MUSH
/ URU-MUSH / RIMUSH
![](425px-Head_of_a_ruler_ca_2300_2000_BC_Iran_or_Mesopotamia_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_(dark_background).jpg)
Head
of a ruler, ca. 2300–2000 BC, Iran or Mesopotamia. Metropolitan
Museum of Art
Mush
/ Uru-Mush / Rimush (or Rimuš, Ri-mu-uš) was the second
king of the Akkadian Empire. He was the son of Sargon of Akkad and
Queen Tashlultum. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu, and
was an uncle of Naram-Sin of Akkad. Rimush was known as King of
Akkad, King of Kish and King of Sumer King of the Universe.
Sumerian
King List :
According to the Sumerian King List, his reign lasted 9 years (though
variant copies read 7 or 15 years). There is one surviving year-name
for an unknown year in his reign: "Year in which Adab was destroyed".
Tradition gives that he was assassinated, as the Barûtu, “art
of the diviner”, a first millennium compendium of extispicy,
records “Omen of king Rimuš, whom his courtiers killed
with their seals”. He was succeeded by his brother Manishtushu.
A
number of his votive offerings have been found in excavated temples
in several Mesopotamian cities.
Destruction
of Sumerian city-states :
![](640px-P1150890_Louvre_st%E8le_de_victoire_Akkad_AO2678_rwk.jpg)
Akkadian
archer in tufted garment, indicating a high-ranking official, possibly
Rimush himself
According to his inscriptions, he faced widespread revolts, and
had to reconquer the cities of Ur, Umma, Adab, Lagash, Der, and
Kazallu from rebellious ensis:
"Rimuš,
king of the world, in battle over Adab and Zabalam was victorious,
and 15,718 men he struck down, and 14,576 captives he took. Further,
Meskigala, governor of Adab, he captured, and Lugalgalzu, governor
of Zabalam, he captured. Their cities he conquered, and their walls
he destroyed. Further, from their two cities many men he expelled,
and to annihilation he consigned them"
-
Adab and Zabalam Inscription of Rimus.
"Rimuš, king of the world, in battle over the cities of
Umma and Ki.An was victorious, and 8,900 men he struck down, and
3,480 captives he took. Further, the governor of Umma, he captured,
the governor of Ki.An he captured. Further, their cities he conquered,
and their walls he destroyed. Further, in their cities 3,600 men
he expelled, and to annihilation he consigned them"
-
Inscription of Rimus.
Only one year name is preserved for Rimush, and it says "Year
in which Adab was destroyed".
Rimush
introduced mass slaughter and large scale destruction of the Sumerian
city-states, and maintained meticulous records of his destructions.
Most of the major Sumerian cities were destroyed, and Sumerian human
losses were enormous :
Sumerian
casualties from the campaigns of Rimush |
Destroyed
cities |
Particulars |
Killed |
Adab
and Zabala |
15,718
|
Umma
and KI.AN |
8,900
|
Ur
and Lagash |
8,049
|
Kazallu |
12,052
|
(Three
battles in Sumer) |
11,322
|
Total |
56,041 |
Captured
and enslaved |
Adab
and Zabala |
14,576
|
Umma
and KI.AN |
3,540
|
Ur
and Lagash |
5,460
|
Kazallu |
5,862 |
(Three
battles in Sumer) |
--- |
Total |
29,438 |
"Expelled
and annihilated" |
Adab
and Zabala |
--- |
Umma
and KI.AN |
5,600 |
Ur
and Lagash |
5,985 |
Kazallu |
--- |
(Three
battles in Sumer) |
14,100 |
Total |
25,685
|
|
Total
casualties |
1,11,164 |
|
Victory
Stele of Rimush over Lagash :
![](590px-Fragments_of_the_Victory_Stele_of_Rimush_(Heuzey).jpg)
Fragments
of the Victory Stele of Rimush. The Victory Stele also has an epigraphic
fragment, mentioning Akkad and Lagash. It suggests the stele represents
the defeat of Lagash by the troops of Akkad
A Victory Stele in several fragments (three in total, Louvre Museum,
AO 2678 for the relief and AO 2679 for the inscriptions, with possibly
another fragment from the Yale Babylonian Collection YBC 2409) has
been attributed to Rimush on stylistic and epigraphical grounds.
One of the fragments mentions Akkad and Lagash. The style is airy
and the figures are more refined than those from the time of Sargon
of Akkad. One fragment in the main inscription probably contains
parts of the name of Rimush himself.
It
is thought that the stele represents the defeat of Lagash by the
troops of Akkad. The prisoners depicted in the relief are visibly
Mesopotamian, and their slaughtering at the hand of Akkadian soldiers
is consistent with the known accounts of Rimush. The stele was excavated
in ancient Girsu, one of the main cities of the territory of Lagash.
