Gungunum's two successors, Abisare (circa 1905 BCE) and Sumu-el (circa 1894 BCE), both take steps to cut Isin completely off from access to canals.

Isin will quickly lose political and economical force after this period.

Sippar comes under the control of the Babylonian ruling house in 1838.

Shamshi-Adad I of Assyria, another Amorite, is he most powerful ruler in Mesopotamia immediately preceding the rise of Hammurabi of Babylon.

His father Ila-kabkabu ruled a kingdom on the borders of Mari and was an Amorite.

Upon his father's death, the kingdom was inherited by another brother, leaving Shamshi-Adad to build his own from scratch.

He first conquers Shekhna and renames the city Shubat-Enlil.

The modern name of the site is Tell Leilan.

He then seizes the fortress Ekallatum on the left bank of the Tigris.

This is accomplished only on the second try: a first attempt failed, after which Shamshi-Adad fled to Babylon.

He returned eventually and was successful.

This conquest makes it possible for him to control the city-state of Assur, which is a flourishing city that trades heavily with Anatolia.

He puts his first son, Ishme-Dagan I, on the throne of Ekallatum and continues his expansion.

Mount Veniaminof, located on the Alaska Peninsula, experiences a colossal (VEI 6) eruption around 1750 BCE, which leaves a large caldera.

Maritime East Asia (1773–1630 BCE): Decline of the Xia Dynasty and Early Innovations

Between 1773 BCE and 1630 BCE, Maritime East Asia—comprising lower Primorsky Krai, the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese Archipelago below northern Hokkaido, Taiwan, and southern, central, and northeastern China—undergoes significant transitions, particularly in ancient China, as the legendary Xia Dynasty faces internal decline, setting the stage for dynastic transformation. Concurrently, early cultural innovations, notably the development of traditional Chinese ink, contribute to regional cultural sophistication.

Kong Jia and the Decline of the Xia Dynasty

According to ancient textual sources such as the Bamboo Annals, the Xia Dynasty—traditionally considered China’s earliest hereditary dynasty—experiences substantial internal decline under its fourteenth ruler, Kong Jia, who reigns approximately from 1789 BCE to 1758 BCE. Governing from the Xia capital located at West River, Kong Jia is remembered unfavorably as a ruler excessively preoccupied with superstition, indulgence in alcohol, and pursuits of pleasure.

His ineffective governance and neglect of administrative responsibilities lead to a gradual weakening of centralized royal authority. During and after Kong Jia’s rule, regional vassal kings gain increasing autonomy and power, undermining Xia dominance. This progressive decentralization of authority continues throughout subsequent generations, ultimately leading to the dynasty’s downfall when the powerful vassal king, Tang of Shang, overthrows the last Xia ruler, Jie, establishing the Shang Dynasty in approximately 1618 BCE.

Early Chinese Ink Traditions

Around the same era, notable cultural advancements occur within Lower East Asia, specifically in the early development of Chinese ink. Historical evidence traces ink-making traditions back to approximately the 18th century BCE, featuring the use of naturally derived inks made from plants (plant dyes), animals, and mineral sources such as graphite. These materials are ground with water to produce inks applied using specially crafted brushes, laying critical foundations for future literary, artistic, and cultural expression throughout China and, eventually, broader East Asia.

The emergence of these early inks underscores the increasing sophistication of cultural practices within the region, marking significant steps toward later artistic and literary traditions.

Legacy of the Era: Dynastic Transition and Cultural Innovation

Thus, the period 1773–1630 BCE marks a critical era in Maritime East Asia’s early historical trajectory. The gradual collapse of the Xia Dynasty—symbolized by Kong Jia’s ineffective reign—paves the way for major political transformations, while concurrent innovations such as early ink-making practices highlight the region’s advancing cultural complexity. These developments significantly shape the historical and cultural evolution of Lower East Asia in subsequent periods.

Major states have become wealthier and more stable, law codes begin to be more complex, and colonial regimes having become well-established, some becoming independent states in their own right.

Societies now place a greater emphasis on culture, with fashions in clothing and uniforms, ornament and decoration, and even hairstyles becoming more complicated as quality of materials and standards of artistry and craftwork grow higher.

Kong Jia, the fourteenth ruler of China’s quasi-legendary Xia dynasty according to the Bamboo Annals, lives in the Xia capital of West River, reigning from 1789 BCE to 1758 BCE.

Said to have been very superstitious, he cares only about alcohol and beautiful women.

From his time on, the power of Xia will begin to decline and Xia’s vassal kings will grow increasingly powerful until one of them, Tang of Shang, finally overthrows Jie, the last ruler of the Xia dynasty, and establishes the Shang dynasty in 1618 BCE.

The history of Chinese inks can be traced back to the eighteenth century BCE, with the utilization of natural plant (plant dyes), animal, and mineral inks based on such materials as graphite that are ground with water and applied with ink brushes.

The design of axes becomes more efficient as bronzesmiths of the second millennium master more complex casting techniques.

The Bronze Age had begun to spread throughout Europe from about 1800, partly through the influence of the Unetice culture, the name given to an early Bronze Age culture, preceded by the Beaker culture and followed by the Tumulus culture.

The eponymous site is located at Únetice, northwest of Prague, and is focused around the Czech Republic, southern and central Germany, and western Poland.

The Unetice culture represents a farming and metalworking people living close to the ore sources; their culture had in about 2300 BCE supplanted the earlier European copper workers associated with the Beaker culture.

From 1950 BCE, the culture has produced daggers with metal hilts, flanged axes, halberds, pins with perforated spherical heads, and solid bracelets.

The Unetice culture is succeeded in around 1650 BCE by the Tumulus culture, distinguished by the practice of burying the dead beneath burial mounds (tumuli).