# Awan (ancient city)

Awan (Sumerian cuneiform: 𒀀𒉿𒀭𒆠 a-wa-an$^{ki}$, "Country of Awan") was an ancient city-state or region of Elam in the western area of modern-day Iran. It often appears together with the cities of Susa and Anshan in the early history of Mesopotamia, having many conflictual interactions with Sumer.

## Location

The city of Awan still has not been located archaeologically. Given the 15th year name of Ibbi-Sin, the fifth and last ruler of the Ur III empire "The year Ibbi-Sîn, king of Ur, roared like a storm against Susa, Adamdun, (and) the land of Awan; made them submit in a single day; and took their lord(s) as bound captive(s)" Awan is thought to be close to Susa and Adamdun (thought to be Andimeshk).
An inscription of Rimush (c. 2279–2270 BC) second ruler of the Akkadian Empire states that he fought a battle "between Awan and Susa" near the "Qablitum River" (Qablitum=Middle).
   "<Rimus, king of the world, in battle> was victorious over Abalgamas, king of Parahsum. Zahar, Elam, [G]upin, and [Me]luhha assembled in Pa[rah]sum for battle, but he, (Rimus) captured S[idga'u], general of [Parahsum] (and) [the king(?) of] Elam i[nbetwe]en (the cities of) [Aw]an and [Susa], by the '[Mid]dle Ri[ver]'. [Further], he [h]eaped up over [them] a [burial mo]und i[n] the [are]a of the city. In addition, he tore out the [fo]undation of Parahsum from the land of Elam and (thereby) Rimus, king of the world, rule[d] Elam .... "

## History

A dynasty of Elamite rulers was named after the city, the Awan Dynasty. It was founded by a ruler named Peli, and is therefore sometimes called "the dynasty of Peli". According to the Sumerian King List, Awan put an end to the First Dynasty of Ur circa 2450 BC, and three kings of Awan then ruled over the southern regions of Sumer. Unfortunately, the names of the three rulers are broken off in the text. The primary source of this information is a much later king list, recorded on an Old Babylonian period tablet. The tablet has two lists, twelve rulers of Awan and twelve of Šimaški. Doubts have been raised about the list, especially the Awan section. Only two of the rulers on the Awan list are known with certainty from contemporary records Luh-ishan and Puzur-Inshushinak, and a third Khita has been suggested but is not at all certain.
On a monument recording one of his military campaigns, Sargon of Akkad (c. 2334–2279 BC), first ruler of the Akkadian Empire, lists captives and loot acquired including "booty of Awan". An unknown king of Awan (sometimes speculated to be Khita) is recorded as having signed a peace treaty, in Old Elamite language written in an Old Akkadian ductus, with Naram-Sin (not deified in the text), stating: "The enemy of Naram-Sin is my enemy, the friend of Naram-Sin is my friend". Old Elamite is poorly understood (all other texts being very short) as yet making interpretation of the text challenging. The text mentions about twenty gods, mostly Elamite but with a few Sumerian and Akkadian, including Inshushinak, Humban, Nahiti, Simut, and Pinikir. It has been suggested that the formal treaty allowed Naram-Sin to have peace on his eastern borders, so that he could deal more effectively with the threat from Gutium.
Awan wrestled independence from the Akkadians during the reign of Shar-Kali-Sharri. But some time later, the Awan Dynasty ended with the defeat of its last king, Puzur-Inshushinak by Ur-Nammu (c. 2112–2094 BC), followed by the control of the Third Dynasty of Ur over the region.
The last mention of Awan was during the reign of Ibbi-Sin (c. 2028–2004 BC), final ruler of the Ur III Empire, and then only as a geographical area.

