Nippur never enjoyed political hegemony in its own right, but its control was crucial, as it was considered capable of conferring the overall "kingship" on monarchs from other city-states.
Nippur har aldrig haft egen politisk overhøjhed, men dets kontrol var afgørende, da den blev anset for at give det samlede "kongedømmet" til monarker fra andre bystater.