Awan dynasty

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Awan Dynasty was the first dynasty of Elam, founded by king Peli at the dawn of history. It must have been an important influence on Sumer from the earliest times, for their conflicts with Mesopotamia begin with Enmebaragesi of Kish (ca. 2600 BC), who defeated them, as did another Sumerian king, Eannatum I of Lagash.

Awan was an old city or area of Elam whose location is not given, but is often believed to be north of Susa, or even in south Luristan, close to Dezful.

[edit] Elam and Sumer

According to the Sumerian king list, a dynasty from Awan exerted dominance in Mesopotamia at one time. It mentions three successive kings, reigning in all 356 years. This information is not considered reliable, but it does show that Awan had great political importance in the 3rd millennium BC.

A royal list found in Elam gives 12 names of the kings in the Awan dynasty. As there are very few sources for this period, even all of these names are not absolutely certain. Few facts of these kings' reigns are known, but Elam seems to have kept up a heavy trade with important Mesopotamian cities like Lagash, importing mainly foods and exporting cattle, wool, slaves and silver, among other things.

A text of the time refers to a shipment of tin to the governor of the Elamite city of Urua, which was committed to work the material and return it in the form of bronze — perhaps indicating a technological edge enjoyed by the Elamites over the Sumerians.

It is also known that the Awan kings carried out incursions in Mesopotamia, where they ran up against the most powerful city-states of this period, Kish and Lagash. One cause of conflict was apparently a Sumerian king's attempt to seize the market at Warakshe, a kingdom further east of Elam on the Iranian plateau, rich in luxury products of all types, especially precious stones.

Events become a little clearer at the time of the Akkadian Empire (ca. 2350 BC), when historical texts tell us of campaigns carried out by the kings of Akkad on the Iranian plateau. Sargon of Akkad subjected Luh-ishan of Awan, who later, along with king Sidgau of Warakshe, rebelled unsuccessfully against his son Rimush. Naram-Sin also beat Hishep-ratep of Awan. The latter always appear at the side of their traditional allies, the kings of Warakshe (later called Marhashi). With these defeats, the Awan kings became vassals of Akkad. This is confirmed by a document of great historical value, a peace treaty signed between Naram-Sin and an unnamed king of Awan, probably Khita or Helu. It is the oldest document written in Elamite cuneiform that has been found.

Although the Awan dynasty was defeated, the Elamites were able to avoid total assimilation. The capital of Anshan, located in a steep and mountainous part of western South Iran, was never reached by Akkad. In fact, the Elamites remained a source of tension that would destabilize the Akkadian state until their definitive fall at the hands of the Gutians.

[edit] Reign of Kutik-Inshushinak, the height of Awan

When the Akkadian empire started to break down around 2240 BC, it was Kutik-Inshushinak (or Puzur-Inshushinak), the governor of Susa on behalf of Akkad, who liberated Awan and Elam, ascending to the throne.

By this time, Susa had started to gain influence in Elam (later, Elam would be called Susiana), and the city began to be filled with temples and monuments. Kutik-Inshushinak next defeated Kimash and Hurtum (neighboring towns rebelling against him), destroying 70 cities in a day. Next he established his position as king, defeating all his rivals and taking Anshan, the capital. Not content with this, he launched a campaign of devastation throughout northern Sumer, seizing such important cities as Eshnunna. When he finally conquered Akkad he was declared king of the four quarters, owner of the known world. Later, Ur-Nammu of Ur, founder of the 3rd dynasty of Ur defeated Elam, ending the dynasty of Awan.

Kutik-Inshushinak's work was not only as a conqueror; he created Elam's organization and the administrative structure. He extended the temple of Inshushinak, where he erected a statue of her. After his defeat, the Awan dynasty disappears from history, undoubtedly cut down by the Guti or Lullubi tribes that then sowed disorder in Mesopotamia and the Zagros, and Elam was left in the hands of the Shimashki dynasty.