Rise and Fall of the Akkadian Empire

Summary

This video explores the rise and fall of the Akkadian Empire, the world's first empire, in ancient Mesopotamia. It details Sargon of Akkad's conquests, the empire's expansion through trade and military might, and the eventual collapse due to internal strife, rebellions, and external threats like the Gutians. The script also touches on the empire's religious and cultural significance, including Sargon's daughter Enheduanna's role and the empire's legacy as a blueprint for future empires.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The Early Dynastic Period in Mesopotamia, from 2900 to 2350 BC, was marked by the rise and fall of various Sumerian city-states and the eventual unification under King Lugalzagesi.
• 🌊 A key figure in the transition from city-states to empire was Sargon of Akkad, who began as a gardener and rose to power, possibly due to divine favor from the goddess Inanna.
• 👑 Sargon, also known as Sharru-Kin, established the first true empire in history by conquering Sumerian cities and defeating Lugalzagesi, thus expanding his rule from the Persian Gulf to the north.
• 🛡️ Sargon's empire was legitimized through religious endorsements, such as the blessing from Enlil and the establishment of his daughter Enheduanna as a high priestess.
• 🚢 The Akkadian Empire flourished through trade, with goods from distant lands like Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha, enhancing the empire's wealth and power.
• ⛓️ Sargon's successors, including his son Rimush and grandson Naram-Sin, faced and suppressed multiple rebellions, demonstrating the challenges of maintaining a vast empire.
• 🌍 Naram-Sin expanded the empire to its greatest extent, conquering regions up to the 'Upper Sea' and securing trade routes, before claiming divinity for himself.
• 📜 The fall of the Akkadian Empire is attributed to a combination of factors, including internal rebellions, external invasions by the Gutians, and potentially a severe drought.
• 🏺 The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, currently in the Louvre, is a significant artifact that depicts the emperor's divine status and the empire's military achievements.
• 📉 The collapse of the Akkadian Empire marked the end of the first empire in history and set the stage for future empires to learn from its rise and fall.

Q & A

What was the significance of Uruk in the history of Ancient Mesopotamia?

Uruk was the first true Sumerian city and had a significant influence on the wider Near East, eventually leading to the Early Dynastic Period.

Who was King Lugalzagesi and what did he achieve?

King Lugalzagesi unified southern Mesopotamia, leading to a period of centralization and the rise of the Akkadian Empire.

How did Sargon of Akkad rise to power?

Sargon of Akkad, initially a gardener, gained favor from the goddess Inanna and was appointed cup-bearer by King Ur-Zababa of Kish. He eventually deposed Ur-Zababa and became the King of Kish, leading to the formation of the Akkadian Empire.

What was the role of Enheduanna, Sargon's daughter, in legitimizing his reign?

Enheduanna was appointed as the high priestess at the Temple of Nanna in Ur, which helped to legitimize Sargon's rule and control the wealthy city of Ur.

What were the key territories conquered by Sargon of Akkad?

Sargon conquered the Sumerian cities of Ur, Lagash, Umma, and others, extending his empire from the Persian Gulf to the area just north of the Tigris and Euphrates.

How did the Akkadian Empire expand its trade network?

The Akkadian Empire expanded its trade network by controlling areas from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, attracting trade from distant lands such as Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha.

What was the significance of the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin?

The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin is one of the oldest remaining monuments of the period, showing Naram-Sin claiming divinity and highlighting his victory over the lands of Magan.

Why did the Akkadian Empire collapse?

The Akkadian Empire collapsed due to a combination of factors including drought, constant rebellion, increasing Gutian raids, and the weight of its own expansion.

Who were the Gutians and what role did they play in the fall of the Akkadian Empire?

The Gutians were a people from the Zagros mountains who eventually overran Sumer and Akkad, contributing to the fall of the Akkadian Empire.

What is the Curse of Akkad and how does it relate to the fall of the Akkadian Empire?

The Curse of Akkad is a poem written centuries after the fall of the Akkadian Empire, providing a religious explanation for its collapse by suggesting that Naram-Sin angered the chief god Enlil, leading to divine retribution.

Outlines

00:00

🏛 Early Dynastic Period and the Rise of Sargon of Akkad

This paragraph discusses the transition from the first Sumerian city-state of Uruk to the Early Dynastic Period marked by the rise of other city-states like Ur and Lagash. It highlights the unification efforts of King Lugalzagesi and the subsequent rise of the Akkadian Empire under Sargon of Akkad. The narrative includes Sargon's humble beginnings, his rise to power, and the initial conquests that led to the formation of one of the world's first empires. The paragraph also touches on the sponsorship of the video by the mobile game Raid: Shadow Legends, emphasizing the game's immersive RPG experience and offering incentives for new players.

