Il, king of Umma

Umma

Il was king of Umma, circa 2400 BCE.

Il (Sumerian: 𒅍, ) was king (𒈗, Lugal) of the Sumerian city-state of Umma, circa 2400 BCE. His father was Eandamu, and his grandfather was King Enakalle, who had been vanquished by Eannatum of Lagash. Il was successor to Ur-Lumma. According to an inscription, before becoming king, he had been temple administrator in Zabalam: "At this time, Il, who was the temple administrator of Zabalam, marched in retreat from Girsu to Umma and took the governorship of Umma for himself." He ruled for at least 14 years.

He entered in a territorial conflict with Enmetena, ruler of Lagash, as mentioned in an inscription:

"He (Il) diverted water from the boundary-channel of Ningirsu and the boundary-channel of Nanshe (...). When because of those channels, Enmetena, the governor of Lagash, sent envoys to Il, Il, the governor of Umma, who steals fields (and) speaks evil, declared: ‘The boundary-channel of Ningirsu (and) the boundary-channel of Nanshe are mine! I will shift the boundary-levee from Antasura to Edimgalabzu!’ But Enlil (and) Ninhursang did not give it to him."

Il was defeated by Enmetena, who had sought the aid of Lugal-kinishe-dudu of Uruk, successor to Enshakushanna, who is in the king list.

Il later fought against Enannatum II, king of Lagash and successor to Enmetena, and vanquished him, ending the Lagash dynasty founded by Ur-Nanshe.

He was succeeded by his son, Gishakidu.

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  Name of "King Il" on his tablet (𒈗 being the character for Lugal, "King"), and corresponding standard Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform

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  Votive plate of Queen Bara-irnum of Umma, "wife of Gishakidu, king of Umma, daughter of Ur-Lumma, king of Umma, grand-daughter of Enakalle, king of Umma, daughter-in-law of Il, king of Umma", to God Shara, in gratitude for sparing her life.

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  "King Il" (𒅍𒈗, Il lugal) on the votive plate of Queen Bara-irnun