Kubaba facts for kids

Kubaba was a very special queen from ancient Sumer, a land in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). She is the only queen listed in the ancient Sumerian King List. This old record says she ruled for 100 years! Her reign was around 2500 to 2330 BC. That's a very long time ago!

Kubaba's Story

Kubaba was one of the few women in Mesopotamian history who ruled a kingdom all by herself. Before she became queen, the King List says she was an alewife. An alewife was a woman who brewed and sold beer. Imagine going from selling drinks to ruling a whole kingdom!

Most versions of the King List say she started her own royal family, called the 3rd Dynasty of Kish. This happened after a king from a city called Mari was defeated.

How Kubaba Became Queen

An ancient text called the Weidner Chronicle tells us a bit about how Kubaba rose to power. This story was written to show that kings who didn't respect the god Marduk lost their power.

The chronicle tells a story about a fisherman who was catching fish for the god Marduk's meal. But the king's officers took the fish away from him. The fisherman was sad because he couldn't offer the fish to Marduk.

Kubaba, the tavern-keeper, saw what happened. She was kind to the fisherman. She gave him bread and water. Then, she helped him offer the fish to Marduk at the temple.

The god Marduk was pleased with Kubaba's kindness. The chronicle says Marduk "favored her." Because of her good deed, Marduk gave Kubaba "sovereignty over the whole world." This means he chose her to rule!

Kubaba's Family and Successors

After Kubaba, her son Puzur-Suen became king. Then, her grandson Ur-Zababa took the throne. They were part of the fourth Kish dynasty.

Ur-Zababa is also known because he was king when Sargon the Great was young. Sargon later became a very famous ruler. He created the Akkadian Empire, which took control of much of the ancient Near East.

See also

In Spanish: Kubaba para niños