05:04

🌍 Expansion of the Akkadian Empire and Trade

The second paragraph delves into the territorial expansion of the Akkadian Empire under Sargon, detailing his military campaigns and the strategic importance of controlling trade routes. It mentions the subjugation of Susa and the establishment of trade with distant lands like Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha, which brought valuable resources into the empire. The paragraph also discusses Sargon's use of religion to legitimize his rule, the appointment of his daughter Enheduanna as a high priestess, and the administrative strategies he employed to maintain control over the empire.

10:08

🛡 Military Campaigns and the Reign of Naram-Sin

This section focuses on the military campaigns of Naram-Sin, the grandson of Sargon, who further expanded the Akkadian Empire. It describes his successful suppression of rebellions, the consolidation of control over Elam, and a naval expedition against Magan. The paragraph also highlights Naram-Sin's claim to divinity, as depicted in the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, and the eventual decline and fall of the Akkadian Empire after his death, which is attributed to a combination of factors including a potential drought and the invasion by the Gutians.

15:14

📜 Legacy of the Akkadian Empire

The final paragraph reflects on the historical significance of the Akkadian Empire as a pioneering model for future empires. It acknowledges the empire's role in setting a precedent for imperial governance and its impact on the development of civilization. The paragraph concludes with an invitation for viewers to continue following the series on Mesopotamian history and a call to action for support through subscriptions, Patreon, and merchandise purchases.

Keywords

💡Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia, often referred to as the 'cradle of civilization,' is the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in modern-day Iraq. It was the birthplace of some of the earliest civilizations, including Sumer. In the video, Mesopotamia is central to the narrative as it discusses the rise and fall of empires such as the Akkadian Empire, which emerged from this region.

💡Uruk

Uruk was one of the first cities in the Sumerian civilization and is mentioned as the first true Sumerian city in the script. It played a significant role in the development of urban life and is noted for its influence on the wider Near East. The city's hegemony and eventual decline set the stage for the Early Dynastic Period discussed in the video.

💡Early Dynastic Period

The Early Dynastic Period (2900 to around 2350 BC) followed the decline of Uruk's dominance and marked the rise of other Sumerian city-states. This era is characterized by the growth of these polities and intermittent border conflicts, which are key to understanding the political landscape leading up to the unification under King Lugalzagesi.

💡King Lugalzagesi

Lugalzagesi was a Sumerian king who unified southern Mesopotamia, as mentioned in the script. His reign represents a significant centralization effort in the region, which was a precursor to the rise of the Akkadian Empire. His rule and eventual defeat by Sargon of Akkad are pivotal to the video's historical narrative.

💡Akkadian Empire

The Akkadian Empire, founded by Sargon of Akkad, was the world's first known empire. It is a central theme of the video, detailing its ascension, territorial expansion, and eventual fall. The empire's control over trade, military conquests, and administrative innovations made it a significant historical entity.

💡Sargon of Akkad

Sargon of Akkad, also known as Sharru-Kin, 'The Legitimate King,' is a key figure in the video. His rise from a humble beginning to the founder of the Akkadian Empire is a central narrative. Sargon's military campaigns and administrative reforms are highlighted as they shaped the empire's early years.

💡Elam

Elam was an ancient civilization located to the east of Mesopotamia, with its capital at Susa. In the video, Elam is mentioned as a region that was both a target of Akkadian military campaigns and a significant player in the geopolitical landscape of the time. Its interactions with the Akkadian Empire, including conflicts and treaties, are part of the empire's historical context.

💡Trade Routes

Trade routes were essential for the Akkadian Empire's economic prosperity, as discussed in the video. They facilitated the exchange of goods such as copper, tin, ivory, and timber from distant lands like Dilmun (modern-day Bahrain) and Magan (modern-day Oman). These routes were crucial for the empire's wealth and power, and their control was a strategic military and economic objective.

💡Naram-Sin

Naram-Sin, the grandson of Sargon, is portrayed in the video as a powerful ruler who expanded the Akkadian Empire to its greatest extent. His military campaigns in Elam and Magan, and his claim to divinity, are significant aspects of his rule. Naram-Sin's reign and the subsequent fall of the empire after his death are central to the video's exploration of the empire's legacy.

