar) || || 290 years || ||
|-
| Lugalngu || || 360 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Hamazi]]."''
|}

The '''First Dynasty of [[Lagash]]''' (ca. 2500 – ca. 2271 BC) is not mentioned in the King List, though it is well known from inscriptions

===Dynasty of Hamazi===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Hadanish || || 360 years || ca.&nbsp;2500&nbsp;BC ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Hamazi was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Unug]] (Uruk)."''
|}

===Second Dynasty of Uruk===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[En-shag-kush-ana]] || || 60 years || ca.&nbsp;25th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC|| said to have conquered parts of Sumer; then [[Eannatum]] of [[Lagash]] claims to have taken over Sumer, Kish, and all Mesopotamia.
|-
| Lugal-kinishe-dudu or Lugal-ure || || 120 years || || contemporary with [[Entemena]] of [[Lagash]]
|-
| Argandea || || 7 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Ur]]im (Ur)."''
|}

===Second Dynasty of Ur===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Nanni || || 120 years || ca.&nbsp;25th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC ||
|-
| Mesh-ki-ang-Nanna II || ''"the son of Nanni"'' || 48 years || ||
|-
| (?) || || 2 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Urim was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Adab (city)|Adab]]."''
|}

===Dynasty of Adab===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Lugal-Ane-mundu]] || || 90 years ||ca.&nbsp;25th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC  || said to have conquered all [[Mesopotamia]] from the [[Persian Gulf]] to the [[Zagros Mountains]] and [[Elam]]
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Adab was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Mari, Syria|Mari]]."''
|}

===Dynasty of Mari===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Anbu || || 30 years ||ca.&nbsp;25th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC ||
|-
| Anba || ''"the son of Anbu"'' || 17 years || ||
|-
| Bazi || ''"the leatherworker"'' || 30 years || ||
|-
| Zizi of Mari || ''"the fuller"'' || 20 years || ||
|-
| Limer || ''"the 'gudug' priest"'' || 30 years || ||
|-
| Sharrum-iter || || 9 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Mari was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]."''
|}

===Third Dynasty of Kish===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Kug-Bau]] (Kubaba) || ''"the woman tavern-keeper, who made firm the foundations of Kish"'' || 100 years || ca.&nbsp;25th&nbsp;century&nbsp;BC|| the only known woman in the King List; said to have gained independence from [[En-anna-tum I]] of [[Lagash]] and [[En-shag-kush-ana]] of [[Uruk]]; contemporary with Puzur-Nirah of [[Akshak]], according to the later ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=1i5b6STWnroC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Puzur-Nirah+Ku-baba&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPA267,M1 Chronicle of the É-sagila]''
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Akshak]]."''
|}

===Dynasty of Akshak===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Unzi || || 30 years || ca.&nbsp;25th – 24th century BC ||
|-
| Undalulu || || 6 years || ||
|-
| Urur || || 6 years || ||
|-
| Puzur-Nirah || || 20 years || || contemporary with [[Kug-Bau]] of [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]], according to the later ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=1i5b6STWnroC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Puzur-Nirah+Ku-baba&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0#PPA267,M1 Chronicle of É-sagila]''
|-
| Ishu-Il || || 24 years || ||
|-
| Shu-Suen of Akshak || ''"the son of Ishu-Il"'' || 7 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Akshak was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]]."''
|}

===Fourth Dynasty of Kish===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Puzur-Suen || ''"the son of [[Kug-Bau]]"'' || 25 years || ca.&nbsp;24th – 23rd century BC||
|-
| [[Ur-Zababa]] || ''"the son of Puzur-Suen"'' || 400 (6?) years || ca. 2300 BC || according to the king list, [[Sargon of Akkad]] was his cup-bearer
|-
| Zimudar || || 30 years || ||
|-
| Usi-watar || ''"the son of Zimudar"'' || 7 years || ||
|-
| Eshtar-muti || || 11 years || ||
|-
| Ishme-Shamash || || 11 years || ||
|-
| (Shu-ilishu)* || || (15 years)* || ||
|-
| Nanniya || ''"the jeweller"'' || 7 years || ca. 2303-2296 BC (short) ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Kish was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Unug]] (Uruk)."''
|}

