Sumerian royal ideology
E812789
Sumerian royal ideology was a belief system in ancient Mesopotamia that portrayed kings as divinely chosen rulers responsible for maintaining cosmic order, justice, and the prosperity of their city-states.
Statements (84)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Mesopotamian royal ideology
ⓘ
ancient Near Eastern ideology ⓘ political ideology ⓘ religious ideology ⓘ |
| associatedConcept |
building inscriptions
ⓘ
city-god patronage ⓘ cosmic order ⓘ divine justice ⓘ divine legitimation ⓘ foundation deposits ⓘ me (divine decrees) ⓘ royal hymns ⓘ royal inscriptions ⓘ royal titulary ⓘ sacred kingship ⓘ temple economy ⓘ |
| associatedDeity |
An
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Enki NERFINISHED ⓘ Enlil NERFINISHED ⓘ Inanna NERFINISHED ⓘ Nanna NERFINISHED ⓘ city tutelary deities ⓘ |
| coreBelief |
king ensures prosperity of the land
ⓘ
king guarantees justice ⓘ king is shepherd of the people ⓘ king maintains cosmic order ⓘ kings are divinely chosen ⓘ kingship descends from heaven ⓘ kingship is a gift from the gods ⓘ |
| developedIn |
Sumer
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
southern Mesopotamia ⓘ |
| expressedIn |
building inscriptions
ⓘ
coronation ceremonies ⓘ literary compositions ⓘ royal hymns ⓘ royal inscriptions ⓘ temple rituals ⓘ |
| function |
integrate religion and kingship
ⓘ
justify territorial expansion ⓘ justify warfare ⓘ legitimize royal power ⓘ promote social order ⓘ sanction lawgiving ⓘ |
| influenced |
Akkadian royal ideology
ⓘ
Assyrian royal ideology ⓘ Old Babylonian royal ideology ⓘ Ur III royal ideology ⓘ later Mesopotamian kingship concepts ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Sumerian religion
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
city-state structure ⓘ temple institutions ⓘ |
| keyTextualSource |
Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Lugalbanda epics NERFINISHED ⓘ Royal hymns of Shulgi NERFINISHED ⓘ Sumerian King List NERFINISHED ⓘ Ur-Namma law code prologue NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| keyTextualTheme |
king as beloved of Inanna
ⓘ
king as guarantor of fertility ⓘ king as restorer after chaos ⓘ king chosen in the heart of the gods ⓘ kingship bestowed by Enlil ⓘ |
| linkedPractice |
boundary marking
ⓘ
canal construction ⓘ military campaigns dedicated to gods ⓘ offering rituals ⓘ temple building ⓘ |
| portraysKingAs |
builder
ⓘ
high priest ⓘ judge ⓘ protector of the weak ⓘ provider of abundance ⓘ restorer of temples ⓘ shepherd ⓘ warrior ⓘ |
| timePeriod |
3rd millennium BCE
ⓘ
Akkadian period NERFINISHED ⓘ Early Dynastic period NERFINISHED ⓘ Ur III period NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| viewOnEconomy |
king oversees redistribution of resources
ⓘ
king protects agricultural productivity ⓘ |
| viewOnLaw |
king is guardian of justice
ⓘ
laws are divinely sanctioned ⓘ |
| viewOnSociety |
king mediates between gods and people
ⓘ
king responsible for orphans and widows ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.