Cultures > Lim Dynasty

Lim Dynasty

Background

The second millennium BC in the Fertile Crescent was characterized by the expansion of the Amorites, which culminated with them dominating and ruling most of the region,[60] including Mari which in c. 1830 BC, became the seat of the Amorite Lim dynasty under king Yaggid-Lim.[59][61] However, the Epigraphycal and archaeological evidences showed a high degree of continuity between the Shakkanakku and the Amorite eras.[note 8][51]Yaggid-Lim was the ruler of Suprum before establishing himself in Mari,[note 9][note 10][64] he entered an alliance with Ila-kabkabu of Ekallatum, but the relations between the two monarchs changed to an open war.[63][65] The conflict ended with Ila-kabkabu capturing Yaggid-Lim's heir Yahdun-Lim and according to a tablet found in Mari, Yaggid-Lim who survived Ila-kabkabu was killed by his servants.[note 11][63] However, in c. 1820 BC Yahdun-Lim was firmly in control as king of Mari.[note 12][65]Goddess of the vase. (18th century BC)Yahdun-Lim started his reign by subduing seven of his rebelling tribal leaders, and rebuilding the walls of Mari and Terqa in addition to building a new fort which he named Dur-Yahdun-Lim.[67] He then expanded west and claimed to have reached the Mediterranean,[68][69] however he later had to face a rebellion by the Banu-Yamina nomads who were centered at Tuttul, and the rebels were supported by Yamhad's king Sumu-Epuh, whose interests were threatened by the recently established alliance between Yahdun-Lim and Eshnunna.[54][68] Yahdun-Lim defeated the Yamina but an open war with Yamhad was avoided,[70] as the Mariote king became occupied by his rivalry with Shamshi-Adad I of Assyria, the son of the late Ila-kabkabu.[71] The war ended in a defeat for Mari,[71][72] and Yahdun-Lim was assassinated in c. 1798 BC by his possible son Sumu-Yamam,[73][74] who himself got assassinated two years after ascending the throne while Shamshi-Adad advanced and annexed Mari.[75]