Marhaà ¡i (Sumerian: Mar-ḫa-à ¡i<sup>Ki</sup> , Marhashi, Marhasi, Parhasi, Barhasi; in earlier sources Waraá¸«à ¡e) was an important ancient Near East polity situated in the region near Elam. It is generally assumed, though not certain, that the Paraá¸«à ¡um/Baraá¸«à ¡um ( pa2-ra-ah-shum2-ki) of the Akkadian Empire period referred to Marhaà ¡i. This equivalence has been challenged. It is known from 3rd millennium BC and early 2nd millennium BC Mesopotamian sources. Its precise location has not been identified but the current thinking places it on the eastern side of the Iranian plateau.
The language of Marhaà ¡i is considered to be different from that of Simaà ¡ki, and only minimally Elamite-related. Marhaà ¡i is known to have been the source of a number exotic trade goods for Mesopotamia including the "bear of Marhaà ¡i". Other trade goods were lapis lazuli and carnelian. One lexical list includes a mention of "Carnelian which is speckled with yellow, Marḫaà ¡i Carnelian is its name".
Assuming the equivalence between Paraá¸«à ¡um/Baraá¸«à ¡um and Marhaà ¡i is correct, Marhaà ¡i was mentioned by two Akkadian Empire rulers. The empire's founder Sargon the Great took the title "conqueror of Elam and Parahsum". In inscriptions celebrating his military victories in the east are mentioned "Ulu[l], gene[ral] of Parahsum", "Dagu, brother of the kin[g] of Parahsum", "Sidga'u, general of Parahsum", and "Kundupum, judge of Parahsum". After a rebellion the second ruler of Akkad, Rimush, reported defeating king Abalgamash of Paraá¸«à ¡um and capturing his general Sidgau saying "Zahara and Elam had assembled in Paraá¸«à ¡um for battle, but he (Rimus) was victorious (over them) and struck down 16,212 men (and) took 4,216 captives". In the aftermath, "he conquered the cities of Elam, destroyed their walls, and tore out the foundations of Paraá¸«à ¡um [from the land of Elam]". The battle took place "in [betwe]en (the cities of) [Aw]an and [Susa], by the [Mid]dle Ri[ver]". The booty of this victory included "Diorite, dusu-stone and (various) stones which I took ... as booty of Paraá¸«à ¡um". A number of bowls and vases were found in Nippur inscribed that they were booty from Paraá¸«à ¡um, dedicated to the god Enlil. Akkadian empire ruler Naram-Sin took as a title "commander of all the land of Elam, as far as Paraá¸«à ¡um, and the land of [S]ubartum as far as the Cedar Forest".
King Shulgi of the Ur-III dynasty gave his daughter Liwwir-mittaà ¡u, in marriage to the king of Marhaà ¡i in his 18th year "Year Liwwir-mittaà ¡u the king's daughter was elevated to the ladyship in Marhaà ¡i". One of the generals (à ¡agina) of Shulgi's successor Amar-Sin, a Habruà ¡a, is attested as leading "troops from Marhaà ¡i" in Amar-Sin's 5th regnal year. The final Ur III ruler, Ibbi-Sin, in a text reports fashioning for the god Nanna "an image of a Meluhhan speckled "dog" that had been brought to him as tribute from Marhasi. He [dedicated (it) for [h]is (own) life. The name of that speckled "dog" (is): "May he catch (the enemy)". In one Ur III text a "Libanaà ¡gubi, messenger of Libanukà ¡abaà ¡, governor of Marhaà ¡i" is listed. Another text notes that a royal gift was brought by one Banana a "man of Marhashi".
Hammurabi of Babylonia's 30th year name was
On a fragment from a statue of Kurigalzu II found at Susa, thought to be part of the booty from the Elamite raid of Mesopotamia under ruler Kidin-Hutran (c. 1224 BC), was found the inscription "Kurigalzu, the king of the universe, who has struck Susa and Elam as far as the border of [Mar]ḫaà ¡i". The mention of Marhaà ¡i is an anachronism, typical in Kassite inscriptions, cribbed from Akkadian Empire texts.
The name Marḫaà ¡i may appear in a damaged tablet where it designates an area to the north and east conquered by Neo-Babylonian Empire ruler Nebuchadrezzar II (605âÂÂ562 BC) though that restoration is uncertain.
In the purely literary Sumerian text The Cursing of Akkad, composed during the later Ur III period and which blamed the fall of civilization on the Akkadian Empire, it lists one of the benefits of having the blessing of Inanna: "That even Marhaà ¡i would be reentered on the (tribute) rolls".
In the much later Sumerian literary composition Great Revolt against Naram-Sin one of the many kings who revolted against him was a Hubshumkibi of Marhaà ¡i.
In the Sumerian royal hymn for Ishbi-Erra (c. 2017â 1986 BC) ruler of the city-state Isin in the Isin-Larsa period it states "From Basime on the sea-coast (...) to the border of; from Urua, the bolt of Elam (...) to the border of Marhaäi" as being the territory of à  imaà ¡ki ruler Kindattu, where Urua - Marhasi defines an eastâÂÂwest axis and Baà ¡ime (Pashime) - Zabsali defines a south to north axis. Paà ¡ime is now know to be at the site of Tell Abu Sheeja.
In a much later Old Babylonian period Sumerian literary composition the Early Dynastic period Lugal-Anne-Mundu of Adab mentions Marhaà ¡i among the seven provinces of his empire, between the names of Elam and Gutium: "the Cedar Mountains, Elam, Marḫaà ¡i, Gutium, Subartu, Amurru, Sutium, or the Eanna Mountain". The composition also states that he confronted Migir-Enlil, the governor (ensi) of Marhashi, who had led a coalition of 13 rebel chiefs against him.
In the fragmentary early 2nd millennium BC Sumerian myth text Enki and the World Order, the god Enki rebuilds the world after a catastrophe. It includes the phrase "He cleansed and purified the land of Dilmun. He placed Ninsikila in charge of it. He gave ...... for the fish spawn, ate its ...... fish, bestowed palms on the cultivated land, ate its dates. ...... Elam and Marhaci ....... ...... to devour ....... The king endowed with strength by Enlil destroyed their houses, demolished (?) their walls. He brought their silver and lapis-lazuli, their treasure, to Enlil, king of all the lands, in Nibru"
Early on Marhaà ¡i was speculated to be east of the Diyala river and in the mountains northwest or north of Elam. This was based on an inscription of a little known early Old Babylonian period ruler of Der, Ilum-muttabbil, who claimed defeating the armies of Anshan, Elam, and Simaski, in alliance with Marhaà ¡i.
In modern times the consensus has shifted to a location on the eastern side of the Iranian plateau (holding Susa and Anshan), acting as an intermediate between Mesopotamia and Meluhha further to the east.
The main rulers known from inscriptions are: