Royal Titles in Ur III Mesopotamia and China in the Shang Dynasty

This article examines historical transformations of the royal titles employed by kings of Ur III Mesopotamia and the Shang dynasty China. More specifically, it attends to the diverse ways in which royal titles were produced during the development of kingship and early state formation. The article engages mainly with royal titulary in the Ur III dynasty – “mighty man/king, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad/king of the four quarters,” as well as “god of his land” after the self-deification of the king – and three separate royal titles of the Shang dynasty: “king” (王), “I, the one man” (余一人) and “common ruler of all under heaven” (天下共主). Using comparative approach, the article argues that the royal titulary of Ur III reflects particular historical circumstances and the traits of the king, while royal titles in Shang highlight the supremacy, uniqueness as well as loneliness of kingship.