History
Assyria {uh-sir’-ee-uh}
Assyria was an ancient name for that part of MESOPOTAMIA on the
upper Tigris River now included in the northern Iraqi provinces of
Ninawa (Nineveh), Sulaymaniya, Tamim, and Irbil. Watered by the
Tigris and its tributaries, the Greater and Lesser Zab, ancient
Assyria stretched from just west of the Tigris to the Zagros
Mountains on the east and from about 34 deg north latitude up to
the hills of Armenia. With moderate rainfall that permitted
farming without irrigation and with considerable resources of
stone for building, Assyria had advantages over BABYLONIA, where
irrigation was necessary and mud brick was the principal building
material.
Assyria took its name from its original capital, Ashur, situated
just north of the junction of the Tigris and the Lesser Zab. Its
founders, who are now called Assyrians, were a Semitic-speaking
people who arrived from the southwest shortly after 2000 BC.
During the Old Assyrian period (c.1900-1550 BC) the territory was
unified by a series of vigorous rulers, and its influence was felt
along the middle Euphrates and westward into central Anatolia
(modern Turkey), where Assyrian traders established commercial
colonies. By 1800 BC, however, the coming of the HITTITES drove
the Assyrians out of Anatolia, and the rise of Babylon under
Hammurabi soon afterward caused a contraction of Assyrian power in
Mesopotamia. By 1550 BC Assyria was part of the Kingdom of MITANNI;
it did not regain independence until the collapse of that regime
about 1365 BC.
After a slow revival, Assyrian strength quickened after 1000 BC
and reached a new peak in the 9th century under ASHURNASIRPAL II
(r. 883-59) and SHALMANESER III (r. 858-24), whose campaigns
brought plunder and tribute from little kingdoms westward all the
way to the Mediterranean Sea. After 800 BC this mighty dynasty
gradually declined and finally collapsed (c.748 BC), but a new era
began with the accession of TIGLATH-PILESER III in 745. Babylon
was subjected to Assyria, and states to the west were once more
made tributary. The formal organization of an empire began with
the last Assyrian dynasty, founded by SARGON II. Sargon (r.
721-05), SENNACHERIB (r. 705-681), and ESARHADDON (r. 681-68) made
conquests that brought ELAM, MEDIA, Persia, Babylonia, Syria,
Palestine, and even part of Egypt under Assyrian rule. A recession
commenced under ASHURBANIPAL (r. 668-26), and by 612 the Medes and
Babylonians had destroyed the city of NINEVEH and brought an end
to the Assyrian Empire.
The four successive capitals of Assyria–Ashur (Qalat Sherqat);
Calah (NIMRUD), founded by Ashurnasirpal II; Dur Sharrukin (KHORSABAD),
the fortress city of Sargon II; and Nineveh, selected by
Sennacherib–have all been excavated by archaeologists, revealing
the brilliance of Assyrian civilization. Despite the notorious
brutality (and efficiency) of the Assyrian army, which the
Assyrians themselves assiduously publicized, the great
accomplishments of ancient Assyria in art and architecture, and
also in literature, are universally recognized.
In
treating of Assyria it is extremely difficult not to speak at the
same time of its sister, or rather mother country, Babylonia, as
the peoples of these two countries, the Semitic Babylonians and
Assyrians, are both ethnographically and linguistically the same
race, with identical religion, language, literature, and
civilization. Hence Assyro-Babylonian religion, mythology, and
religious literature especially in their relation to the Old
Testament will be treated in the article BABYLONIA, while the
history of the modern explorations and discoveries in these two
countries will be given in the present article.
Author: Ashur Cherry, From Encyclopeida.
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