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Who Was The First King In The World? Photo KnowInsiders

‘Who was the first King in the world?’ is a question without an answer

This does not mean we cannot try to provide some answers to this question, at least. The answers may not be definite, but can at least give some insight into a few possible options. It is not hard to imagine how writings of something that happened thousands of years ago could be lost to the dust of history. Some historians believe this to be an unanswerable question that could not have survived time.

Why is it hard to find the answer?

The largest obstacle to finding out the answer to this question is the fact that there are no records in existence that speak of kings that lived 5,000 years ago. Another problem is that we cannot be sure which ancient words exactly refer to people in a way we relate to kings today. Some words came into use much later. One example is the word pharaoh, which only started seeing use around 1570 B.C.E. Despite all this, we can find at least some clues in the Sumerian king list, among other sources. Two names deserve mention, Alulim, and Sargon of Akkad.

Alulim

Alulim was an antediluvian ruler in the Sumerian myth. His reign is not considered historical but is still relevant enough that it deserves mention. It is the first known mention of a ruler, however vague it may be. The mention of rulers in these texts is mostly mythical, and it is hard to determine how long they have ruled since the Sumerians used different numerical units than we do today.

Alulim was the first king of Eridu and the first king of Sumer according to the Sumerian king list, making him the first king in the world. Enki, the god of Eridu, or his mortal son Adapa, are said to have brought civilization to Sumer.

"After the kingship descended from heaven, the kingship was in Eridug (Eridu). In Eridug, Alulim became king; he ruled for 28800 years."

He was appointed ruler right after the god Enki brought civilization to Sumer. He is mentioned as having descended from heaven and ruled in Eridu, the earliest city in Mesopotamia. Most modern scholars draw parallels between Alulim and the biblical Adam and consider him fictional.

Who Was Alulim ?

Due to the lack of ancient records, it is very difficult to unravel the mystery of Alulim. Who was this enigmatic being and what role did he play in the Near East? These questions are troublesome to answer, but scholars have put forward certain intriguing theories worthy of further attention.

Professor William Wolfgang Hallo of Yale University stated that Alulim was one of the seven demigods known as Apkallu. These beings were created by the god Enki, and their duty was to establish a culture and give civilization to mankind. They served as priests of Enki and as advisors or sages to the earliest kings of Sumer before the flood. The Apkallu were fish-like men who emerged from the water Abzu, the primeval sea below the void space of the underworld (Kur) and the earth (Ma) above.

Sargon Of Akkad

Photo National Geographic
Photo National Geographic

Alulim’s existence may not have been proven, but historians recognize Sargon of Akkad as the first person that ruled over an empire. He was the first ruler of the Akkadian Empire and is most famous for his conquests of the Sumerian states. He lived during the 24th and 23rd centuries BC and was the founder of the Sargonic dynasty. This dynasty ruled for an entire century after he died.

Akkadia was the world’s first empire. It was established in Mesopotamia around 4,300 years ago after its ruler, Sargon of Akkad, united a series of independent city states. Akkadian influence spanned along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from what is now southern Iraq, through to Syria and Turkey. The north-south extent of the empire meant that it covered regions with different climates, ranging from fertile lands in the north which were highly dependent on rainfall (one of Asia’s “bread baskets”), to the irrigation-fed alluvial plains to the south.

It is believed that his empire included almost the entirety of Mesopotamia and parts of the Levant. Sargon is believed to have ruled from his capital named Akkad; however, the exact archaeological whereabouts of this city are still unknown. He is considered to have been a legendary figure, appearing in many works of literature.

His name meant “true king,” and Sargon of Akkad (unknown–2279 B.C.) took advantage of that presumed legitimacy to establish the world’s first empire around 2330 B.C. in Mesopotamia, the fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. He and his successors bequeathed to the world a concept of power that involved more than military strength. They commanded obedience not simply by winning battles and striking fear in their foes, but also by imposing order, dispensing justice, and serving as earthly representatives of gods their subjects dreaded and revered.

According to legend, Sargon of Akkad was born in secret to a priestess mother who set him adrift on a river, where he was found by the common laborer who raised him. In his youth, Sargon was visited by Ishtar—goddess of desire, fertility, storms, and warfare—who loved him. Inspired by her, he rose from obscurity and took the world by storm. The story seems clearly intended to show that Sargon was entitled to rule Mesopotamia, however humble his origins. (Who was the most powerful woman in ancient history?)

Creation of an empire

Sargon sent Akkadian governors to rule Sumerian cities and tear down defensive walls. He left the Sumerian religion in place but made Akkadian the official language of all Mesopotamia. By lowering physical and linguistic barriers and unifying his realm, he promoted commerce both within Mesopotamia and well beyond. A thriving trade with India brought pearls, ivory, and other treasures to Mesopotamia in exchange for goods such as wool and olive oil. Precious metals including copper and silver served as currency for the traders. Societies had not yet devised coinage; instead, the metal was weighed on a scale to determine its value. Sargon used taxes he collected from the merchants to pay his soldiers and support royal artists and scribes, who glorified his deeds in sculptures and inscriptions.

Top 10 Greatest Kings in the World

Photo Youtube
Photo Youtube

1. Cyrus The Great

His actual name is Cyrus II of Persia. Cyrus was born in a minor royal family. He is the first among many great kings who gave charter of human rights. Cyrus The Great died on 4 December 530 BC. He is one of the top 10 greatest Kings in the world.

2. King Augustus Caesar

He belonged from Rome and was born in 63 BC. King Augustus helped Rome to expand its lands in the country, Hungary, Egypt, Spain and a few more. He did many achievements for his people of Rome.

3. Pharaoh Thutmose III of Egypt

The next greatest King in the world is Pharaoh Thutmose III and he was one among the first rulers to discover the use of sea supplies and hydro power. Not many people are aware of the fact, that Pharaoh was asked to sit on throne when we was just 7-years-old. He maintained the record of winning all the battles he went out for.

4. Ashoka The Great

There are many times, when we hear of Ashoka The Great in our folk tales. He is known to be the founder of the great Maurya Dynasty. Ashoka followed the path of Buddhism after witnessing massive blood shed in one of his battles. The responsibility of the throne was put on his shoulders after the death of his father.

5. King Henry VIII of England

English Reformation was initiated by King Henry VIII of England. The king has married six women because he wanted to have son who would further run his throne after him. Although, this desire of King Henry was not fulfilled because he was blessed with 2 daughters who later were known to become very brave Queen of England. He died in the year 1547.

6. King Tamerlane

He was born in 1336 and was popularly known was “Timur The Lane”. During his term serving as a King, he claimed countries such as Persia, Armenia, Georgia and also some parts of Russia. Hence, he is surely one of the top 10 greatest Kings in the world.

7. Attila the Hun

He is known to be the emperor of the country, Hungary and was also called by the name of ‘The Scourge of God’. For more than 20 years he ruled and bought a lot of victories to his throne. He died in the year 453.

8. King Louis XIV of France

The main target of King Louis was to establish sovereignty rule among his people. On one hand, he achieved many victories and on her hand, he was also known to be one of the most scandalous emperors.

9. Alexander The Great

He is known to be one such ruler, whose name almost every person knows all over the world. Alexander conquered the country of Greece at a very young age of 22 years.

10. Genghis Khan

The King, Genghis Khan surely deserves to be listed in top 10 greatest Kings in the world. He was born in the year 1162. Genghis Khan later went on to capture Afghanistan and Northern China.

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