===Third Dynasty of Uruk===
<!-- [[File:Umma2350.PNG|thumb|right|180px|[[Lugal-zage-si]]'s [[Uruk]]]]  -->

{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Lugal-zage-si]] || || 25 years || ca. 2296–2271 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || said to have defeated [[Urukagina]] of [[Lagash]], as well as [[Kish (Sumer)|Kish]] and other Sumerian cities, creating a unified kingdom; he in turn was overthrown by [[Sargon of Akkad]]
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Agade]] (Akkad)"''
|}

<!-- [[File:Sargon de Acad.svg|thumb|right|180px|[[Akkadian Empire]]]] -->
<!-- [[File:Victory stele of Naram Sin 9066.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Victory stele of [[Naram-Sin of Akkad|Naram-Sin]] ([[Louvre]])]] -->

===Dynasty of Akkad===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Sargon of Akkad]] || ''"whose father was a gardener, the cupbearer of [[Ur-Zababa]], became king, the king of Agade, who built Agade"'' || 40 years || ca. 2270–2215 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || defeated [[Lugal-zage-si]] of [[Uruk]], took over Sumer, and began the Akkadian Empire
|-
| [[Rimush of Akkad]] || ''"the son of Sargon"'' || 9 years || ca. 2214–2206 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Man-ishtishu]] || ''"the older brother of Rimush, the son of Sargon"'' || 15 years || ca. 2205–2191 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Naram-Sin of Akkad]] || ''"the son of Man-ishtishu"'' || 56 years || ca. 2190–2154 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Shar-kali-sharri]] || ''"the son of Naram-Sin"'' || 25 years || ca. 2153–2129 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then who was king? Who was not the king?"''
|-
|
* [[Igigi (Akkadian King)|Irgigi]]
* [[Imi]]
* [[Nanum (king)|Nanum]]
* [[Ilulu]]
|''"and the 4 of them ruled for only 3 years"'' || || ca. 2128–2125 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Dudu of Akkad]] || || 21 years || ca. 2125–2104 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Shu-Durul]] || ''"the son of Dudu"'' || 15 years || ca. 2104–2083 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || Akkad falls to the [[Gutian dynasty of Sumer|Gutians]]
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Agade was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Unug]] (Uruk)."''
|}

===Fourth Dynasty of Uruk===
::(Possibly rulers of lower Mesopotamia contemporary with the Dynasty of Akkad)

{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| Ur-ningin || || 7 years || ca. 2091? – 2061? BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| Ur-gigir || ''"the son of Ur-ningin"'' || 6 years || ||
|-
| Kuda || || 6 years || ||
|-
| Puzur-ili || || 5 years || ||
|-
| Ur-Utu (or Lugal-melem) || (''"the son of Ur-gigir"'')* || 25 years || ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to the army of [[Guti (Mesopotamia)|Gutium]]."''
|}

The '''2nd Dynasty of [[Lagash]]''' (before ca. 2093–2046 BC ([[short chronology|short]])) is not mentioned in the King List, though it is well known from inscriptions.

