Kurda was an ancient city-state and kingdom located in Northern Mesopotamia.[1] Kurda emerged during the Early Dynastic Period (Mesopotamia) and is attested in the administrative texts of this era as a city state and geographical territory in Upper Mesopotamia corresponding to modern northern Iraq.[2][3][4] The city-state of Kurda is again attested by the Akkadian king Naram Sin in 23rd century BCE in his military campaigns in the land of Subarians.[5][6] Various Archives of Mari around 18th century BCE mention Kurda as an independent Kingdom, sometimes in alliance with Babylon and sometimes allied with Mari.[7][8] Kurda is also mentioned in the Tell Fekheriye tablets of the Assyrian kings Šalmaneser I (1263–1234 BC) and Tukulti-Ninurta I (1233–1198 BC), as one of the conquered territories in the Mitannian Empire.[9]
At its height the kingdom might have stretched from the Upper Khabur basin in what is today north-eastern Syria, to the steppes of Sinjar mountain, modern north-western Iraq.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] The capital city's location is debated; it was either located to south of Sinjar mountain, or along the Khabur river.[11]
The city was the Amorite Numha tribe's center,[17][18] it controlled a small area and included the nearby city of Kasapa.[19] The east Semitic deity Nergal was Kurda's chief god.[20][21]
In the 18th century BC, Kurda was involved in a military dispute with the neighboring kingdom of Andarig, which ended in peace.[22] However, Kurda was later subdued by Andarig and its master, the king of Elam.[23] The kingdom tried switching its loyalty to Babylon but was stopped by the Elamites who were defeated by a Babylonian-Mariote alliance in 1764 BC,[23] giving Kurda the chance to form an alliance with the kingdom of Apum to face Andarig.[24] Kurda annexed the city of Ashihum,[25] then became a vassal of Babylon,[26] and ended its relation with Mari in response to the latter role in supporting Andarig.[27]
King | Reigned |
---|---|
Simah-ilane | |
Bunu-Estar | |
Hammurabi | Middle 18th century BC |
Ashtamar-Adad |