## List of rulers

| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (Middle Chronology) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Early Dynastic IIIa period (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC) ||||
| Awanite dynasty of Sumer (c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC) ||||
| "Then Ur was defeated and the kingship was taken to Awan."— Sumerian King List (SKL) ||||
| | Unknown | fl. c. 2600 BC | Historicity uncertain Same person as Peli (?) Said on the Sumerian King List (SKL) to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer |
| | ...Lu | fl. c. 2580 BC | Historicity uncertain Same person as Tata (?) Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer |
| | Kur-Ishshak 𒆪𒌌 | fl. c. 2550 BC (36 years) | Historicity uncertain Same person as Ukku-Tanhish (?) Said on the SKL to have held the title of, "King" of not just Awan; but, to have held the "Kingship" over all of Sumer |
| "3 kings; they ruled for 356 years. Then Awan was defeated and the kingship was taken to Kish."— SKL ||||
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Early Dynastic IIIb period (c. 2500 – c. 2350 BC) ||||
| Dynasty of Peli (c. 2500 – c. 2015 BC) ||||
| | Peli or Feyli | reigned c. 2500 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" Founder of the, "Dynasty of Peli" |
| | Tata 𒋫𒀀𒅈 | r. c. 2450 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" Same person as ...Lu (?) |
| | Ukku-Tanhish | r. c. 2400 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" Same person as Kur-Ishshak (?) |
| | Hishutash | fl. c. 2400 – c. 2350 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Shushun-Tarana 𒋗𒋗𒌦𒋫𒊏𒈾 | fl. c. 2400 – c. 2350 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Napi-Ilhush 𒈾𒉿𒅍𒄷𒄷 | fl. c. 2400 – c. 2350 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Kikku-Siwe-Temti | fl. c. 2400 – c. 2350 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Proto-Imperial period (c. 2350 – c. 2334 BC) ||||
| | Luh-ishan 𒇻𒄴𒄭𒅖𒊮𒀭 | d. c. 2325 BC | Son of Ḫišibrasini Held the title of, "King of Awan" temp. of Sargon |
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Akkadian period (c. 2334 – c. 2154 BC) ||||
| | Sanam-Shimut | fl. c. 2325 BC | temp. of Sargon |
| | Hishep-Ratep I | fl. c. 2320 BC | Historicity uncertain Same person as Ḫišibrasini (?) Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Zinuba | fl. c. 2315 BC | temp. of Sargon |
| | Helu | fl. c. 2300 BC | Historicity uncertain Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Emahsini | fl. c. 2280 BC | temp. of Rimush Historicity certain Held the title of, "King of Elam" |
| | Epirmupi 𒂊𒉆𒈬𒉈 | fl. c. 2279 BC | temp. of Rimush (?) Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam" and "Governor of Susa" |
| | Enammuna | Uncertain | temp. of Rimush (?) |
| | Autalummash | fl. c. 2270 BC | temp. of Manishtushu (?) Historicity certain Held the title of, "King of Kings of Elam" |
| | Eshpum 𒀹𒅗 | fl. c. 2269 BC | temp. of Manishtushu Held the title of, "Governor of Elam" |
| | Lamgium | Uncertain | temp. of Manishtushu |
| | Uba | Uncertain | temp. of Manishtushu |
| | Ur-Ili-Adad | Uncertain | temp. of Manishtushu |
| | Khita 𒄭𒋫𒀀 | fl. c. 2250 BC | temp. of Naram-Suen Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Ili-ishmani 𒉌𒉌𒅖𒈠𒉌 | fl. c. 2200 BC | temp. of Shar-Kali-Sharri Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam" and "Governor of Susa" |
| | Hita'a 𒄭𒋫𒀀 | Uncertain | Same person as Khita (?) temp. of Shar-Kali-Sharri Held the title of, "King of Awan" |
| | Shinpi-hish-huk | Uncertain | Brother of Khita (?) temp. of Shar-Kali-Sharri |
| Portrait or inscription | Ruler | Approx. date and length of reign (MC) | Comments, notes, and references for mentions |
| Gutian period (c. 2154 – c. 2112 BC) ||||
| | Puzur-Inshushinak 𒅤𒊭𒀭𒈹𒂞 | r. c. 2150 BC | Son of Shinpi-hish-huk temp. of Gudea Held the titles of "Military Governor of Elam", "Governor of Susa", and, "King of Awan" |