Irkab-Damu
| Irkab-Damu | |
|---|---|
| King of Ebla | |
| Tenure | c. 2340 BC. Middle chronology |
| Predecessor | Igrish-Halam |
| Successor | Isar-Damu |
| King of Ebla | |
| Wife | Dusigu |
| Issue | Isar-Damu Princess Iti-Mut.[1] Princess Tarib-Damu.[2] Princess Tište-Damu.[2] Princess Tinib-Dulum.[3] |
| Father | Igrish-Halam |
| Mother | Kesdut |
Irkab-Damu (reigned c. 2340 BC),[4] was the king (Malikum) of the first Eblaite kingdom, whose era saw Ebla's turning into the dominant power in the Levant.[5][6]
During his reign, the vizier started to acquire an important role in running the affair of the state and the military. Irkab-Damu's reign is also noted for the wide diplomatic relations between Ebla and the surrounding kingdoms.[7][8][9]
Reign
Irkab-Damu succeeded king Igrish-Halam,[10][11] whose reign was characterized by an Eblaite weakness, and tribute paying to the kingdom of Mari with whom Ebla fought a long war.[8] Irkab-Damu started his reign by concluding a peace and trading treaty with Abarsal (probably located along the Euphrates river east of Ebla),[12] one of the first recorded treaties in history.[13] Ebla paid tribute to Mari during Irkab-Damu's first years on the throne.[8] A letter from king Enna-Dagan of Mari was discovered at Ebla,[14] and was used by the Mariote monarch as a tool to assert Mari's authority,[14] as it contained a historic telling of the victories won by Enna-Dagans's predecessors over Ebla.[15]
Expansion
Irkab-Damu launched a successful counteroffensive against Mari, and ended the tribute.[5][6] He expanded the borders of Ebla to its greatest extent, and controlled an area roughly half the size of modern Syria,[16] half of which was under the direct control of the king and administered by governors, while the rest consisted of vassal kingdoms paying tribute and supplying military assistance to Ebla.[16] A tablet from Ebla mention an Eblaite victory over Nagar, most probably during Irakb-Damu's reign.[17] The same tablet mention the concluding of a treaty with Enna-Dagan.[17] Irkab-Damu appointed Arrukum as the first vizier of Ebla,[18] who kept his office for five years,[19] and had his son Ruzi-Malik marrying princess Iti-Mut, the daughter of the king.[1]
Diplomacy was an important part of Irkab-Damu's policy, a clay tablet found in the archives at Ebla, bears a copy of a diplomatic message sent from Ebla to king Zizi of Hamazi, along with a large quantity of wood, hailing him as a brother,[20] and requesting him to send mercenaries in exchange.[21] Gifts from Ancient Egypt were discovered in the royal palace, indicating the far reaching relations of Ebla,[22] which is described by Karl Moore as the history first world power.[23]
Succession and family
Irkab-Damu was the son of Igrish-Halam and his queen Kesdut.[24] He ruled for eleven years,[12] and married Dusigu in his fifth year on the throne.[25] Irkab-Damu last two years saw the rise of vizier Ibrium,[19] who campaigned against Abarsal during Arrukum's term,[7] and became Ebla's strongest official during the reign of Irkab-Damu's son and successor Isar-Damu.[7]
See also
.svg){kind=small}
- Ebla tablets
- Cities of the ancient Near East
- Eblaite-Mariote war
References
Citations
- ^ S2CID 161759399.
- ^ S2CID 161759399.
- S2CID 161759399.
- ISBN 9781134520626.
- ^ ISBN 9780199798759.
- ^ ISBN 9781134261079.
- ^ ISBN 9781134750917.
- ^ ISBN 9781588390431.
- ISBN 9781842178379.
- ISBN 9789042918979.
- ISBN 9788884831071.
- ^ S2CID 163552750.
- ISBN 9780674726543.
- ^ ISBN 9780141938257.
- ISBN 9781134750849.
- ^ ISBN 9781134520626.
- ^ ISBN 9780951942093.)
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Alfonso Archi (1998). Archiv für Orientforschung, Volume 44,Deel 1 -Volume 45,Deel 1. p. 108.
- ^ ISBN 9781442690479.
- ISBN 9789990955156.
- ISBN 9780385131520.
- ISBN 9780199798759.
- ISBN 9781135970086.
- S2CID 161759399.
- ISBN 9780521764438.
Bibliography
- Frayne, Douglas (2008). Pre-Sargonic Period: Early Periods, Volume 1 (2700-2350 BC). University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-442-69047-9.
- Hamblin, William (2006). Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC: Holy Warriors at the Dawn of History. ISBN 978-1-134-52062-6.
- Liverani, Mario (2013). The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. ISBN 978-1-134-75091-7.
- Podany, Amanda (2010). Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East. ISBN 978-0-199-79875-9.