آداب الرافدين (Sep 1981)
The country of Elam and its relationship with ancient Iraq
Abstract
Talking about the land of Elam and the dynasties that succeeded to rule in it is part of the model of talking about the history of Iran in general and its relationship to the history of ancient Iraq. The many cuneiform texts discovered in the lands of Elam and in the ancient cities of Iraq have provided us with comprehensive and detailed information about the course and development of historical events in the region and their causes and consequences. These texts refer to the repeated attempts made by the rulers and kings of Elam and the Persian states and kingdoms that followed them to control Iran to control Iraq, especially its southern and central part, which was known at that time as the country of Sumer, emphasized and then known as the country of Babylon. In the country of Babylon, one of the oldest known indigenous civilizations arose, grew and flourished since the fifth millennium BC, and that flourishing civilization continued with its generous giving, resting human civilizations, especially the civilizations of neighboring countries and regions, such as the civilization of Elam. Nevertheless, the cultural centers that flourished in the country of Babylon, with their natural resources and cultural components and distinct human activity, were towards development and progress in comparison with the neighboring regions and countries, the aspiration of the countries and kingdoms that established in those regions, including those related to the mountains. A quick review of the development of historical, political and military events from the beginning of the third millennium BC onwards clearly shows that Iraq, and in particular its southern and central part, has been subjected throughout the ages to the invasion, attacks and sabotage attempts by the various states and kingdoms that have succeeded in governing the regions in question. To the east of it when the opportunity is ripe and when those states and kingdoms feel that the country of Babylon or Assyria is preoccupied with defending its borders and lands on other fronts, especially the western front, or that the political and military conditions in Iraq enable them to interfere in its internal affairs and incite the elements in it against the authority Central through support. To study the history of the country of Elam and its relationship with the history of ancient Iraq, the researcher must rely primarily on the cuneiform texts written in the Sumerian and Akkadian languages discovered in the city of Susa, the capital of the Kingdom of Elam, and other Melamite and Iraqi cities. As for the texts written in the Elamite language, they are limited in number and are of little use due to the not yet complete resolution of the Elamite cuneiform script
Keywords
