Bit-Amukkani

Bit-Amukani (in the Aramaic Assur Ostracon ʾwkn; Assyrian ^mA-muk-ka-nu; Babylonian ^diBit U-ka-a-ni, ^diU-ka-nu; lit. House of Amukani) was a tribe, proto-state founded by Chaldeans in southern Mesopotamia which stretched from southeast of Nippur to the area of Uruk.^[1] It is considered^{[by whom?]} to have been one of the most powerful Chaldean tribes, next to Bīt-Iakin and Bīt-Dakkūri.

Bit-Amukkani among the Chaldean states in Babylonia during the 1st millennium BCE.

As early as 732 BCE, it was ruled by prince Ukinzer (also known as Mukin-zeri or Nabu-mukin-zeri) who became a king of Babylon in 732 BCE instead of Nabu-shum-ukin II whom he superseded.^[2] Later, Tiglath-pileser III devastated Bit-Amukani for the second time and defeated Mukin-zeri.^[2] Shalmaneser III (856-824) inscriptions note that two Chaldean leaders (Mušallim-Marduk of Bīt-Amukāni and Adīnu of Bīt-Dakkūri) carried silver, gold, tin, bronze, elephant tusks, elephant skins, ebony and sissoowood (or meskannu wood) as a tribute to the King of Assyria.

Though unconfirmed, the economy of Bīt-Amūkāni probably relied on producing dates.

Tiglath-pileser III described his genocide of Bit-Amukani with the words: "the land Bit-Amukani I threshed as with a threshing instrument. I took all of its people (and) its property to Assyria." Although Tiglath-pileser III's writings testify about conflict with Bīt-Amūkāni, Bīt-Amūkāni never went extinct but actually remained important through later Babylonian history.

Sennacherib's inscriptions note that Bit-Amukani consisted of 39 walled cities and 350 villages.^[3] Its capital was Sapia (Assyrian Sapīya or Šapīya).

List of Bīt-Amūkāni leaders

Name[4]	Reign	Comments
Mušallim-Marduk	somewhere during Shalmaneser III	gave tribute to Shalmaneser III in 850
(Nabû-)mukīn-zēri, king	731–729	deposed by Tiglath-pileser III; besieged in Šapīya, but not captured father of Šuma-ukīn
Ea-zēra-(i)qīša	673 > time of Ashurbanipal	held hostage in Assyria during rebellion of 652–648; his mother was Humbušte (or Humbuštu); assured loyalty of Bit Amukani to Ashurbanipal
? Kudurru	ca. rebellion of 652–648?	position in tribe uncertain, according to Lipinski governor of Uruk;[5] probably was not Bit-Amukanean, but rather installed by Ashurbanipal