3-1 City State of Lagash

Lagash (modern Tell al-Hiba) was also known as Sirpurla by the Sumerians, and was located to the north-west of the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris. Home to the E-Ninnu temple - the shrine of Nin-girsu (or Ninib, or Ninurta), the patron god of Lagash - it was one of the oldest cities in Sumer. Nearby Girsu was the religious centre for the state.

The priest-rulers (Sumerian patesis) of Lagash are suspiciously absent from the Sumerian king list. However, they are instead known from inscriptions on several important monuments from around the twenty-fifth century BC onwards. Lagash became one of the main players in Sumerian politics, alongside Ur and Uruk.

kings of laGASH:

First Dynasty While not on the king list, one extremely fragmentary supplement listing the First Dynasty has been found in Sumerian, and is known as the Royal Chronicle of Lagash. According to this, by around two hundred years after the deluge, mankind was having difficulty growing food for himself, being dependent solely on rainwater; it further relates that techniques of irrigation and the cultivation of barley were then imparted by the gods. Only a few names can be made out on the following list of rulers, but it seems that Eannatum of Lagash conquered Ur's First Dynasty, beginning the Early Dynasty III Period in Sumer.
c.2494 - 2465 BC	Ur-Nanshe / Ur-Nina	First king of the dynasty. Ruled for 1,080 years (RCL List).
	Succeeding the ruling high priest, Ur-Nanshe is the founder of an independent dynasty which reigns at Lagash and Girsu for over a century. The king likes to commemorate his constructions, having himself portrayed in one relief as a simple bricklayer, carrying a brick basket in front of his family. Ur-Nanshe and his successors are engaged in contests with the Elamites to the east and the kings of 'Kengi' and Kish to the north. The city's intermittent wars with Akshak during this century probably also start at this point.
c.2464 - 2455 BC	Akurgal	Son. Possibly killed by Ensi Ush of Umma.
c.2455 - 2425 BC	Eannatum	Son. Founded the first empire. 'He who subjects the lands.'
	Eannatum annexes virtually all of Sumer, including Kish, Nippur, Uruk (briefly), Ur, and Larsa, and reduces his arch-rivals at Umma, eighteen miles away, to a tributary state with the defeat of Enakalle. In addition, he extends his realm to parts of Elam and along the Persian Gulf, apparently using terror as a matter of policy. The Stele of the Vultures describes the violent treatment meted out to his enemies. Urur of Akshak leads a northern coalition against him but that is destroyed, with Akshak recognising Lagash's supremacy along with Mari. Lagash is later eclipsed by Umma under Lugalzaggesi. Lagash is never again a great power.
c.2430 BC	Lugalure of Uruk helps Lagash to defeat Umma after the latter launches an attack on Lagash. Eannatum raises the stele of the vultures in place of Mesilim's destroyed stele.
c.2425 - 2405 BC	Enannatum / Inannatum I	Brother. High priest.
	Urlumma of Umma drains the boundary canal at Girsu and destroys shrines there, forcing Enannatum to defend the religious centre by offering battle at Ugigga, in the fields near Girsu. Urlumma is totally defeated and flees, only to be killed at Umma. Enannatum establishes a vassal ruler at Umma but he, too, proves to be hostile to Lagash.
c.2405 - 2375 BC	Entemena	Son. King. Last great ensi of Lagash.
c.2375 - 2365 BC	Enannatum / Inannatum II	Son.
c.2365 - 2359 BC	Enetarzi	Usurper and oppressor. Either a priest or was installed by them.
c.2359 - 2352 BC	Lugalanda	Another oppressor. Helped to the throne by the priesthood.
c.2352 - 2342 BC	Urukagina / Uruinimgina	Usurper. Dated to c.2700 BC in older chronologies.
c.2342 BC	Urukagina destroys much of the old bureaucracy, ending the influence of the priests. He creates a near-idyllic state, but in the process weakens Lagash to the point that it cannot (or will not) defend itself from its mortal enemies in Umma. Lugalzaggesi of Umma sacks Lagash and burns all of its holy temples. Urukagina flees to the town of Girsu, which doesn't seem to have fallen to Umma, and disappears from history.
c.2330 - 2193 BC	Lagash loses its independence to Sargon I's Akkadian empire (which also serves to end the internecine war between it and Umma). The priest-kings become Akkadian vassals until the overthrow of the empire by theGutians, when the priest-kings regain their independence, at least nominally.
Second Dynasty After the conquest of the Lagash by Agade in about 2330 BC, the priest kings eventually returned to prominence in the city. Once the Akkadian empire itself had been destroyed by the Gutians, Lagash apparently prospered, being far enough south of the Gutian base near Agade to enjoy a higher level of freedom than before.
c.2260 BC	Ki-Ku-Id
c.2254? BC	Lagash plays a part in Uruk's revolt against the Akkadian empire.
c.2250 BC	Engilsa
c.2230 BC	Ur-A
c.2200 BC	Lugalushumgal
	Puzer-Mama
c.2193 BC	Sumer is overwhelmed by an invasion of Gutians. They set up base near Agade and rule as overlords from there.
	Ur-Utu
	Ur-Mama
	Lu-Baba
	Lugula
	Kaku / Kakug
c.2164 - 2144 BC	Ur-baba / Ur-bau	(On some lists Ur-Bau founds a third dynasty in Lagash).
c.2144 - 2124 BC	Gudea	Son-in-law.
	Gudea rises to local prominence during an apparent climate-induced collapse in the region, promoting artistic development and continuing the Akkadian kings' claims to divinity from his capital at Girsu. However, Sumer is still subject to Gutian rule.