Hosta

This article lists the kings of Urartu (Ararat or Kingdom of Van), an Iron Age kingdom centered on Lake Van in eastern Asia Minor.

Early kings

• Arame (also Aramu, Arama) 858 BC–844 BC
• Lutipri 844 BC–834 BC (?)

Rise to power

• Sarduri I (also Sarduris I, Sedur I, Asiduri I) 834 BC–828 BC; known in Assyrian sources as Ishtarduri, moved the capital to Tushpa, expanded the fortress of Van, possibly established new dynasty.
• Ishpuini (also Ishpuinis, Ispuini) the Establisher 828 BC–810 BC; expanded the empire and conquered Musasir.
• Menua (also Menuas, Minua) the Conqueror 810 BC–785 BC; initially ruled jointly with his father Ishpuini and later jointly ruled with his son, Inushpua, greatly expanded the kingdom, organized the centralized administrative structure, fortified a number of cities and founded fortresses, developed a national canal and irrigation system.
• Inushpua 788–786 BC (?); co-ruled with his father, Menua. Possibly killed in battle.
• Argishti I (also Argishtis I, Argishtish I, Argisti I) 785–763 BC; fortified the empire's frontier, founded Erebuni (modern-day Yerevan).
• Sarduri II 763 BC–735 BC; maximum expansion; zenith of Urartian power.
• Rusa I (also Rusas, Ursa) 735 BC–714 BC; Assyrian and Cimmerian attacks.
• Melartua (714) briefly served as king after his father's defeat, subsequently killed by Urartian nobles
• Argishti II 714–680 BC
• Rusa II (known to Assyrian king as Yaya or Iaya) 680 BC–639 BC
• Sarduri III 639 BC–635 BC

Decline

• Erimena 635–629 BC (?)
• Rusa III 629 BC–590 BC or 629 BC–615 BC

Defeat and destruction

• Sarduri IV 615 BC–595 BC
• Rusa IV 595 BC–585 BC; raids of Medes and Scythians. Assyrians King Tiglath-Pileser III destroyed castle of Rusa, which has been recently discovered under Lake Van, Turkey. Archaeologists also discovered jars that once contained wheat, oil and wine, in the ruins of a castle the Turks call "Chavez Tepe", built by Uzira Sardouri II (ruled: 764–735 BC). Each buried jar with orifice covered with wedge engraved ceramic lids can hold 300 kg.^[1]

See also

• List of Mesopotamian dynasties

References

• Boris Piotrovskii, The Ancient Civilization of Urartu, London, 1969.
• Igor Diakonoff, The Pre-History of the Armenian People, Caravan Books, New York, 1988.
• M. Chahin, The Kingdom of Armenia, Curzon, London, 2001.

External links

• Urartu