Quick Facts
Biography
Ur-nigin, also Ur-nigina (𒌨𒆸, ur-niŋin) or Ur-nigar (𒌨𒉌𒃻, ur-ni-gar) was a Governor (ensi) of Uruk who lived in 22nd century BCE.
According to the Sumerian King List, Ur-Nigin destroyed the Akkadian Empire, which had probably already be weakened by the Gutians, and established a short-lived Fifth Dynasty of Uruk.
The Sumerian King List, describing the confusion of the decline of the Akkadian Empire after the death of Shar-kali-shari, mentions the rule of several kings, among them Ur-Nigin:
"Who was king? Who was not king? Irgigi the king; Nanum, the king; Imi the king; Ilulu, the king—the four of them were kings but reigned only three years. Dudu reigned 21 years; Shu-Turul, the son of Dudu, reigned 15 years. ... Agade was defeated and its kingship carried off to Uruk. In Uruk, Ur-ningin reigned 7 years, Ur-gigir, son of Ur-ningin, reigned 6 years; Kuda reigned 6 years; Puzur-ili reigned 5 years, Ur-Utu reigned 6 years. Uruk was smitten with weapons and its kingship carried off by the Gutian hordes."
— Sumerian King List.
Ur-Nigin is also mentioned in several votive inscriptions by his son Ur-gigir. One of them reads:
Ur-gigir, governor-general of the god Dumuzi, son of Ur-nigar, the mighty man, king of Uruk, and Ama-lagar his mother, for the goddess Ninšešegara his lady, the Ešešegara temple, her beloved temple in Patibira he built for her.
— Inscription of Ur-gigir.
The Fourth Dynasty of Uruk was finally destroyed by the Gutian Dynasty.
