More languages
More actions
| Kingdom of Ur 𒉆𒈗𒋀𒀕𒆠 | |
|---|---|
| 2112 BCE–2004 BCE | |
 Ur (purple) and neighboring states around 2100 BCE | |
| Capital | Urim |
| Dominant mode of production | Slavery |
| Government | Absolute monarchy |
| History | |
• Established | 2112 BCE |
• Dissolution | 2004 BCE |
The Kingdom of Ur, also known as the Third Dynasty of Ur or Neo-Sumerian Empire, was a kingdom in Mesopotamia founded after the fall of the Gutian dynasty. Its king (lugal) had absolute power and was the head of the judiciary and administration. He was able to individually declare war or peace.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Utuhengal, the king of Unug, was the first to defeat the Gutians about 60 years after they conquered Mesopotamia. Soon after, Urnammu founded the Third Dynasty of Ur and became the dominant power in Sumer.[1]
Šulgi, son of Urnammu, conquered Syria and Elam and declared himself a god. He established a highly developed legal code with financial punishment for different crimes and rewards for returning slaves to their owners.[1]
The state declined under Šulgi's successors. Much of the workforce became servants of the temples and could not serve in the army to fight the invading Amorites (Murtu) and Elamites. At the end of the 21st century BCE, the Elamites conquered Urim and captured its last king, Ibienzu. During the Elamite occupation, Išbīrra, the ruler of Isin, seized power.[1]
Economy[edit | edit source]
The king of Ur owned a massive centralized estate which was destroyed in the Elamite conquest.[1]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Grigory Bongard-Levin, Boris Piotrovsky (1988). Ancient Civilisations of East and West. https://archive.org/details/ancientciveastwest/mode/1up.