Manishtushu

Mortal 3rd king of the Akkadian Empire (~2269-2255 BCE); son of Sargon and Queen Tashlultum; elder brother of Rimush and Enheduanna; father of Naram-Sin. Acceded after his brother Rimush's assassination. Conducted the canonical-Akkadian first-recorded major naval campaign across the Lower Sea (Persian Gulf) against a coalition of 32 kings of "the country of Anšan and Sherihum" (the Persian Gulf coast); defeated them and brought back large quantities of diorite for monumental sculpture — establishing the canonical-Akkadian diorite-import sculpture-tradition. Conducted expansive Zagros expeditions, conquering Anšan and Sherihum. The Cruciform Monument of Manishtushu (named for its cross-shape) is the canonical-Akkadian land-purchase document recording the king's extensive purchases of land for temple-foundation — one of the canonical-foundational Mesopotamian land-administrative texts. Per the canonical Akkadian historiographic tradition, also assassinated in palace conspiracy c. 2255 BCE — repeating the canonical-Akkadian palace-regicide pattern of his brother Rimush. Succeeded by his son Naram-Sin (the canonical-Akkadian self-divinizing king).

Parentage

• father: Sargon of AkkadManishtushu royal inscriptions; Cruciform Monument (primary)

Children

• Naram-Sin

Relations

• father: Sargon of AkkadManishtushu royal inscriptions; Cruciform Monument (primary)
• mother: Tashlultum (Queen, wife of Sargon, mother of Rimush, Manishtushu, and Enheduanna) · MesopotamianAkkadian royal inscriptions referencing Queen Tashlultum (primary)
• sibling: EnheduannaSargon royal inscriptions (primary)
• sibling: RimushSargon royal inscriptions; Sumerian King List (primary)
• father of: Naram-SinNaram-Sin royal inscriptions; Cruciform Monument of Manishtushu — Naram-Sin's self-identification as Manishtushu's son is canonically attested across the Naram-Sin corpus (primary)
• killed by: palace conspiracy c. 2255 BCE — assassination repeating the canonical-Akkadian palace-regicide pattern of his brother Rimush · MesopotamianAkkadian historiographic tradition (primary)

Sources

• existence: Manishtushu royal inscriptions (Frayne, RIME 2.1.3) (primary); Cruciform Monument of Manishtushu (primary); Manishtushu Obelisk (Louvre Sb 4) (primary); Sumerian King List (Old Babylonian recension; ETCSL 2.1.1, Akkad dynasty) (primary); Year-name list "In the year that Dūr-Maništusu was established" (primary); Cylinder seals of Akkadian-period officials referencing Manishtushu (primary)