Indabibi facts for kids
Indabibi was a king of ancient Elam, a powerful kingdom located east of the mighty Assyrian Empire. He ruled around 649 BCE, and possibly into 648 BCE. Sometimes, he was also called Indabigash. Indabibi became king after Tammaritu II and was followed by Humban-Haltash III. His time as king happened during the reign of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal, who ruled from 668 BCE to about 617 BCE.
Who Was Indabibi?
Indabibi lived in a time when kingdoms often fought for power. Elam was a significant kingdom, but Assyria was even stronger. Indabibi's story is mostly known through Assyrian records. These records sometimes disagree, which makes learning about him a bit tricky.
Becoming King of Elam
In 649 BCE, the king of Elam, Tammaritu II, was overthrown in an uprising. He had to escape and went to Ashurbanipal, the king of Assyria, for help. At this time, Ashurbanipal was busy fighting his own brother, Shamash-shum-ukin, who was the king of Babylon. Shamash-shum-ukin wanted to take control of the Assyrian Empire.
Tammaritu II had actually supported Shamash-shum-ukin in this fight. During a battle, one of Tammaritu's generals, Indabibi, changed sides. This made Tammaritu flee to the Assyrian city of Nineveh. After Tammaritu left, Indabibi took the throne and became the new king of Elam. This marked the start of his short rule.
A Tricky Alliance
At first, Assyrian records gave different reports about Indabibi's relationship with Assyria. One record, written while Indabibi was still king, said that he was an ally and even a "brother" to King Ashurbanipal. However, another record, written just two years later, had a very different view.
As time went on, the friendship between Indabibi and Ashurbanipal became strained. Ashurbanipal sent a message demanding that Indabibi send back several rebellious people who had found safety in Elam. Indabibi did send some of these people back, but he kept others. Later, Ashurbanipal sent another messenger to demand the rest of the rebels, but this message never reached Elam.
The Final Conflict
The official records of Ashurbanipal, called the Annals, state that Ashurbanipal declared war against Indabibi. As Ashurbanipal's powerful armies marched closer to Elam, the people of Elam rebelled against Indabibi. They rose up and killed him in 648 BCE.
After Indabibi's death, Humban-Haltash III became the next king of Elam.
See also
- List of rulers of Elam
