The GIRI.NI. family

[ummia-inim-gina]

Another topic I have been looking into is the GIRI.NI. family of Umma. This family ruled over Umma during the Ur III under the title Chief Cattle Administrator (šuš3). It is of interest that this was the title of the Governor of Umma not ensi as is more common. Could this imply that cattle was the main economic staple for Umma during the period? I have read at another source that text show their economy was heavily involved in leather working.

The chart shown here:
cdli.ucla.edu/wiki/doku.php/the_ur_iii_province_of_umma?s[]=giri

ends with confirming the reign of Dadaga (governor from Shu-Suen 7, month 2, to at least Ibbi-Suen 3; in total 7 years)

However it lists that Dadaga has many children that ruled after and it doesn't go into the years of their reigns. I'm wondering now if it is possible that the GIRI.NI. family was still in power during the Isin/Larsa period. So far I have just referred to the leadership as "the ensi of Umma" without going into a name but it would be cool if I knew what to call him.

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It has been just short of eight years since I made this post inquiring about the GIRI.NI family of Umma. Just for the sake of pedantic completeness I would like to revisit this topic with information from Jacob Dahl's:

"The ruling family of Ur III Umma: a prosopographical analysis of an elite family in Southern Iraq 4000 years ago"
(Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, 2007)


Umma, like Nippur, retained a local ensi during rule under the Ur III dynasty unlike its neighbor Lagash which had rulers appointed by the administration at Ur. In Umma, a local ensi ruled and a military general (Sumerian: šagina) was appointed by the royal government at Ur.

The GIRI3.NI family was a well documented ruling family in Umma during the Ur III period. Jacob Dahl considers GIRI.NI to be a semi-legendary founder of the ruling family due to the lack of textual evidence of GIRI.NI himself. GIRI.NI held both the titles Chief of the police (Sumerian: gallagal) and Chief Livestock Administrator (Sumerian: šuš).

GIRI.NI's sons were Ur-Nigar, Nigar-kidu and Basag. He may have also had a possible fourth son named Lugal-Niglagare but that relationship is uncertain. After the death of GIRI.NI Nigar-kidu took on the title of gallagal and Ur-Nigar took on the title of šuš. Basag whose titles remain unknown.

Nigar-kidu had two sons Lu-duga and Atu. It was Atu who took upon the title of gallagal after his father died.

Ur-Nigar had many children. He had three son's that would rule over Umma as ensi; Ur-Lisi and his two of his brothers A(ya)kalla and Dadaga. He also had several other children including Ur-E'e, ARAD(mu), Lu-duga, Lugal-Kuzu, Inim-Šara, Lu-Šulgi(ra) and Gudea. Lugal-hegal, Mansum, Lu-Dingira and Ur-Nisaba are all possible children of Ur-Nigar whose relation remain uncertain. Ur-E'e, succeeded his father as šuš (Chief Livestock Administrator). The children of Ur-E'e were Lu-kala and Lu-haya. It was Lu-haya that succeeded Ur-E'e as šuš and held the title until the end of Ur's domination of Umma in IS4.

Ur-Lisi became ensi of Umma during the 33rd year of the reign of King Šulgi and ruled until the end of the reign of Amar-Suen in AS8. He had previously held the title of chief of the grannary (Sumerian: KA-guru). After Ur-Lisi became ensi the title passed to his brother ARAD(mu). He remained chief of the grannary until the end of the reign of  Amar-Suen and several years after. He was succeeded by his son Šara-izu.

Ur-Lisi had a son, Lu-Emah, with his wife Nin-Melam. He had another son, I-kala, and a daughter Nin-Ekuta with his concubine (Sumerian: lukur). I-kala held the scribal title dubsar tug-gada and was also the Chief of the weaving mill. Ur-Lisi ruled over Umma for 23 years until his bother A(ya)kala became ensi of Umma at the end of the reign of Amar-Suen-Suen.

The life of A(ya)kala is well documented. Prior to becoming ensi he held the titles of Scribe (dubsar), chief household administrator of the governor (Šabra e) from Š36 month 10 until Š39 month 2 when he was succeeded by his brother dadga. A(ya)kalla then became a captain (nubanda) from Š40 until AS8. A(ya)-kala ruled over Umma as ensi from the end of AS8 until he died of old age in ŠS7 a total of 32 years. A(ya)kala was a common personal name at the time. A separate A(ya)kala was also chief of the leather workers at Umma. This A(ya)kala is not to be confused with A(ya)kala son of Ur-Nigar.

The next ensi of Umma was dadaga who was the third son of Ur-Nigar to rule as ensi of Umma. Dadaga was ensi of Umma from ŠS7 month 2 until at least the year IS3 when sources become scarce and it becomes difficult to determine who was ensi of Umma. Dadaga's wife was named Nin-giškimzi. His six children were  Gududu, Lu-Šulgi(ra), Namzitara, Inim-Šara, Ur-Igalum and Lu-Šara.

The title of ensi of Umma transitioned from brother to brother within three of Ur-Nigar's children however succession never passed down to any of the grandchildren of Ur-Nigar. The final ensi of the family, Dadaga, had six children however the only one of his children that is well documented and is known to have held an official title is Gududu. Gududu remains an important figure in the Umma texts until the end of Ur's rule over Umma in IS4. According to Jacob Dahl, although he never did become ensi, Gududu was to succeed his father during the end of the reign of Dadaga.

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Tonia M. Sharlach sums up the rule of the GIRI.NI briefly in:
Provincial Taxation and the Ur III State
By Tonia M. Sharlach (Brill, 2003)

"For the four decades or so in which the bala system is attested, the provincial governors were, Ur-Lisi (from Shulgi 31 to Amar-Sin 8), Ayakalla (from Amar-Sin 8 to Shu-Sin 6) and Dadaga (from Shu-Sin 6 to Ibbi-Sin 2)."

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Now to return to the questions I posed over 7 years ago:

"It is of interest that this was the title of the Governor of Umma not ensi as is more common. Could this imply that cattle was the main economic staple for Umma during the period?"

No, the governor's title was ensi. The title of šeš was a separate title. Although being the Chief Cattle administrator seems to have been an important position cattle was far from the main economic staple. Barley farming was by far the largest sector of the economy of Ur III Umma (see "Provincial Taxation and the Ur III State"
By Tonia M. Sharlach (Brill, 2003).

"I'm wondering now if it is possible that the GIRI.NI. family was still in power during the Isin/Larsa period. (?)"

No, the last ruler of the GIRI.NI family was Dadaga. None of his children ever inherited the throne.