===Gutian rule===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"In the army of Gutium, at first no king was famous; they were their own kings and ruled thus for 3 years."''
|-
| [[Inkishush]] || || 6 years || ca. 2147–2050 BC ([[short chronology|short]])||
|-
| Zarlagab || || 6 years || ||
|-
| [[Shulme]] (or Yarlagash) || || 6 years || ||
|-
| [[Silulumesh]] (or Silulu) || || 6 years || ||
|-
| Inimabakesh (or Duga) || || 5 years || ||
|-
| Igeshaush (or Ilu-An) || || 6 years || ||
|-
| [[Yarlagab]] || || 3 years || ||
|-
| Ibate of Gutium || || 3 years || ||
|-
| [[Yarla]] (or Yarlangab) || || 3 years || ||
|-
| Kurum || || 1 year || ||
|-
| Apilkin || || 3 years || ||
|-
| La-erabum || || 2 years || || mace head inscription
|-
| Irarum || || 2 years || ||
|-
| Ibranum || || 1 year || ||
|-
| Hablum || || 2 years || ||
|-
| Puzur-Suen || ''"the son of Hablum"'' || 7 years || ||
|-
| [[Yarlaganda]] || || 7 years || || foundation inscription at [[Umma]]
|-
| (?) || || 7 years || ||Si-um or Si-u? — foundation inscription at [[Umma]]
|-
| [[Tirigan]] || || 40 days || || defeated by [[Utu-hengal]] of [[Uruk]]
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then the army of Gutium was defeated and the kingship taken to [[Unug]] (Uruk)."''
|}

===Fifth Dynasty of Uruk===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Utu-hengal]] || || conflicting dates (427 years / 26 years / 7 years) || ca. 2055–2048 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || defeats [[Tirigan]] and the [[Gutian dynasty of Sumer|Gutians]], appoints [[Ur-Namma]] governor of [[Ur]]
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Unug was defeated and the kingship was taken to [[Ur]]im (Ur)."''
|}

===Third Dynasty of Ur===
<!-- [[File:Ancient ziggurat at Ali Air Base Iraq 2005.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Great Ziggurat of Ur|Great Ziggurat]] of [[Ur]]]] -->
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Ur-Namma]] (Ur-Nammu) || || 18 years || ca. 2047–2030 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || defeats  Nammahani of [[Lagash]]; contemporary of [[Utu-hengal]] of [[Uruk]]
|-
| [[Shulgi]] || ''"the son of Ur-Namma"'' || 46 years || ca. 2029–1982 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) || possible lunar/solar eclipse 2005 BC
|-
| [[Amar-Suena]] || ''"the son of Shulgi"'' || 9 years || ca. 1981–1973 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Shu-Suen]] || ''"the son of Amar-Suena"'' || 9 years || ca. 1972–1964 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| [[Ibbi-Suen]] || ''"the son of Shu-Suen"'' || 24 years || ca. 1963–1940 BC ([[short chronology|short]]) ||
|-
| colspan="5" |
:''"Then Urim was defeated. The very foundation of Sumer was torn out. The kingship was taken to [[Isin]]."''
|}

Independent [[Amorite]] states in lower Mesopotamia.
The '''Dynasty of [[Larsa]]''' (ca. 1961–1674 BC ([[short chronology|short]])) from this period is not mentioned in the King List.

===Dynasty of Isin===
{| class="nowraplinks" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" width="600px" rules="all" style="background:#fbfbfb; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-size:90%; empty-cells:show; border-collapse:collapse"
|- bgcolor="#F6E6AE"
! Ruler !! Epithet !! Length&nbsp;of&nbsp;reign !! Approx.&nbsp;dates !! Comments
|-
| [[Ishbi-Erra]] || || 33 years || ca. 1953–1730 BC ([[short chronology|short]])|| contemporary of [[Ibbi-Suen]] of [[Ur]]
|-
| [[Shu-Ilishu]] || ''"the son of Ishbi-Erra"'' || 20 years || ||
|-
| [[Iddin-Dagan]] || ''"the son of Shu-ilishu"'' || 20 years || ||
|-
| [[Ishme-Dagan]] || ''"the son of Iddin-Dagan"'' || 20 years || ||
|-
| [[Lipit-Eshtar]] || ''"the son of Ishme-Dagan (or Iddin-Dagan)"'' || 11 years || || contemporary of [[Gungunum]] of [[Larsa]]
|-
| [[Ur-Ninurta]] || (''"the son of [[Ishkur]], may he have years of abundance, a good reign, and a sweet life"'')* || 28 years || || Contemporary of [[Abisare]] of [[Larsa]]
|-
| [[Bur-Suen]] || ''"the son of Ur-Ninurta"'' || 21 years || ||
|-
| [[Lipit-Enlil]] || ''"the son of Bur-Suen"'' || 5 years || ||
|-
| [[Erra-imitti]] || || 8 years || || He appointed his gardener, Enlil-Bani, substitute king and then suddenly died.
|-
| [[Enlil-bani]] || || 24 years || || contemporary of [[Sumu-la-El]] of [[Babylon]]. He was Erra-imitti's gardener and was appointed substitute king, to serve as a scapegoat and then sacrificed, but remained on the throne when Erra.imitti suddenly died.
|-
| [[Zambiya]] || || 3 years || || contemporary of [[Sin-Iqisham]] of [[Larsa]]
|-
| [[Iter-pisha]] || || 4 years || ||
|-
| [[Ur-du-kuga]] || || 4 years || ||
|-
| [[Suen-magir]] || || 11 years || ||
|-
| ([[Damiq-ilishu]])* || (''"the son of Suen-magir"'')* || (23 years)* || ||
|}
<small>* These epithets or names are not included in all versions of the king list.</small>

