Manana Dynasty

The Manana Dynasty (also Mananā Dynasty and Mananâ Dynasty) ruled over an ancient Near East state in Mesopotamia during Isin-Larsa period in the chaotic time after the fall of the Ur III Empire. In the power vacuum, Mesopotamia became a struggle for power between city-states, some like Isin, Larsa, and later Babylon would rise while others, like the state ruled by the Manana Dynasty, faded from history.

A number of rulers of the dynasty are known and some of their year names but their order and regnal lengths are unknown as the Manana Dynasty is not featured in any of the King Lists such as the Sumerian King List. Manana is known, for a time, to have controlled the ancient city of Kish under several rulers. It is not certain how long the dynasty lasted though forty two regnal year names (in Sumerian) are known which sets a lower bound.

The rise of Larsa under ruler Sumuel (c. 1895-1866 BC) put an end to the power of the Manana Dynasty though it appears that the dynasty maintained local rulership for a time after that. Later the area came under the control of Babylon with a Apil-Sin (c. 1830-1813 BC) year name reading "Year the temple of Inanna in Elip was built" and Hammurabi (c. 1792-1750 BC) year name reading "Year in which Hammu-rabi the king elevated a statue for Inanna of Elip". The location of this state is unknown but lay near the city of unlocated city of Kazallu, Kish, and Babylon. The Abgal canal (known as far back as the Akkadian Empire and flowing past Kish) and Me-enlila canal (known as far back as the Ur III period) were in the area of control, based on year names. The Me-enlila was a branch off the Abgal and flowed to the city of Marad.