💡Gutians

The Gutians were a people from the Zagros Mountains who are mentioned in the video as the force that eventually overran the Akkadian Empire. Their invasion is part of the narrative explaining the empire's collapse, along with other factors such as internal rebellions and environmental challenges like drought.

💡Curse of Akkad

The 'Curse of Akkad' is a poem that provides a religious explanation for the fall of the Akkadian Empire, as mentioned in the video. It suggests that divine retribution from the god Enlil led to the empire's collapse. While this narrative adds a mythological dimension to the historical events, the video also explores more tangible causes like drought and external invasions.

Highlights

The first true Sumerian city at Uruk and its influence on the wider Near East.

The Early Dynastic Period of 2900 to around 2350 BC marked the rise of other Sumerian polities like Ur and Lagash.

King Lugalzagesi's unification of southern Mesopotamia.

The ascension of the Akkadian Empire and its subsequent fall.

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King Lugalzagesi had many vassal kings or governors known as Ensi under his suzerainty.

Ur-Zababa, the King of Kish, was a central character in the epic that was to come.

The story of an illegitimate son placed in a basket and floated down the Euphrates river.

The young man, future Sargon of Akkad, was appointed cup-bearer by Ur-Zababa.

Sargon's rise to power, possibly involving the deposition of Ur-Zababa.

Sargon's conquests leading to the creation of the first true Empire.

Sargon's victory over Lugalzagesi and the symbolic act of washing his weapons in the Persian Gulf.

The religious legitimization of Sargon's reign through the blessings of Enlil and the city of Nippur.

The Akkadian Empire's control over Sumer and Akkad, and its borders with Elam and Mari.

Sargon's trade expansion, including goods from Dilmun, Magan, and Meluhha.

The use of religion by Sargon to legitimize his reign and the appointment of his daughter Enheduanna as high priestess.

Sargon's secular methods of control, including the use of native Akkadian governors or maintaining local rulers.

Rimush's suppression of rebellions and his attack on Elam.

Manishtusu's expedition along the Persian Gulf and the acquisition of silver mines and diorite quarries.

Naram-Sin's reign, bringing the Akkadian Empire to its territorial height.

Naram-Sin's naval expedition against Magan and the securing of valuable trade routes.

Naram-Sin's claim of divinity and the Victory Stele of Naram-Sin.

The collapse of the Akkadian Empire after Naram-Sin's death, possibly due to a drought and Gutian invasion.

The Curse of Akkad, a poem providing a religious explanation for the Empire's fall.

The significance of the Akkadian Empire as a benchmark and blueprint for future empires.

Transcripts

In the previous video in our series detailing the history of Ancient Mesopotamia we discussed

the first true Sumerian city at Uruk and its influence on the wider near east. The first

city eventually lost its hegemony over the region and the resulting growth of other Sumerian

polities such as Ur and Lagash began the Early Dynastic Period of 2900 to around 2350BC.

As the third millennium BC went on, intermittent border conflicts between the many Sumerian

city-states gave way to centralisation efforts, which eventually led to King Lugalzagesi unifying

southern Mesopotamia. In this video we will move on and cover the ascension of the Akkadian

Empire and its subsequent fall.

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By 2350BC the realm of king Lugalzagesi had reached its peak; he had many vassal kings

or governors - known as Ensi - under his suzerainty. One of these vassals was Ur-Zababa, the King

of Kish, who would be a central character in the epic that was to come.

Around the same period, it is said that a high priestess placed her illegitimate son

in a basket and floated it down the Euphrates river. Eventually, the young child washed

up on the shore and was retrieved by Akki - the chief gardener to Ur-Zababa, King of

Kish. This man took the young boy as his own son and appointed him as one of the gardeners,

responsible for the clearing and cleaning of irrigation canals. He reports that, during

one day of work, the goddess Inanna came to him and granted him her favour. Meanwhile

Ur-Zababa had a dream, and because of this, appointed the young man - the future Sargon

of Akkad - his cup-bearer. One of their responsibilities was to pour

drinks for the king and therefore appointees had to be trustworthy, so as not to poison

the king. Cup-bearers also generally had great influence due to their intimate position near

the ruler. What happened next is unclear, but it is said that Ur-Zababa had a dream

of himself being drowned by Inanna in a river of blood, while Sargon gained favour with

her. Consequently, he first attempted to have Sargon killed by his chief smith, fearing

his increasing favour from Inanna. He then sent the young man to Lugalzagesi so that

he might kill Sargon. The next portion of the inscription is missing, but Sargon is

King of Kish when it next becomes legible, presumably having deposed Ur-Zababa. The legitimacy

of this origin story is questionable, but his humble beginnings in the tale were likely

an attempt to ingratiate himself with the common people of Sumer and Akkad, in contrast

to the wealthy elite who had ruled the cities previously.

