Šamši-Adad I | |
---|---|
'Išši’ak Aššur' | |
Reign | fl. c. 1809 BCE — c. 1776 BCE |
Predecessor | Erišum II |
Successor | Išme-Dagān I |
Born |
c. 1860 BCE Terqa |
Died |
c. 1776 BCE Šubat-Enlil |
Akkadian | Šamši-Adad I |
Amorite | Shamshi-Addu I |
Father | Ila-kabkabu |
Shamshi-Adad I (Akkadian: Šamši-Adad I; Amorite: Shamshi-Addu I; fl. c. 1809 BC — c. 1776 BC by the middle chronology) was an Amorite who had conquered lands across much of Syria, Anatolia, and Upper Mesopotamia for the Old Assyrian Empire.
Shamshi-Adad I inherited the throne in Terqa from Ila-kabkabu (fl. c. 1836 BC — c.1833 BC) Ila-kabkabu is mentioned as the father of Shamshi-Adad I in the "Assyrian King List" (AKL); a similar name (not necessarily the same figure) is listed in the preceding section of the AKL among the “kings whose fathers are known”. Shamshi-Adad I did not inherit the Assyrian throne from his father, but was instead a conqueror. Ila-kabkabu had been an Amorite king not of Assur (Aššur) (in Assyria (Aššūrāyu)), instead; Ila-kabkabu was king of Terqa (in Syria) during the same time as that of the King Yahdun-Lim of Mari (also in Syria, c. 1800 BC — c. 1700 BC) According to the Mari Eponyms Chronicle, Ila-kabkabu seized Shuprum (c. 1790 BC), then Shamshi-Adad I “entered his father's house” (Shamshi-Adad I succeeded Ila-kabkabu as the king of Terqa, in the following year.):163 Šamši-Adad I had been forced to flee to Babylon (c. 1823 BC) while Narām-Sîn of Eshnunna (fl. c. 1850 BC — c. 1816 BC) had attacked Ekallatum. Shamshi-Adad I had remained in exile until the death of Naram-Sin of Eshnunna (c. 1816 BCE.) The AKL records that Shamshi-Adad I "went away to Babylonia in the time of Naram-Sin". Shamshi-Adad I did not return until taking Ekallatum, pausing for some time, and then overthrowing King Erishum II of Assur (fl. c. 1815 BC — c. 1809 BC) Shamshi-Adad I conquered Assur and emerged as the first Amorite king of Assyria (c. 1808 BC) Shamshi-Adad I attempted to legitimize his position on the Assyrian throne by claiming descent from Ushpia (an early native Assyrian king who fl. c. 2050 BC — c. 2030 BC) Although regarded as an Amorite by later Assyrian tradition, earlier archaeologists assumed that Shamshi-Adad I had indeed been a native Assyrian. Ushpia was the second last in the section "kings who lived in tents" of the AKL, however; Ushpia has not been confirmed by contemporary artifacts. Ushpia is succeeded on the AKL by his son Apiashal (fl. c. 2030 BC — c. 2027 BC)