==See also==
{{Portal|Ancient Near East}}
* [[Chronology of the Ancient Near East]]
* [[Cities of the ancient Near East]]
* [[History of Sumer]]
* [[Kings of Assyria]]
* [[List of kings of Iraq]]
* [[List of lists of ancient kings]]
* [[List of Mesopotamian dynasties]]
* [[Short chronology timeline]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Literature==
* Jacobsen, Thorkild. [http://oi.uchicago.edu/pdf/as11.pdf The Sumerian King List]. [[University of Chicago Oriental Institute|Oriental Institute]], Assyriological Studies 11, University of Chicago Press, 1939
* Rowton, M. B. The Date of the Sumerian King List, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 19, no. 2, pp.&nbsp;156–162, 1960
* P. Steinkeller, An Ur III Manuscript of the Sumerian King List. In Literatur, Politik und Recht in Mesopotamien: Festschrift fur Claus Wilcke, ed. W. Sallaberger et al., Harrassowitz Verlag, pp.&nbsp;267–92, 2003
* Young, Dwight W. The Incredible Regnal Spans of Kish I in the Sumerian King List, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 50, no. 1, pp.&nbsp;23–35, 1991
* Hallo, William W. Beginning and End of the Sumerian King List in the Nippur Recension, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, pp.&nbsp;52–57, 1963
* Vincente, Claudine-Adrienne, "The Tall Leilan Recension of the Sumerian King List", ''Zeitschrift für Assyriologie'' 50 (1995), 234&ndash;270
* Friberg, Jöran. [http://books.google.com/books?id=x8ZY3RUQhMQC&pg=PA231 "The Beginning and the End of the Sumerian King List"], in ''A remarkable collection of Babylonian mathematical texts: Manuscripts in the Schøyen Collection Cuneiform Texts I'', Springer, 2007, ISBN 0-387-34543-4
* Michalowski, Piotr. History as Charter Some Observations on the Sumerian King List, Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 103, no. 1, pp.&nbsp;237–248, 1983
* Jean-Jacques Glassner, Mesopotamian Chronicles, Brill, 2005, ISBN 90-04-13084-5
* J. J. Finkelstein, The Antediluvian Kings: A University of California Tablet, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, pp.&nbsp;39–51, 1963
* Albrecht Goetze, Early Kings of Kish, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, pp.&nbsp;105–111, 1961
* Thomas Jacobs, The Sumerian King List, UGent paper, GONO department

{{Ancient Mesopotamia}}
{{Ancient Near East}}

<!--Categories-->
[[Category:Sumer|King list]]
[[Category:Sumerian rulers|King list]]
[[Category:Akkadian Empire|King list]]
[[Category:Akkadian people|King list]]
[[Category:Amorite people|King list]]
[[Category:Fertile Crescent]]
[[Category:Ancient history of Iraq]]
[[Category:Iraq-related lists]]
[[Category:King lists|Sumer]]
[[Category:Legendary rulers]]