Marhasi

Marhaši (Mar-ḫa-ši^KI 𒈥𒄩𒅆𒆠, Marhashi, Marhasi, Parhasi, Barhasi; in earlier sources Waraḫše) was a 3rd millennium BC polity situated east of Elam, on the Iranian plateau. It is known from Mesopotamian sources, and its precise location has not been identified, though some scholars link it with Jiroft. An inscription attributed to Lugal-Anne-Mundu of Adab (albeit in much later copies) mentions it among the seven provinces of his empire, between the names of Elam and Gutium. This inscription also recorded that he confronted their governor (ensi), Migir-Enlil of Marhashi, who had led a coalition of 13 rebel chiefs against him.

The Awan kings of Elam were in conflict with a Sumerian ruler's attempt to seize the market at Warakshe, a kingdom apparently near Elam on the Iranian plateau, rich in luxury products of all types, especially precious stones. During the Akkadian Empire, Warakshe was conquered by Sargon the Great, and king Abalgamash of Warakshe and his general Sidgau, along with Luh-ishan of Awan, rebelled unsuccessfully against Rimush, while Hishep-ratep of Awan in alliance with Warakshe was defeated by Naram-Sin.

King Shulgi of the Ur-III dynasty gave his daughter Nialimmidashu in marriage to king Libanukshabash of Marhashi in his 18th year, in an attempt to forge an alliance, but this proved short-lived, for Shulgi's successor Amar-Sin records having to campaign against their new king, Arwilukpi.

Hammurabi of Babylonia's 30th year name was "Year Hammurabi the king, the mighty, the beloved of Marduk, drove away with the supreme power of the great gods the army of Elam who had gathered from the border of Marhashi, Subartu, Gutium, Tupliash (Eshnunna) and Malgium who had come up in multitudes, and having defeated them in one campaign, he (Hammurabi) secured the foundations of Sumer and Akkad."

See also

• List of kings of Persia
• Jiroft culture
• Meluhha
• Aratta
• Hamazi
• Subartu

Literature

• Potts, D. T., Total prestation in Marhashi-Ur relations, Iranica Antiqua 37 (2002).
• Olmstead, A. T., The Babylonian Empire, The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literatures (1919), p. 72.
• Michael Witzel, Substrate Languages in Old Indo-Aryan; 1.9. The Southern Indus language: Meluhhan, EJVS 5 (1999).
• Bertrand Lafont, The Toponym Ligri^ki, Cuneiform Digital Library Bulletin (2002)