From this new base of power in Kish, Sargon - otherwise known as Sharru-Kin, ‘The Legitimate

King’ - began to forge the first true Empire that the world had yet seen. His first conquests

were to the south, where he won 34 battles, conquering the Sumerian cities of Ur, Lagash,

Umma and others - supposedly defeating 50 Ensi (lesser rulers) on the way.

He finally marched upon the city that Lugalzagesi had taken as his capital - the ancient first

city of Uruk, and vanquished it in battle, capturing Lugalzagesi as he did so. After

pressing further south and reaching the modern Persian Gulf, then known as the ‘Lower Sea’,

he performed the symbolic act of washing his weapons in that body of water, an act symbolising

the conquest of the furthest point south in Sumeria. The victorious Sargon then marched

north once again and led Lugalzagesi to the gates of Enlil’s temple in Nippur, where

he was probably executed. At this point the upstart king performed an

action which once again highlights the role of the gods in ancient Mesopotamia. In return

for the dedication of celebratory monuments in the city of Nippur, Enlil and the religiously

significant Nippur granted their blessing to the new Sargonic Dynasty, continuing the

traditions of the Early Dynastic Period. The burgeoning Akkadian Empire now controlled

Sumer and Akkad, from the Lower Sea to the area just north of the narrowest point between

the Tigris and Euphrates. The new nation bordered Elam to the east, with its capital at Susa,

and Mari to the northwest - further up the Euphrates.

To the north and west of this new Akkadian Empire, the realms of Ebla and Mari had been

involved in intermittent conflicts with one another for decades. These powerful and established

states blocked Akkadian expansion northward for the moment, and instead their attention

turned to the east and to trade. After returning back to his new capital at

Akkad, Sargon prepared another expedition in around 2,330BC. During this campaign he

subjugated and incorporated the Elam capital of Susa briefly into his realm, though its

Awan Dynasty continued to be a threat, moving to the more distant city of Anshan, from which

it menaced lower Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf region.

The Empire now directly controlled areas from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, and

the flourishing trade it attracted included plentiful goods from faraway lands. Ships

from ‘Dilmun’, modern day Bahrain, brought copper, tin, ivory and timber, all of which

were lacked in southern Mesopotamia. From ‘Magan’, modern day Oman, came copper

and Diorite - an igneous rock used for sculpture. Most exotic were the traders of Meluhha, who

brought pearls, carnelian [carn’eelian] and silver, as well as animals such as elephants,

monkeys and buffalo. Many Mesopotamian kings for centuries after would use goods from exotic

trade to show their power, likely influenced by Sargon.

In order to legitimise his reign further, the upstart Sargon used religion in a wise

and prominent way. He consistently reiterated that, rather than gaining the Empire himself,

the gods had instead given him the Empire. Moreover he installed his daughter, Enheduanna,

to the position of high priestess at the Temple of Nanna in Ur. She authored several beautiful

hymns to the gods, packed with emotion and imagery.

Her occupying this position would have had several benefits. Ur was one of the wealthiest

Sumerian cities, with much of this wealth likely being tied up in the temple’s holdings,

now under the control of the Emperor’s daughter. This would have also been effective at preventing

rebellions in the proud old city, due to the desire of the residents not to upset their

god by harming their high priestess. To assert control in a more secular manner,

Sargon either introduced native Akkadian governors into conquered cities or maintained the local

native rulers in order to ensure their loyalty and their contribution of taxes, which were

either siphoned away to the capital, or funded the local bureaucracy. In around 2280 BC,

after 56 years of rule, Sargon perished and his son Rimush took the throne in Akkad.

