Chapter 35: The Peak of the Akkadian Empire, the Naram-Sin
readx;? Naram Sheen, reigned 36 BC, 2291-2255 BC. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. biquge。 info suffix: Luna Sin.
In 2291 BC, Manishtushu's son, Naram Sin, mutinied, killed Manishtushu and seized the throne of Akkadian, the fourth king of the Akkadian dynasty.
As a result of the mutiny, the Sumerian states rebelled again. At this time, the king of the second dynasty of Elanawan, Sita, was in power and the kingdom was growing stronger, but he learned from his father's experience and did not rush to declare independence.
After quickly quelling the rebellion of the Sumerian city-states, Naram Sim began a large-scale campaign abroad to ease the tension at home.
Naram Simsi conquered Syria, Kemari, burned the city of Ebla, captured the king of Armanu, destroyed Apisal, reached the Mediterranean coast, and his forces reached the Mediterranean coast, where he cut down trees in the "cedar forest" (Mount Amanus) and transported them to the capital to build a temple.
The Western Semites came in large numbers from the west, and Ebra bore the brunt of the attack, becoming an obstacle to their entry into Mesopotamia. But after the destruction of the city of Ekara by Naramsin, the barriers were removed, and the West Semites entered Mesopotamia in large numbers during this period.
An expedition across the sea in the southern Persian Gulf to Magan and capture its king.
North to Armenia and the Kurdistan Mountains. In northern Assyria, Nakar on the upper reaches of the Habur River was built as the king's capital, and tablets of King Akkad were found in the important towns of Nineveh and Ashur.
To the east as the Zagros Mountains, in the northeastern mountains to engage the Lulupes, carved reliefs celebrating the victory in the war on the towering rocks.
At this time, Akkad had reached its heyday. At that time, Naram Sim was unrivaled and heroic, and he called himself "the king of the four corners of the world". He also called himself "Divine Naram Sin, the mighty god of Akkad". This was a bolder move than the divine authority of kings, who began to proclaim themselves gods and had already reached the heights of the Egyptians (laughs). This was the first time in Mesopotamia that theocracy and kingship were unified, that is, theocracy and religion were united, and theocracy and kingship began to be closely integrated. Many countries in the Middle East today are governed by this theocratic government.
The main reason for the Akkadian Empire's conquest was to control the commercial avenues that transported foreign products and precious materials. In such an ambitious empire, a new artistic concept - extolling the glory and omnipotence of the king - was born, and the art of engraving of this period appeared in addition to the traditional motifs of heroes and animals fighting from the previous period, as well as mythological scenes. The many images collected during the Akkadian period had a profound influence on the art of seal carving in later generations.
The bronze head of Sargon I, excavated in Nineveh, is typical of the fine art of this period.
The face of this head is dark yellow, and the shape is majestic and solemn, showing the fortitude, strength and self-confidence of this king. The king's hair was black and braided like a crown. The statue's eyes were originally embedded with precious stones, but they are now lost and become two hollows. The statue's facial carvings are concise and realistic, with Sumerian influences, and the unique and powerful decoration of the beard is a masterpiece of its kind. The whole head has a dignified expression, is carefully designed, and is very finely cast, which fully shows the superb bronze casting technology of ancient times. This statue is full of personality and life, which is completely different from the lifeless statues of the Egyptian pharaohs.
After the kingdom expanded into the Greater and Lesser Zab River regions, Naram Singh was severely challenged by the Guti people who lived in the region.
The Guti people, or pronounced as :, are the indigenous yellow people of the Indo-European language family. Originally found in the Zagros Mountains, it was initially a period when the tribes were fighting their own wars, and because of their mountainous location, they were considered barbarians by the Akkadian Empire. Regionally, it belongs to the traditional Elamite region (Iran) and belongs to the Elamite native power, but it is not the same race as the Awan Second Dynasty (Aryan Caucasians).
Later, it gradually moved out of the mountainous area to the area of the Greater and Lesser Zab Rivers. Originally, the Guti people had lived and worked in peace and contentment, but the murderous Nalam Sin, who burned and looted all the way, aroused the indignation of the Guti people, and the Guti people enthusiastically joined the army to defend their homeland and country, and the Akkadian army did not expect to encounter resistance, and suffered heavy losses by surprise.
After defeating the Akkadians, the Guti recognized their strength and began to challenge the entire region, including the Elam and Sumerian regions.
After several undefeated battles with the Akkadian king Naram Sin, he had to sign an equal treaty in Susa with Elam, ruled by the powerful Awan king Hitta, to form an alliance between the Semitic and Aryan Caucasian races to defend against the threat of the Indo-European Yellow Guti. This is the earliest known international treaty, and it was written in Akkadian cuneiform script for Old Elamite. This illustrates the growth of the influence of Akkadian culture on Elam.
From the date of the treaty, Elamite became officially independent and intersected with the Akkadian Empire on an equal footing. Representatives from Akkad are based in Susa, which should be considered the first embassy abroad!
In 2274 BC, Kish was the capital of the dynasty in Sumeria because of its special status, and at this time Kish began to move towards a semi-independent state, thus establishing the Fifth Kish Dynasty. Founded by Guy Ku Ludd.
In 2255 BC, King Naram Sin, King of Akkad, was killed in battle against the Guti.
Shar Kali Sharui, reigned 25 years, 2255-2230 BC.
In 2255 BC, Naram Sin's son, Shahr Kali Sharui, succeeded to the throne of Akkadian and became the fifth king of the Akkadian dynasty.
The splendor of the Akkadians was short-lived. Soon after Naram Sin's death, the Akkadian state rapidly declined. The centralization of the Akkadian kingdom gradually disintegrated.
The Second Ebra Dynasty of Syria regained its independence and quickly rebuilt the city of Ebra and restored control of the Mare, once again blocking the Western Semitic access to Mesopotamia.
Akkadian and Elamite joined forces under the treaty to attack the Guti. The Akkadians captured the chieftain of the Guti people, Sarrag.
Although the threat of the Guti has been temporarily eliminated, the threat of the independent Elamite kingdom is also great, and the Akkadian Empire faces the threat of the West Semites from the west.
During the time of Naram-Sin, these Western Semites marched into Babylonia and clashed with the Akkadians, who belonged to the Eastern Semites. The East Semitic people were already in sync with the Sumerian civilization and belonged to the higher civilization.