Zimrilim was king of Mari

Mari, Syria

Mari was an ancient Sumerian and Amorite city, located 11 kilometers north-west of the modern town of Abu Kamal on the western bank of Euphrates river, some 120 km southeast of Deir ez-Zor, Syria...

 from about 1775 to 1761 BCE.

He was the son or grandson of Iakhdunlim

Iakhdunlim

Iakhdunlim was king of Mari in Upper Mesopotamia during the 19th century BC. Of Amorite origin, he became king after the death of his father Iagitlim. Iakhdunlim built Mari up to become one of the major powers of the region. He led a successful campaign to the coast of the Mediterranean...

, but was forced to flee to Yamkhad when his father was assassinated by his own servants during a coup. The city was occupied by Shamshi-Adad I

Shamshi-Adad I

Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor...

, the king of Assur

Assur

Assur , was one of the capitals of ancient Assyria. The remains of the city are situated on the western bank of river Tigris, north of the confluence with the tributary Little Zab river, in modern day Iraq, more precisely in the Al-Shirqat District .Assur is also...

, who put his own son Yasmah-Adad

Yasmah-Adad

Yasmah-Adad was the son of the Amorite king Shamshi-Adad I, put on throne of Mari by his father after a successful military attack. After Shamshi-Adad's death he managed to rule for only a short time before being ousted from power by Zimrilim. His brother, Ishme-Dagan, ruled at the same time in the...

 on the throne. Shortly after the death of Shamshi-Adad I

Shamshi-Adad I

Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I Shamshi-Adad I (fl. late 18th century BC (short chronology) was an Assyrian king. He rose to prominence when he carved out an empire encompassing much of Mesopotamia, Syria and Asia Minor...

, Zimrilim returned from exile and was able to oust Yasmah-Adad from power with the help of Yarimlim, the king of Yamkhad.

Zimrilim ruled Mari for about thirteen years, and campaigned extensively to establish his power in the neighbouring areas along the Euphrates and the Khabur

Khabur River

The Khabur River , , , ) is the largest perennial tributary to the Euphrates in Syrian territory. Although the Khabur originates in Turkey, the karstic springs around Ra's al-'Ayn are the river's main source of water. Several important wadis join the Khabur north of Al-Hasakah, together creating...

 valley. He extended his palace in the city, which was possibly the largest at the time, and certainly the envy of other kings.

He was also active on a wider stage, and at one time (perhaps about 1764 BCE) was allied with Hammurabi

Hammurabi

Hammurabi Hammurabi Hammurabi (Akkadian from Amorite ʻAmmurāpi, "the kinsman is a healer", from ʻAmmu, "paternal kinsman", and Rāpi, "healer"; (died c...

 in his wars against Eshnunna

Eshnunna

Eshnunna was an ancient Sumerian city and city-state in central Mesopotamia. Although situated in the Diyala Valley north-east of Sumer proper, the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural milieu.The tutelary deity of the city was Tishpak .- History :Occupied from the Jemdet...

.

Zimrilim's personal life is partly known through tablets preserved in the state archive of Mari. He married Shibtu

Shibtu

Shibtu, described by some as "the most prominent of the Mari ladies", was queen of Mari. She was the daughter of Yarimlim and the wife and personal representative of King Zimrilim, and held considerable political influence....

, a princess of Yamkhad (Aleppo and surrounding territory), and is known to have had at least eight daughters through various wives. Several of his daughters were married to rulers of local towns, and two others are known to have become priestesses. Correspondence between the king and his daughters provides evidence that Zimrilim thought highly of women and considered them competent at making decisions.

In 1762 BCE, Hammurabi conquered and sacked Mari (though it may be that the city had surrendered without a fight), despite the previous alliance. At this time Zimrilim disappears from historical view, and is presumed to have been killed.

It has been asserted before that Belassunu

Belassunu

Belassunu was an Assyrian princess of Karana .-History:Belassunu was the daughter of Samu-addu, King of Karana , perhaps by his wife Ama-duga, and she was sister to Queen Iltani, wife of the usurper King Aqba-Hammu. Details of Belassunu's life are known from surviving letters from the former...

was one of his secondary wives, but this is now believed to be incorrect.