In the ancient world, the period between the death of one ruler and the consolidation of

power by their successor was a good time for rebellion, and this was true even in the very

first Empire. Upon the death of Sargon the Great, the cities of Sumeria, including Ur,

Lagash, Umma and Kazallu rebelled under mutinous Ensi. Rimush put the revolts down, but then

another wave of rebellion broke out a few years later. This later series of uprisings

were probably initiated and supported by Elam as revenge for the repeated Akkadian invasions

and victories over them. After Rimush successfully gained control of

Sumer once again, he attacked Elam and its allies, winning a decisive battle between

Susa and Awan. After nine years of rule from 2279 to 2270 BC, Rimush passed away, and was

succeeded by his brother Manishtusu. Instead of attacking inland, this new warrior king

led an expedition beyond the lower sea along the coast of the Persian Gulf, attacking the

Elamite cities of Anshan and Shirihum. He successfully gained access to the rich silver

mines and diorite quarries in the region beyond Susa on the Iranian plateau, bringing much

of the plunder back to Akkad. After fifteen years of rule, Manishtusu died and was succeeded

as Emperor by his son - Naram-Sin. Unlike his father and uncle, the grandson

of Sargon the Great was a great and powerful ruler in his own right, bringing the First

Empire to its territorial height. This warrior-king, like his two predecessors, had to brutally

put down rebellions against his unpopular dynasty’s rule before he could begin to

govern effectively. This done, he marched into the region of Elam

and consolidated Akkadian control of the region up to the Barahshi border. Susa’s Awan Dynasty

was subjugated by treaty to Naram-Sin at this point but they disappeared from the sources

soon after, replaced by the Emperor’s own officials. It is possible that the King deemed

it simpler to just eliminate the native dynasty in order to maintain control of this established

realm. Naram-Sin next embarked on a naval expedition

against the lands of Magan - modern Oman. He did not set out to conquer the land, but

returned with significant war loot and the glory of his victory. Also noted is the task

of securing the valuable trade routes to this region, in which he was successful.

With affairs to his south and east relatively stable, and although rebellions would continuously

occur in the Sumerian cities, Naram-Sin marshalled his forces and thrust north and west up the

Euphrates. After conquering the kingdoms of Ebla, Mari and Armanum in modern day Syria,

the Akkadian Empire now controlled lands from the Lower Sea to the Upper Sea, whilst also

subduing many nomadic steppe tribes on the Imperial periphery to his will.

At this time, the Emperor’s daughter Taram-Agade [a’ga’day] was married to a ruler in the

Syrian region, likely for diplomatic purposes. After these glorious victories and the attainment

of his empire’s pinnacle of power, Naram-Sin claimed divinity for himself. This is shown

in one of the oldest remaining monuments of the period, now located in the Louvre in Paris

- the Victory Stele [stee’lee] of Naram-Sin. In this representation, the eponymous emperor

stands broad compared to the rest of the soldiers also portrayed, and wears a horned helmet,

which were usually reserved for deities. From this stele, it is clear that the victory is

primarily due to the fact that the Emperor is a god himself. Despite these achievements,

the Akkadian Empire would begin to suffer a series of problems and would soon collapse

under its own weight after Naram-Sin’s death in 2218 BC.

The last true ruler of the first Empire in history was Naram-Sin’s son - Shar-Kali-Sharri.

Problems which had originated in his father’s reign quickly mounted and eventually shattered

the empire, which had begun only a century earlier, culminating in the overrunning of

Sumer and Akkad by the Gutians to the east. The poem known as the Curse of Akkad, written

centuries after the events had occured, attempted to provide a religious explanation for the

Empire’s fall. It stated that Naram-Sin had angered the chief god Enlil by plundering

his temple at the sacred city of Nippur. In punishment for this, Enlil had repaid the

destruction of his ‘Ekur’, or mountain temple, by destroying the Akkadian capital

city and sending Gutians from the Zagros mountains to invade. Many of these events did indeed

occur, but this explanation is not nearly enough to explain the fall of the first empire

the world had yet seen. Instead, many scholars argue that a drought

of apocalyptic scale was responsible for the fall of Akkad and many other civilisations

of the time - such as the enigmatic Indus Valley Civilisation and the New Kingdom of

Egypt. The core of the theory states that outside of the region of Sumer and Akkad,

many of the Imperial subjects relied on regular rainfall for their agricultural production,

rather than irrigation. A severe decline in production led refugees south into the Akkadian

core in hopes of greener pastures, which put massive strains on a system which was already

creaking under the weight of constant rebellion and increasing Gutian raids.

Moreover, it is possible that the increase in Gutian attacks was a result of displacement

from their homeland as a result of the drought. By around 2150 BC, the Gutians swept down

from the mountains in force, defeated the army of the Akkadian rump state and established

a dynasty of their own. Whether the decline and fall of the Akkadian

Empire was due to gods, invasion or drought, it is clear that the existence of this empire

was a landmark moment in history. It provided a benchmark and a blueprint for all empires

to follow and was the first time that an empire, the most popular form of government in the

history of the world, had risen.

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