akkadian empire
Alfgrn, via Wikimedia Commons
Lugalzagesi, the leader of the Sumarian empire was enjoying an extensive reign, fraught with uprisings, when Saragon the great was supposedly born.
Hans Ollermann, via Wikimedia Commons
Saragon of Akkad. What is written about the early life of Sargon the great is shrouded with myth.
What we do know about him, was that he was very strategic and it is widely believed that his early life story was part of his strategy.
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King Lugalzagesi, of Umma fell to the Akkadian leader Sargon of Akkad, after Sargon had convinced his to overthrow Ur-Zababa of Kish. It was during that Akkadian's reign that the 4.2 kiloyear event occurred, which causeed the land of Mesopotamia to dry up.
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Sargon quashes the uprisings and conquers Elam and Parahshum.
Sargon builds a new Akkad (or Agade) and put Akkadian administrators in every city he conquered, thus building the world's first known empire.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, via Wikimedia Commons
Sargon dies after 56 years of rule, of natural causes. Uprisings begin and Sargon's second son Rimush starts his reign, by quashing the rebellions.
Darafsh, via Wikimedia Commons
Manishtushu was the older brother of Rimush and it is believed that he may have had something to do with his brother's demise. Manishtushu ruled for 15 years expanding trade routes and preventing uprisings.
Zunkir, via Wikimedia Commons
Naram-Sin was a fierce conquerer and set about expanding the Akkadian empire, but his most notable battle was from a rebellion at Kish, he later proclaiming himself a God.
Zunkir, via Wikimedia Commons
Naram-Sin died of natural causes and Shar-Kali-Sharri, his son, became King. With uprisings and the drought bringing in nomadic tribes, Shar-Kali-Sharri watched the Kindom diminish rapidly.
image courtesy of Fulvio314, via Wikimedia Commons
With Shar-Kali-Sharri holding his last strong hold of Akkad, the nomadic Gutti saw there chance to take control and took Akkad burning it. The Guttians survived the unrest for the next century.