Definition: Shamshi-Adad was an Assyrian king for more than 60 years in Upper Mesopotamia, from Syria to northern Babylonia, in the 19th-18th centuries B.C. Shamshi-Adad was from Ekallatum, in Assyria. He set his capital at Shubat-Enlil ('the residence of Enlil'), in modern Tell-Leilan, Syria. Shamshi-Adad made his 2 sons kings of portions of the land he controlled, in Mari and Assur, and then proceeded to harass them as we know from letters. Shamshi-Adad died in 1781.
Sources:
"Rediscovering: Tell Leilan on the Habur Plains of Syria," by Harvey Weiss. The Biblical Archaeologist, Vol. 48, No. 1 (Mar., 1985), pp. 5-34.
Civilizations of Ancient Iraq, by Benjamin R. Foster and Karen Polinger Foster. Princeton University Press: 2009.
Examples:
Shamshi-Adad had two sons who ruled parts of his kingdom, Yasmah-Adad, king of Mari, and Ishme-Dagan, king of Assur. There were four later, Assyrian monarchs who adopted the name Shamshi-Adad, which means "my sun is the god Adad."
