Irkab-Damu

 ( Kings Of Ebla ) 

Irkab-Damu ()

was king (Malikum) of the first Eblaite kingdom, whose era saw Ebla's turning into the dominant power in the Levant.

Amanda H. Podany (2025). 9780199798759 . ISBN 9780199798759

Lisa Cooper (2025). 9781134261079 . ISBN 9781134261079

During his reign, the vizier started to acquire an important role in running the affair of the state and the military. Irkab-Damu's reign is also noted for the wide diplomatic relations between Ebla and the surrounding kingdoms.

(2025). 9781588390431 . ISBN 9781588390431

(2025). 9781842178379 . ISBN 9781842178379

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Reign Irkab-Damu succeeded king Igrish-Halam,

Gregorio del Olmo Lete (2025). 9789042918979 . ISBN 9789042918979

(2025). 9788884831071 . ISBN 9788884831071

whose reign was characterized by an Eblaite weakness, and tribute paying to the kingdom of Mari with whom Ebla fought a long war. Irkab-Damu started his reign by concluding a peace and trading treaty with Abarsal (probably located along the Euphrates river east of Ebla), one of the first recorded treaties in history.

Stephen C. Neff (2025). 9780674726543 ISBN 9780674726543

Ebla paid tribute to Mari during Irkab-Damu's first years on the throne. A letter from king Enna-Dagan of Mari was discovered at Ebla,

Georges Roux (1992). 9780141938257 . ISBN 9780141938257

and was used by the Mariote monarch as a tool to assert Mari's authority, as it contained a historic telling of the victories won by Enna-Dagans's predecessors over Ebla.

Mario Liverani (2025). 9781134750849 . ISBN 9781134750849

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Expansion

Irkab-Damu launched a successful counteroffensive against Mari, and ended the tribute. He expanded the borders of Ebla to its greatest extent, and controlled an area roughly half the size of modern Syria,

William J. Hamblin (2006). 9781134520626 . ISBN 9781134520626

half of which was under the direct control of the king and administered by governors, while the rest consisted of vassal kingdoms paying tribute and supplying military assistance to Ebla. A Ebla tablets from Ebla mention an Eblaite victory over Tell Brak, most probably during Irakb-Damu's reign.

David Oates, Joan Oates, Helen McDonald (2025). 9780951942093 . ISBN 9780951942093

The same tablet mention the concluding of a treaty with Enna-Dagan. Irkab-Damu appointed Arrukum as the first vizier of Ebla, who kept his office for five years,

Douglas Frayne (2025). 9781442690479 . ISBN 9781442690479

and had his son Ruzi-Malik marrying princess Iti-Mut, the daughter of the king.

Diplomacy was an important part of Irkab-Damu's policy, a clay tablet found in the archives at Ebla, bears a copy of a diplomatic message sent from Ebla to king Zizi of Hamazi, along with a large quantity of wood, hailing him as a brother,

(2025). 9789990955156 . ISBN 9789990955156

and requesting him to send mercenaries in exchange.

Giovanni Pettinato (1981). 9780385131520, Doubleday. . ISBN 9780385131520

Gifts from Ancient Egypt were discovered in the royal palace, indicating the far reaching relations of Ebla,

Amanda H. Podany (2025). 9780199798759 . ISBN 9780199798759

which is described by Karl Moore as the history first world power.

(2025). 9781135970086 . ISBN 9781135970086

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Succession and family

Irkab-Damu was the son of Igrish-Halam and his queen Kesdut. He ruled for eleven years, and married Dusigu in his fifth year on the throne.

Anne Porter (2025). 9780521764438 . ISBN 9780521764438

Irkab-Damu's last two years saw the rise of vizier Ibrium, who campaigned against Abarsal during Arrukum's term, and became Ebla's strongest official during the reign of Irkab-Damu's son and successor Isar-Damu.

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See also

• Ebla tablets
• Cities of the ancient Near East
• Eblaite-Mariote war

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Citations

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Bibliography

• (2025). 9781442690479, University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9781442690479
• (2025). 9781134520626, Routledge. ISBN 9781134520626
• (2025). 9781134750917, Routledge. ISBN 9781134750917
• (2025). 9780199798759, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199798759

Categories: Kings Of Ebla, 24th-century Bc Monarchs, 24th-century Bc Births, 24th-century Bc Deaths

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