Queen Kubaba: the tavern keeper who became the first female ruler in history
About 4,500 years ago, a woman rose to power and took control of one of the largest civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia. It is Sumer
It is not surprising that the Sumerian king list is full of men's names: Elim, Hadanesh and Zizi. But along with its male kings, the world's first known civilization also produced its first known female ruler: the Kubaba (also Kog Paw or Ku Baba) who brewed and sold beer in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Kish.
The Sumerian king list is filled with men's names: Elulim, Hadanesh, and Zizi. But alongside its male kings, the world's first known civilization also produced its first known female ruler: the Kaupapa (also Kog Paw or Ko Baba). Which brewed beer and sold it in the ancient city of Kish in Mesopotamia.
Very few women came to power in the kingdoms and empires established in the Near East, Asia, and Europe. These women often obtained their sustenance first through men (fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons).
But the Sumerian Queen Kubaba was a true king – a reigning queen who ruled in her own right. The king list refers to her as Lugal (king), not Eresh (queen consort). She is the only woman to hold this title.
A common setting for stories about strong women in ancient times is Egypt, the country of the pharaohs Sobekneferu, Hatshepsut, and Cleopatra. However, Kubaba, perhaps around 2400 BC, ascended to the Sumerian throne long before them all.
In globally known recorded history, Kubaba was the first female ruler to rule the ancient Sumerian dynasty for a hundred years. A large number of kings appear in the Sumerian king list, but there is only one woman named: Kubaba, or Kug-paw. She was a woman alone - the only queen recorded as holding divine rule.
According to the Sumerian king list, Kubaba is the only female ruler to have ruled for 100 years in the early days of the Third Dynasty of Kish during the period 2500-2330 BC, an ancient Sumerian city-state in Mesopotamia.
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