SHAR-GUNI / SHAR-KALI-SHARRI

King of the Akkadian Empire


Reign : c. 2217 BC – 2193 BC

 

Predecessor : Narmar / Naram-Sin / Vishva

 

Successor : Bhagirath / Igigi

 

Spouse : Tutasharlibish

 

Dynasty : Dynasty of Akkad

 

Father : Naram-Sin of Akkad

 

Shar-Guni / Dilip / Khatvanga / Shar-Kali-Sharri (Shar-ka-li-Sharri; reigned c. 2217–2193 BC middle chronology, c. 2153–2129 BC short chronology) was a king of the Akkadian Empire.

Impression of a cylinder seal of the time of Akkadian King Sharkalisharri, with central inscription :

Shar-kali-sharri da-num lugal a-ga-deki ibe-šarrum dub-sar arad-su

"Divine Sharkalisharri, the mighty king of Agade, Ibni-Sharrum, the Scribe his servant".

The long-horned buffalo is thought to have come from the Indus Valley, and testifies to exchanges with Meluhha, the Indus Valley civilization. Circa 2217-2193 BC. Louvre Museum.

 

Akkadian language cuneiform for Sharkalisharri. The star symbol, the "Dingir", is a silent honorific for "Divine"

 

Shar-Kali-Sharri fought to defend the borders of the Akkadian Empire, until it finally collapsed

Rule :

Succeeding his father Naram-Sin in c. 2217 BC, he came to the throne in an age of increasing troubles. The raids of the Gutian hill peoples of the Zagros mountains that began in his father's reign were becoming more and more frequent, and he was faced with a number of rebellions from vassal kings against the high taxes they were forced to pay to fund the defence against the Gutian threat. Contemporary year-names for Shar-kali-sharri of Akkad indicate that in one unknown year of his reign, he captured Sharlag, king of Gutium, while in another year, "the yoke was imposed on Gutium".

 

Year names of Shar-Kali-Sharri :

Lists of year names can be found for many rulers from the time of the Akkadian Empire, including Shar-Kali-Sharri. They shed light on the length of his reign and the main events :

No.
Particulars
1.
Year in which became king of Agade
2.
Year in which Szarkaliszarri having campaigned against Sumer, in the mountains...
3.
Year following the year Szarkaliszarri having campaigned against Sumer, in the mountains …
4.
Year in which Szarkaliszarri appointed Puzur-Esztar the shagina (general), to build the temple of Enlil
5.
Year following the year Szarkaliszarri appointed Puzur-Esztar, the szagina, to build the temple of Enlil
6.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri laid the foundations of the temple of Enlil in Nippur
7.
Year the foundations of the temple of Enlil (in Nippur) were laid
8.
Year following the year in which the foundations of the temple of Enlil in Nippur were laid
9.
Year the king Szarkaliszarri brought to the temple of Enlil …
10.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri a vase of libation in gold (for the temple of Enlil and) cut down cedar timber for the temple of Enlil
11.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri laid the foundations of the temples of the goddess Annunitum and of the god Aba in Babylon and took prisoner Szarlag(ab) the king of Gutium
12.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri was victorious against Amurru
13.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri was victorious over Amurru in the Djebel Biszri
14.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri was victorious against Amurru
15.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri brought the battle against Elam and Zahara in front of Akshak and … and was victorious
16.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri was victorious against Elam and Zahara
17.
Year in which the yoke was imposed on Gutium
18.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri …
19.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri … Agade
20.
In the year in which Enlil … … Szarkaliszarri
21.
In the year in which Enlil … Szarkaliszarri …
22.
Year Szarkaliszarri the king of Agade...
23.
In the year in which Szarkaliszarri...

- Regnal year names of Shar-Kali-Sharri

Submission of Sumerian kings :

 

Seal impression of Lugal-ushumgal as servant of Shar-Kali-Sharri: "Sharkalisharri, the mighty king of Agade, Lugalushumgal, ensi of Lagash, is thy servant."

The submission of Sumerian rulers to Shar-Kali-Sharri, is recorded in the seal inscriptions of Sumerian rulers such as Lugal-ushumgal, governor (ensi) of Lagash ("Shirpula"), circa 2230-2210 BCE. Several inscriptions of Lugal-ushumgal are known, particularly seal impressions, which refer to him as governor of Lagash and at the time a vassal (arad, "servant" or "slave") of Naram-Sin, as well as his successor Shar-kali-sharri. One of these seals proclaims :

 

Shar-kali-sharri da-num lugal a-ga-deki lugal-ušumgal ensi lagashki arad-su


"Shar-kali-sharri, the mighty king of Agade, Lugalushumgal, ensi of Lagash, is thy servant."

 

- Seal of Lugalushumgal as vassal of Shar-Kali-Sharri.

Loss of Lagash :

 

Ceremonial macehead in the name of Shar-Kali-Sharri, in a dedication to the temple of Shamash at Sippar: "Macehead dedicated to Shamash, the Sun-God, by Shar-Gani-sharri, king of Agade". Anciently attributed to Sargon of Akkad

Although Lugal-ushumgal, Governor of Lagash, proclaimed himself as a vassal of Shar-Kali-Sharri, his successor Puzer-Mama took control of Lagash during Shar-kali-sharri's reign, when troubles with the Guti left the Sargonic king with only "a small rump state whose center lay at the confluence of the Diyala and Tigris river." Puzer-Mama started the 2nd Dynasty of Lagash.

 

Out of the 24 years of his reign, names survive for some 18 of them, and indicate successful campaigns against the Gutians, Amorites, and Elamites, as well as temple construction in Nippur and Babylon. Shar-Kali-Sharri reported defeating the Elamites at Akshak.

 

Fall into anarchy :

Sumer also suffered from a terrible drought during Shar-Kali-Sharri's reign in about c. 2200 BC, leading to the complete abandonment of some cities. This is complementary to Egyptian records, which suggest there was a drought around the same time during the reign of king Pepi II. After Shar-Kali-Sharri's death in c. 2193 BC, Sumer fell into anarchy, with no king able to achieve dominance for long. The king list states:

 

"Then who was king? Who was not the king? Igigi, Imi, Nanum, Ilulu: four of them ruled for only 3 years."

 

Legacy :

The next recorded king of Akkad to rule for any reasonable amount of time was Dudu, who is said by the king list to have reigned for 21 years. However, by this time the Akkadian empire was no more, and Dudu most likely controlled no more than Akkad itself, meaning Shar-Kali-Sharri was the last Akkadian king to actually have an empire under his control.

 

In the 1870s, Assyriologists thought Shar-Kali-Sharri was identical with the Sargon of Agade of Assyrian legend, but this identification was recognized as mistaken in the 1910s.

 

Inscriptions :

 

Tablet in Akkadian language recording domestic animals, Bismaya, reign of Shar-kali-sharri, c. 2100 BC, clay - Oriental Institute Museum, University of Chicago

 

Seal of Shar-Kali-Sharri (previously attributed to Sargon), with seated deity

 

Seal of Shar-Kali-Sharri (previously attributed to Sargon), with Gilgamesh fighting a lion

 

Cuneiform tablet from Nippur, in the name of Shar-Kali-Sharri (4th column), 2300 - 2100 BCE

 

Shar-Kali-Sharri seal

 

Bowl with inscription "To Shar-kali-sharri, king of Agade, Shaki-beli his servant.", Penn Museum

 

Brick Stamp of Shar-Kali-Sharri (mirrored for readability). National Museum of Iraq

 

Source :

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Shar-Kali-Sharri