Awan dynasty

Elamite rulers

Also known as: Shūstar dynasty

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June 18, 2026

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The Awan dynasty was a prominent ruling house in ancient Elam, a region in southwestern Iran, particularly significant during the latter half of the 3rd millennium BCE. While its exact location remains unknown, it was likely near Susa.1

The Awan rulers led a coalition that fiercely resisted Sargon of Akkad's campaigns. Despite their efforts, they were defeated, and power in Elam may have shifted from Awan to Susa around this time. The Awan dynasty was succeeded by the Simash dynasty, and Elamite history is often divided into Old, Middle, and Neo-Elamite periods, marked by frequent interactions, including warfare, with Mesopotamian civilizations like Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria.12

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ancient Iran
The Old Elamite period
…rulers were succeeded by the Awan (Shūstar) dynasty. The 11th king of this line entered into treaty relations with the great Naram-Sin of Akkad (reigned c. 254–c. 2218 bce). Yet a new ruling house soon appeared, the Simash dynasty (Simash may have been in the mountains of southern Lorestān). The…
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…rulers were succeeded by the Awan (Shūstar) dynasty. The 11th king of this line entered into treaty relations with the great Naram-Sin of Akkad (reigned c. 254–c. 2218 bce). Yet a new ruling house soon appeared, the Simash dynasty (Simash may have been in the mountains of southern Lorestān). The…
Read More