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The Fall of the Gutians and the Rise of the Neo-Sumerian Empire (2112 BCE)
By the late 22nd century BCE, the Gutians—a tribal people from the Zagros Mountains—had ruled over Mesopotamia for roughly a century after toppling the once-mighty Akkadian Empire. However, their reign was marked by instability, administrative incompetence, and cultural decline. The Sumerian city-states, long resentful of foreign domination, saw an opportunity to reclaim their independence.
The turning point came when Utu-hengal, the ruler of Uruk, led a successful rebellion against the Gutians. According to Sumerian records, Utu-hengal defeated the Gutian king Tirigan in battle, forcing the remnants of the Gutian forces to retreat into the mountains. This victory marked the end of Gutian rule and restored Sumerian dominance in southern Mesopotamia.
Though Utu-hengal's reign was short-lived, his triumph paved the way for the Third Dynasty of Ur (Ur III), commonly known as the Neo-Sumerian Empire. His successor, Ur-Nammu, established a centralized state, revived Sumerian culture, and initiated large-scale construction projects, including the famous Ziggurat of Ur. The Neo-Sumerian Empire became a golden age of administrative efficiency, literature (such as the Sumerian King List), and legal codes (like the Code of Ur-Nammu, one of the earliest known law codes).
The fall of the Gutians and the rise of the Neo-Sumerian Empire marked a cultural and political renaissance in Mesopotamia. However, this revival was not to last forever—within a century, the empire would face new threats from the Elamites and the Amorites, leading to its eventual collapse around 2004 BCE.
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