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Irridu (Irrite) was a city in northwestern Mesopotamia, likely located between Harran and Carchemish. It flourished in the middle and late Bronze Age before being destroyed by Assyria.

History

Middle Bronze IIA

Yamhad Period

The city was first mentioned in a letter from the king of Carchemish to Zimri-Lim of Mari. The letter suggested that Irridu had been a subject of Carchemish, and subsequently it came under the rule of Yamhad.^[1]

In the late 18th century BC, Zitraddu, the governor of the city, rebelled against its overlord Yarim-Lim. Consequently, Yarim-Lim's brother, the Great King Abba-El I of Yamhad (c. 1750-1720 BC) quashed the rebels violently to the extent of destroying the city and he compensated his brother by giving him Alalakh.^[2]

Late Bronze

Mitanni Empire

After the fall of Aleppo, the capital of Yamhad, to the Hittite king Mursili I (c. 1590 BC), Irridu came under the control of Mittani.

Hittite Empire

During the reign of Šuppiluliuma I of Hatti (c. 1350 BC), under prince Piyassili,^[3] occupied Irridu in their advance upon the Mittanian capital Washukanni and after the Hittites retreated, it became a regional center for Mittani until it was conquered by Adad-nirari I, king of Assyria.

Assyrian Empire

King Wasashatta of Mittani rebelled against the Assyrians and sought the help of the Hittites, but received none. Adad-nirari I attacked Mittani and conquered most of its cities. The royal family of Mittani escaped to Irridu but the Assyrians found them and deported them to Assyria.

Irridu and many cities in its area were set on fire, destroyed, and sowed with salty plants.^[4]

References

Citations

^ Trevor Bryce (10 September 2009). The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia. Routledge. p. 337. ISBN 978-1-134-15907-9.
^ William J. Hamblin (20 August 2006). Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. Taylor & Francis. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-203-96556-6.
^ Amanda H. Podany (9 July 2010). Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East. Oxford University Press. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-19-979875-9.
^ Amnon Altman (10 May 2012). Tracing the Earliest Recorded Concepts of International Law. BRILL. p. 101. ISBN 978-90-04-22252-6.

[1] Trevor Bryce (10 September 2009). The Routledge Handbook of the Peoples and Places of Ancient Western Asia. Routledge. p. 337. ISBN 978-1-134-15907-9.

[2] William J. Hamblin (20 August 2006). Warfare in the Ancient Near East to 1600 BC. Taylor & Francis. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-203-96556-6.

[3] Amanda H. Podany (9 July 2010). Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East. Oxford University Press. p. 298. ISBN 978-0-19-979875-9.

[4] Amnon Altman (10 May 2012). Tracing the Earliest Recorded Concepts of International Law. BRILL. p. 101. ISBN 978-90-04-22252-6.

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Irridu