UR-HEGAL
Utu-Hegal,
Prince of the Sumerian city of Uruk, praying for victory against
the Gutian king Tirigan. 19th century illustration
Reign
: c. 2119 BC – 2112 BC (Middle Chronology) c. 2055
BC – 2048 BC (Short Chronology)
Preceded by : : Tirigan (Gutian Dynasty), Nam-mahani
(Second Dynasty of Lagash)
Succeeded by : Ur-Nammu (Third dynasty of Ur)
Regnal titles of Ur-Hegal : King of Uruk
Dynasty : 5th Dynasty of Uruk
Ur-Hegal
/ Utu-hengal (Sumerian : Dutu-he2-g~al2), also written Utu-heg~al,
Utu-hegal, and sometimes transcribed as Utu-hegal, Utu-hejal, Utu-Khengal,
was one of the first native kings of Sumer after two hundred years
of Akkadian and Gutian rule, and was at the origin of the foundation
of the Third Dynasty of Ur by his son-in-law Ur-Nammu. He was officially
"King of Uruk" in his inscriptions, and is therefore considered
as the founder, and only member, of the "Fifth dynasty of Uruk"
(Uruk V).
Life
and reign :
There are several theories regarding his background. The most common
is that he was a governor of Uruk who revolted against the Gutian
kings in c. 2050 BC. [citation needed] He led the cities of Sumer
against the last Gutian king Tirigan. After a battle at an unknown
location, Utu-Hengal was victorious and forced Tirigan to flee back
towards Gutium. Tirigan fled to the city of Dubrum (location unknown)
where the people treated him kindly. However, once the people of
Dubrum heard that Utu-Hengal was marching towards the city, they
took Tirigan and his family prisoner. He was brought before Utu-Hengal,
and agreed to leave Sumer and retreat back to Gutium.
Utu-hengal
name and titles on his victory stele (photograph and transcription):
"Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four
quarters of the world"
After defeating the Gutians, Utu-hengal established himself as the
king of Sumer. In the seventh year of the kingship he tragically
died in an accident when inspecting a dam (leading some to suspect
foul play), [citation needed] and was succeeded by his son-in-law,
the governor of Ur, Ur-Nammu, as the king of Sumer. He was thus
the only king of the fifth dynasty of Uruk. In fact Sumerian people
have always treated Utu-hengal's kingship and the Ur III dynasty
together as a single continuous dynasty, with Utu-hengal as the
founder. Utu-hengal has been praised as one of the greatest historical
figures and heroes of Sumerian people. [citation needed]
Titulature
:
In his Victory Stele, Utu-hengal describes himself as :
Dutu-he2-gal2
/ nita kal-ga / lugal unuki-ga / lugal an-ub-da limmu5-ba
"Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four
quarters of the world"
-
Titles of Utu-hengal on his victory stele.
Inscriptions :
Utu-hengal is known through numerous inscriptions.
Victory
stele :
Utu-Hengal
victory stele AO 6018 (photograph and transcription of the obverse).
Louvre Museum
A victory stele was erected in Uruk by Utu-Hengal, a copy of which
was made during the Dynasty of Isin, now in the Louvre Museum (AO
6018). The stele described the victory of Utu-Hengal over the Gutians,
particularly their king Tirigan. The beginning of the inscription
reads:
"Enlil!
Gutium, the fanged snake of the mountain ranges, a people who acted
violently against the gods, people who the kingship of Sumer to
the mountains took away, who Sumer with wickedness filled, who from
one with a wife his wife took away from him, who from one with a
child his child took away from him, who wickedness and violence
produced within the country— Enlil, the king of all the lands,
to obliterate its name, Utuhegal, the mighty man, the king of Uruk,
the king of the four world quarters, the king whose utterances cannot
be countermanded, Enlil, the king of all the lands, issued to him
a command about this. To Inanna his lady he went and prayed to her,
(saying) “My lady, lioness of battle, who the foreign lands
batters, Enlil, the kingship of Sumer to return to its own control
he commanded me. May you be my ally.” An army of many foreigners
bore down upon the land everywhere. Tirigan, the king of Gutium,
opened its (canal?) mouths, but no one came out against him. Both
banks of the Tigris he had seized. To the south, in Sumer, the cultivated
land he tied up, to the north, the roads he tied up. On the highways
of the country he made tall grasses grow (....).
By the envoys of Utuhegal Tirigan and his wife and children in Dabrum
were captured. They placed fetters on his hands and put a cloth
(blindfold) over his eyes. Utuhegal before Utu made him lie at his
(Utu’s) feet, and on his neck he set his foot. Gutium, the
fanged snake of the mountain ranges, he made drink from the cracks
in the earth."
-
Victory Stele of Utu-Hengal
Copper-alloy vase :
Inscribed
copper-alloy vessel of Utu-hengal. British Museum
Beginning
of the inscription on the vase
Dutu-he2-gal2 / nita kal-ga / lugal unuki-ga / lugal an-ub-da limmu5-ba
"Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four
quarters of the world"
A copper-alloy vase, now in the British Museum (BM 1999,0731.1),
has an inscription by Utu-hengal :
[This
is] Utu-hegal, Powerful male, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters.
Whoever erases the inscription and writes his own name instead or
who, on account of this curse, has someone else take hold of it
and remove it, may his reign be cut short! May his progeny be wiped
out! May An, king of the gods, And Inanna, lady of Uruk, ... curse
him!
-
Utu-hengal copper-alloy vase inscription.
Stone fragment :
Another fragmentary inscription of Utu-hengal, also in the British
Museum, only mentions his name and titulature: "Utu-hengal,
the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters of the world".
Part
of a stone monument inscribed with the name of "Utu-hengal,
the great man, King of Uruk, King of the four quarters of the world".
Circa 2125 BCE. From Ur, Iraq.
The British Museum, London
"Utu-Hen(gal)"
in cuneiform
Utu-hengal
inscription. "Utu-hengal, the great man, King of Uruk, King
of the four quarters of the world"
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utu-hengal