SHARKALISHARRI

(reigned C. 2223–2198 B.C.)

Akkadian king, son of Naram-Sin. According to the surviving inscriptions from his reign, Shar-kali-sharri devoted much of his time to defending the Akkadian empire from external and internal threats. Soon after his accession, he had to drive back the Elamites, who had invaded the region north of Akkad and besieged the town of Akshak. Elam, though repulsed from Akkad, continued to grow in strength and influence. The Gutians also conducted persistent raids into the valleys of the Tigris, which abated after Shar-kali-sharri managed to capture their king, Asharlag. In the west, he campaigned against the Amorites and pushed them back behind Jebel Bisri. His most important building project was the reconstruction of the temple of Enlilat Nippur. Shar-kali-sharri abandoned the use of the divine determinative that his father Naram-Sin had introduced. Despite his efforts and successful military campaigns, he was not able to protect his state from disintegration, and after his death, written sources dried up in a time of increased anarchy and confusion.