This article lists the kings of Urartu (Ararat or Kingdom of Van), an Iron Age kingdom centered on Lake Van in eastern Asia Minor.

Kings

{| class="wikitable"

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!No.

!Name

!Picture

!Reign dates

!width="40%"| Notes

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|1

|Arame (Aramu, Arama)

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|858–844 BC

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|2

|Lutipri

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|844–834 BC (?)

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  • Unclear if he was king of Uratu.

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|3

|Sarduri I (Sarduris I, Sedur I, Asiduri I)

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|834–828 BC

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  • Son of Lutipri.
  • Known in Assyrian sources as Ishtarduri.
  • Moved the capital to Tushpa.
  • Expanded the fortress of Van.
  • Possibly established new dynasty.

|-

|4

|Ishpuini (Ishpuinis, Ispuini)

|106x106px

|828–810 BC

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  • Son of Sarduri I.
  • Expanded the empire and conquered Musasir.

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|5

|Menua (Menuas, Minua)

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|810–785 BC

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  • Son of Ishpuini.
  • Initially ruled jointly with his father Ishpuini and later jointly ruled with his son Inushpua.
  • Greatly expanded the kingdom.
  • Organized the centralized administrative structure.
  • Fortified a number of cities and founded fortresses.
  • Developed a national canal and irrigation system.

|-

|6

|Inushpua

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|788–786 BC

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  • Son of Menua.
  • Co-ruled with his father.
  • Possibly killed in battle.

|-

|7

|Argishti I (Argishtis I, Argishtish I, Argisti I)

|100x100px

|785–763 BC

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  • Son of Menua.
  • Fortified the empire's frontier.
  • Founded Erebuni (modern-day Yerevan).

|-

|8

|Sarduri II

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|763–735 BC

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  • Son of Argishti I.
  • Maximum expansion.
  • Zenith of Urartian power.
  • Archaeologists have discovered jars that once contained wheat, oil and wine, in the ruins of a castle the Turks call "Chavez Tepe", built by Uzira Sardouri II. Each buried jar with orifice covered with wedge engraved ceramic lids can hold 300 kg.

|-

|9

|Rusa I (Rusas, Ursa)

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|735–714 BC

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  • Son of Sarduri II.
  • Assyrian and Cimmerian attacks.
  • Assyrian King Tiglath-Pileser III destroyed castle of Rusa, which has been recently discovered under Lake Van, Turkey.

|-

|10

|Melartua

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|714 BC

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  • Son of Rusa I.
  • Briefly served as king after his father's defeat.
  • Subsequently killed by Urartian nobles.

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|11

|Argishti II

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|714–680 BC

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  • Son of Rusa I.

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|12

|Rusa II (known to Assyrian king as Yaya or Iaya)

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|680–639 BC

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  • Son of Argishti II.

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|13

|Sarduri III

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|639–635 BC

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  • Son of Rusa II.

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|14

|Erimena

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|635–629 BC (?)

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  • Son of Rusa II.

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|15

|Rusa III

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|629–615 BC

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  • Son of Erimena.

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|16

|Sarduri IV

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|615–595 BC

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  • Son of Rusa III.

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|17

|Rusa IV

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|595–585 BC

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  • Son of Rusa III.
  • Raids of Medes and Scythians.

|}

See also

  • List of Mesopotamian dynasties

References

  • Boris Piotrovskii, The Ancient Civilization of Urartu, London, 1969.
  • Igor Diakonoff, The Pre-History of the Armenian People, Caravan Books, New York, 1988.
  • M. Chahin, The Kingdom of Armenia, Curzon, London, 2001.
  • Urartu