The inscription describes the attribution of large plots of land
from Lagash to the Akkadian nobility, following the victory.
![](Victory_stele-AO_2678-IMG_9053-gradient.jpg)
Possible
victory stele of king Rimush (front) Generally attributed to Rimush
on stylistic grounds
![](Victory_stele-AO_2678-IMG_9044.jpg)
Possible
victory stele of king Rimush (back)
![](640px-P1150890_Louvre_st%E8le_de_victoire_Akkad_AO2678_rwk.jpg)
Detail
of the slaughtering of prisoners by Akkadian troops
![](337px-Soldier_escorting_a_prisoner_on_an_Akkadian_Empire_victory_scene_2300-2250_BCE_Louvre_Museum_AO_2678.jpg)
Detail
of a soldier escorting a prisoner
![](522px-Man_of_Lagash,_circa_2270_BCE_(portrait).jpg)
A
prisoner from Lagash, circa 2270 BCE, on the Victory Stele. The
same hairstyle can be seen in other statues from Lagash
![](640px-Fragments_of_the_Victory_Stele_of_Rimush_(transcription).jpg)
Fragment
mentioning Akkad and Lagash, Louvre Museum, AO 2679
Campaigns
against Elam and Marhashi :
Conquest of Elam and Marhashi
![](603px-AO_5476_(front,_with_transcription).jpg)
![](Empire_akkad.svg.jpg)
Account of the victories of Rimush, king of Akkad, upon Abalgamash,
king of Marhashi, and Emahsini, King of Elam. Louvre Museum AO5476.
In several inscriptions, Rimush described his conquest of Elam and
Marhashi far to the east of Sumer, even mentioning victories over
troops of Meluhha (probably India).
There are also records of victorious campaigns against Elam and
Marhashi (Sumerian name for the Akkadian "Parahshum")
in his 3rd year. According to the account, troops from the Indus
Valley Civilization (Meluhha) also participated in the conflict:
"Rimuš,
the king of the world, in battle over Abalgamash, king of Parahshum,
was victorious. And Zahara and Elam and Gupin and Meluhha within
Parahšum assembled for battle, but he (Rimush) was victorious
and struck down 16,212 men and took 4,216 captives. Further, he
captured Emahsini, King of Elam, and all the nobles of Elam. Further
he captured Sidaga'u the general of Parahšum and Sargapi, general
of Zahara, in between the cities of Awan and Susa, by the "Middle
River". Further a burial mound at the site of the town he heaped
up over them. Furthermore, the foundations of Parahšum from
the country of Elam he tore out, and so Rimuš, king of the
world, rules Elam, (as) the god Enlil had shown..."
-
Inscription of Rimush (RIME 2.01.02.08).
The campaign resulted in 16,212 killed on the side of the enemies,
and 4,216 captured and enslaved. After the victorious campaigns
of Rimush, under his successor Manishtushu, Elam would be ruled
by Akkadian Military Governors, starting with Eshpum, and Pashime,
on the Iranian coast, was ruled by an Akkadian Governor named Ilshu-rabi.
![](640px-Abalgamash_Lugal_Paraahshum-ki.jpg)
"Abalgamash,
King of Marhashi" (Abalgamash Lugal Paraahshum-ki) on one of
the Rimush inscriptions (Louvre Museum, AO 5476)
![](449px-Prisoner_of_the_Akkadian_Empire_period_possibly_Warka_ancient_Uruk_LOUVRE_AO_5683_(detail).jpg)
Prisoner
of the Akkadian Empire, nude, fettered, drawn by nose ring, with
pointed beard and vertical braid. Thought to depict a typical Marhashi.
2350 - 2000 BCE, Louvre Museum AO 5683
Artifacts
in the name of Rimush :
![](574px-Murex_Rimush_Louvre_AO21404.jpg)
Akkadian
language cuneiform on Murex shell, with name of Rimush, 23rd century
BC
![](429px-Vase_in_the_name_of_Rimush_King_of_Kish_circa_2270_BC_albaster_Tello_ancient_Girsu.jpg)
Vase
in the name of "Rimush, King of Kish", albaster, Tello
ancient Girsu
![](342px-Rimush_name_inscription.jpg)
Name
of Rimush on an inscription
![](449px-AO_5477_(photograph_and_transcription).jpg)
The
first known Sumerian-Akkadian bilingual tablet dates from the reign
of Rimush. Louvre Museum AO 5477. The top column is in Sumerian,
the bottom column is its translation in Akkadian
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Rimush