Who was Dada?
Dada was a local ruler of Arzizu in the Lullubian region during the reign of the Assyrian king Sargon II. Ran Zadok’s study of the Lulubi identifies him among the later rulers recorded for this part of the Zagros. The surviving evidence supports a brief historical profile; it does not provide a detailed biography.
Quick facts
- Recorded name
- Dada
- Associated place
- Arzizu, in the Lullubian region
- Period
- The reign of Sargon II, in the late eighth century BCE
- Evidence discussed here
- Ancient records assessed in modern historical scholarship
What does the evidence establish?
Zadok names Dada of Arzizu as evidence that local rulers were still recorded in the region after Assyrian expansion. This places Dada within a wider history of highland communities and imperial intervention.
The source does not supply a complete royal succession, Dada’s family relationships or the length of his rule. Describing him as the eleventh king of an uninterrupted 1,800-year dynasty would go beyond the evidence presented there. A date attached to a ruler’s appearance in a record should also be distinguished from the date of accession.
Where was Lullubum?
Lullubum is associated with the Zagros highlands. Its central area is often placed in the Shahrizor valley near Sulaymaniyah, although its ancient boundaries cannot be drawn precisely. First-millennium sources also connect the regional name with Zamua. These changing names should not be treated as the fixed borders of a modern state.
Why include Dada in Kurdish regional history?
The ancient history of the Zagros helps readers understand the earlier societies of the region now inhabited by Kurdish communities. Geographical continuity provides a reason to study Dada here. It does not, by itself, establish his language or a documented line of descent to a modern population.
Readers can explore the wider regional setting in our introduction to the Lullubi. For the history of Kurdish language research, see Joyce Blau’s survey of Kurdish studies.
Sources and further reading
- Ran Zadok, “Lulubi,” Encyclopaedia Iranica. The main source for Dada of Arzizu and the regional geography discussed above.
- “Assyria i. The Kingdom of Assyria and its Relations with Iran,” Encyclopaedia Iranica. Wider context for Assyrian activity in the Iranian highlands.