The return of the Third and last Assyrian Empire came during the 9th century BCE. King Adadnirari II ruled the Assyrians from 911 to 891 BCE. He led the Assyrians back to glory and prominence by driving the conquering Arameans out of the Assyrian heartland – the Tigris River Valley. Besides the Arameans, King Adadnirari II also defeated the formidable Babylonian and drove them back south.
After
the reign of King Adadnirari II, the next great act in the Neo-Assyrian history
was the reign of Ashurnasirpal II, who ruled from 884 to 859 BCE. He was known
for brutality as well as his decadence. He rebuilt the city of Calah and made
it his capital. In its palaces, Ashurnasirpal II brag about hosting grand
parties with thousands of guests attending. A testament to the wealth and power
of the Assyrian Empire.
In
859 BCE, King Ashurnasirpal passed away and the throne fell in the hands of Shalmaneser
III, who ruled from 859 to 824 BCE. His reign saw victories and expansion. In the
north he fought and won against the Urartians. In the south, he won victories
against the Chaldeans of Babylonia. In 853 BCE, he struck a victory at the
Battle of Qarqar against a combine force of Phoenicians and Israelites under
King Ahab of Israel. In 828 BCE, a civil war began. Shalmaneser III’s son. The
internal strife weakened the whole Empire. Babylonians, Israelites, and
Phoenicians began once more to assert their independence.
The
reign of Shamshi-Adad V, who succeeded Shalmaneser II, saw the continuation of
the civil war. Also, his reign was famous for the rise of his wife Sammuramat. A
woman that possessed great beauty as well as brutality. She became the subject
of Greek mythology and in the 19th century, became the focus of the opera Semmiramide.
But
the dark age of the Neo-Assyrian ended in 745 BCE. Tiglath-Pileser III rose to
the Assyrian throne and ruled until his death in 727 BCE. His reign once more
the expansion of Assyrian territory. Under his command, Babylon fell. Egypt
also fell in the hands of the Assyrians. He widely practice the deportation of
conquered people into new areas to prevent any revolt from the vanquished. He
set up an administrative system to govern the vast lands he conquered.
Governors were appointed for each province. Each provinces were mandated to
send tribute in form of silver, food, and textile. The Phoenicians, in
particular, were made to send pieces of their renowned cedar tree to the
Assyrian King. At the peak of his greatness, Tiglath-Pileser took the title of
King of Sumer and Akkad, invoking the greatness of the great conqueror and
founder of the Akkadian Empire – Sargon the Great.
After
Tiglath-Pileser III passed away in 727 BCE, he was succeeded by his son. But the
rule was brief. In 722 BCE, Sargon II usurped the throne and ruled with an iron
fist until his last breath in 705 BCE. Like the previous Kings, he embarked in
expanding the territories of the Assyrians. He defeated the Samarins and
Urartians. He also took Judah but failed to capture Jerusalem. The reign of Sargon
also saw the first deportation of the Jewish people. In 717 BCE, with his
wealth from his conquest, Sargon was able to make a new capital. He moved it
from Calah to Dur-Sharrukin, just north of the former capital. In 705 BCE, he
launched a campaign against the Cimmerians. However, during the time of the
campaign, King Sargon II passed away in the hands of assassins.
But
the glory and power of the Assyrians did not died with Sargon II. His
successor, Sennacherib, who ruled from 705 to 681 BCE. He saw continuous
victory in battlefield. He defeated the rebelling Babylonians and took the
image of their great deity Marduk as a sign of their defeat. He also attacked
the city of Jerusalem, which was depicted at the book of Isaiah. The outcome of
the siege had two contradicting views. At the eyes of the Israelites, written
in the Book of Kings, numerous death succumbed the Assyrians to retreat. On the
other hand, in the eyes of the Assyrians, Israelite King Hezekiah paid them a huge
ransom to spare the city. By the start of the 7th century, the Neo-Assyrian
Empire encompassed the whole of Mesopotamia, the Levant, and parts of Egypt,
Iran, and Asia Minor.
In
681 BCE, Sennacherib passed away and the empire fell to his son, Esarhaddon. He
saw a familiar brutality of his predecessors. A legend told that when three
lunar eclipses happened during his reign, he placed three Kings to substitute
for him. Politically, it was to avoid the interpretation that eclipse meant the
fall of the Empire under his reign. As the cosmic phenomena ended, he had his
substitute killed. Indeed, Assyrian power was not to wane under his rule. In fact,
Assyria continued to make victories and Egypt and even captured the city of
Memphis. It was also under his rule that the capital was once again moved and
placed at the city of Nineveh.
And
in 669 BCE, the most renowned ruler of the Neo-Assryrian Empire ascended to the
throne. King Ashurbanipal II ruled until 626 BCE. He completed the conquest of
Egypt. He defeated the Elamites and the Babylonians. He created an effective
communication system, by setting up relay stations for messengers. The
improvement in communication also allowed better administration of the vast
holdings of the Empire.
However,
Ashurbanipal II was the last great ruler of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. After he
passed away, his successors proved to be weak and incompetent. They were no
much to the growing power of the Chaldeans in Babylon and the Medes in the
east. The two powerful armies combined forces and in 612 BCE, the capital city
of Niniveh fell and plundered by the invaders. By 605 BCE, the Assyrian Empire
was divided among the victors.
The
Neo-Assyrian Empire saw the pinnacle but also the end of a powerful Assyrian
people. Strong and brutal leaders brought land and wealth to the empire. With
wealth they made cultural contributions to mankind. Libraries were one. They
created a system of communication that would be used later by future empire.
The Neo-Assyrian Empire was the last resurgence and the finale of a people that
helped to shaped history.
See also:
Akkad
Ashurbanipal's Royal Library in Nineveh
Assyrian Empire: Old and Middle Empire
Hittites
Bibliography:
See also:
Akkad
Ashurbanipal's Royal Library in Nineveh
Assyrian Empire: Old and Middle Empire
Hittites
Bibliography:
Duiker,
W. & J. Spielvogel. World History v. 1. Massachusetts: Wadsworth, 2010.
Grimbly,
S. (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. London: Fitzroy Dearborn
Publishers, 2000.
Leick,
G. Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia. Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2010.
Starr,
C. A History of the Ancient World. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Stokes,
J. (ed.). Encyclopedia of the People of Africa and the Middle East. New York:
Facts On File, Inc, 2009.
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