Elamite Empire
The ancient Elamite Empire lay to the east of Sumer and Akkad, in what is now southwestern Iran. The Elamites called their country haltamtu or hallatamti, which was translated as Elam by the neighboring Akkadians. The country was also called Susiana after its capital, Susa. The Elamite language is unrelated to the neighboring Semitic languages, Sumerian language, and Iranian languages. Some scholars believe it is related to the living Dravidian languages of India (see Elamo-Dravidian languages).
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Elamite History is conventionally divided into three periods.
The Old Elamite period begins with the oldest attested Elamite Kings, approximately 2700 BCE. Elam fell under the political control of Akkad in the 22nd century BCE. The Avan dynasty reasserted Elam's independence. Shulgi of Ur (c. 2094-c. 2047 BC) conquered Elam for a time. About the middle of the 19th century BCE, power in Elam passed to the Eparti dynasty. Hammurabi of Babylon attacked Elam in 1764 BCE. King Kutir-Nahhunte I of Elam counter-attacked, and dealt a serious defeat to Hammurabi's son Samsu-ilana.
The Middle Elamite Period begins about 1350 BCE, after a 200 year hiatus about which little is known. Around 1160, under King Shutruk-Nahhunte, Elam defeats the Kassites to establish the first Elamite empire, which proved to be short lived; King Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon conquered Elam around 1120, bringing the empire to an end.
Around 750 BCE, Elam reasserts its independence, bringing about the Late Elamite Period. Elam is conquered by the Assyrians in 645 BCE, which marks the end of Elam as an independent state. The Medes conquered Elam from the Assyrians, and the Achaemenid dynasty, an Iranian dynasty who ruled the former Elamite land of Anshan, conquered the Median Empire to establish the Persian Empire.
Elamite served as one of the official languages of the Persian Empire, and Susa served as one of the four capitals of the empire. Susa also served as a capital of the Sassanid dynasty from 224 to 651 CE, when the Arabs conquered the Sassanid empire. The last use of Elamite script is the fourth century CE. Khuzestan, the modern Iranian province that corresponds to the land of Elam, has a largely Arab population, and the Elamite nation and its language have disappeared.
Avan Dynasty (precise dates unknown)
History
Chronology of rulers
Simash Dynasty (precise dates unknown)
Eparti Dynasty (precise dates unknown)
Babylonian Dynasty (c. 1770 - c. 1500 BCE)
Igehalkid Dynasty (c. 1350 - c. 1200 BCE)
Shutrukid Dynasty (c. 1205 - c. 1100 BCE)
Late Elam Dynasty (743 - 644 BCE)
External Links