Urukagina

Uru-ka-gina, Uru-inim-gina, Eri-enim-ge-na, or Iri-ka-gina ( ; died 2368 BC) ruled in the 24th century BC as King of the city-states of Lagash and Girsu in Mesopotamia, and was the last ruler of the 1st Dynasty of Lagash. He assumed the kingship, claiming to be divinely appointed, following the reign of his predecessor Lugalanda. It is generally thought that Lugalanda lived on for 4 or 5 years after the ascension of Urukagina with the title "ensi-gal". The wife of Urukagina was named Sagsag, and a statue of her in the temple of Baba in Lagash was still being venerated centuries later in the

Ur III dynasty. When Baranamtarra, the wife of

Lugalanda, died in the 2nd year of Urukagina's reign, Sagsag was responsible

for the funeral and repeated memorial rites. The

funeral included "177 slave-girls, 92 lamentation singers, and 48 ‘wives of elders (?)’, who participated on two consecutive days at the ‘place of mourning’ (ki.ḫul)".

In the later half of his reign, Lagash fought wars against its traditional rival city of Umma, under the rule of Lugal-Zage-Si. In the end, Lagash was destroyed and Urukagina retreated to rule at Girsu. The destruction of Lagash was described in a later lament: "the men of Umma ... committed a sin against Ningirsu. ... Offence there was none in Urukagina, king of Girsu, but as for Lugal-Zage-Si, governor of Umma, may his goddess Nisaba make him carry his sin upon his neck". Lugal-Zage-Si himself was soon defeated and his kingdom was annexed by Sargon of Akkad.

History

[[File:Clay cone Urukagina Louvre AO4598ab.jpg|thumb|Fragment of an inscription of Urukagina; it reads as follows: "He [Uruinimgina] dug (…) the canal to the town-of-NINA. At its beginning, he built the Eninnu; at its ending, he built the Esiraran."]]

It is known that Urukagina was part of the Lagash structure before

assuming rulership based on several text from the reign of his predecessor.

In those texts his title, under the name Uru-ka, is ugula-uku₃, a high military commander. It has been suggested that his father's name was Ur-Utu. Engilsa has also been proposed but this has been refuted. Urukagina had a son named Šubur-^dBa-ba₆. Based on

textual sources, it is thought that Urukagina had another son and also two daughters,

named Game₂-^dBa-ba₆ and Geme₂-tar-sir₂-sir₂.

In what is generally considered the first year of his reign, he had the title of

ensi (governor). In a text following the 4th and 5th year of his predecessor

as ruler Lugalanda.

thumb|An account of [[barley rations issued monthly to adults and children, Urukagina year 4, from Girsu. British Museum, London.]]

It is generally assumed that Lugalanda died very late in his 6th year or very early in his 7th year. In this early period, there was no term for a partial regnal year. In succeeding years, Urukagina took the title of lugal (king). Lugalanda appears to have had no male offspring. He is known to have had one brother, Ur-silasirsir, generally thought to have died in the first regnal year of Urukagina. The manner of

Urukagina coming to rulership has been long debated. Earlier it was thought that he took

power by overthrowing the prior administration. There is no indication of that and

Urukagina regularly made offerings to the spirits of Lugalanda and his family including

wife Barag-namtara, his father En-entarzi, his grandfather Dudu, and brother Ur-silasirsir and paid respects to MesanDU, who was the personal god of Lugalanda’s family.

Urukagina conducted a wide ranging civic and religious building program constructing a number

of temples and other cultic sites.