People > Lugal-Anne-Mundu
Lugal-Anne-Mundu
Background
Lugal-Anne-Mundu was a king of the Sumerian city-state Adab in the 25th century BC. According to the Sumerian King List he reigned for 90 years following the defeat of Meskiaj-nanna of Ur. It is believed that he started the first empire in recorded history however, there are not many authentic contemporary accounts of his reign and one famously attributed to him was copied from previous inscriptions.
His empire collapsed upon his death and the transfer of power resulted in a dynasty from Mari starting with Anbu. There is dispute among historians though and some argue that the third king in the dynasty line named Sharrumiter assumed control after the death of Lugal-Anne-Mundu.
was the most important king of the city-state Adab in Sumer. The Sumerian king list claims he reigned for 90 years, following the defeat of Meskiaj-nanna of Ur. There are few authentic contemporary inscriptions for Lugal-Anne-Mundu's reign; he is known mainly from a much later text, purporting to be copied from one of his inscriptions.His empire, perhaps the first in recorded history, collapsed upon his death. Following this, the king list indicates that the "kingship" (i.e. the Nippur-based hegemony) fell to a dynasty from Mari, beginning with Anbu; however, it has been suggested that more likely, only the last of these Mari kings, Sharrumiter, held the hegemony after Lugal-Anne-Mundu.[1] With the break-up of the Adab kingdom, other prominent cities appear to have concurrently regained their independence, including Lagash (Lugalanda), Akshak (which not long afterward won the kingship from Mari, perhaps under Puzur-Nirah), and Umma (whose king Lugal-zage-si eventually went on to seize his own empire throughout the Fertile Crescent).Lugal-Anne-Mundu Inscription
According to the fragmentary inscription attributed to Lugal-Anne-Mundu, (but known only from two copies dated from the reigns of Abi-Eshuh and Ammi-Saduqa), he subjected the"Four Quarters" of the world — i.e., the entire Fertile Crescent region, from the Mediterranean to the Zagros Mountains. His empire is said to have included the provinces of Elam, Marhashi, Gutium, Subartu, the "Cedar Mountain land" (Lebanon), Amurru or Martu, "Sutium" (?),[2] and the "Mountain of E-anna" (Uruk with its ziggurat?). According to the inscription, he "made the people of all the lands live in peace as in a meadow".
He also mentions having confronted a coalition of 13 rebel governors or chiefs, led by Migir-Enlil of Marhashi; all of their names are considered Semitic.[3]Arno Poebel published a preliminary translation of one of the fragments in 1909, although he was unable to make out the king's name, which he rendered as "Lugal[.....]ni-mungin".[4] Hans Gustav Güterbock published a more complete translation in 1934, but quickly dismissed the account as pseudepigraphic and largely fictional. However, some more recent Sumerologists, following Samuel Kramer, have been more willing to give it credence as possibly a late copy of an actual inscription of Lugal-Anne-Mundu.[5]| Preceded By | King of Sumer | Succeeded By |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown King of Ur | Anbu of Mari | |
| Preceded By | Lugal of Adab | Succeeded By |
| Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Sumerian Kings
| Dynasty | Kings | Dynasty | Kings |
| Ante-Diluvian Kings | Alulim Dumuzid En-men-dur-ana Ziusudra | 3rd Dynasty of Kish | Kubaba |
| 1st Dynasty of Kish | Etana Enmebaragesi | 3rd Dynasty of Uruk | Lugal-zage-si |
| 1st Dynasty of Uruk | Enmerkar Lugalbanda Dumuzid Gilgamesh | Dynasty of Akkad | Sargon the Great Tashlultum Enheduanna Rimush Manishtusu Naram-Sin Shar-Kali-Sharri Dudu Shu-turul |
| 1st Dynasty of Ur | Meskalamdug Mesannepada Puabi | 2nd Dynasty of Lagash | Puzer-Mama Gudea |
| 2nd Dynasty of Uruk | Enshakushanna | 5th Dynasty of Uruk | Utu-hegal |
| 1st Dynasty of Lagash | Ur-Nanshe Eannatum En-anna-tum I Entemena Urukagina | 3rd dynasty of Ur | Ur-Nammu Shulgi Amar-Sin Shu-Sin Ibbi-Sin |
| Dynasty of Adab | Lugal-Anne-Mundu |
