The Neo-Assyrian Empire was an empire in Mesopotamia during the Iron Age. During its existence from 911-609 BC, it was the largest empire in the world up to that time,[3] doing many early techniques of imperialism which became normal in later empires.[4] It was, according to many historians, the first real empire in history.[5] It also pioneered many tactics such as arming themselves with ironweapons and employing advanced, effective military tactics.
The empire began to fall in 631 BC when Ashurbanipal died, and many civil wars, allowing Cyaxares, King of Persia and the Medes, to form an alliance with Nabopolassar, Ruler of Babylonia and the Cimmerians and invade Assyria.[6] Assyria allied itself with Egypt, but they both fell at the Fall of Harran in 609 BC. The second Siege of Harran finally ended Assyria. However, even today there are still Assyrian people living in Iran, Iraq, and elsewhere.
A civil war then began in 828 BC as his eldest son Ashur-nadin-aplu and 27 cities rebelled against the governors of Assyria, allowing Babylonia, the Medes, Manneans, Arameans, Neo-Hittites, and Persians to largely recapture their land and Urartu to exert its influence in the region. Second son of Ashurnasirpal Shamshi-Adad V finally ended the Civil War in 824 BC, the same year as his father's death, and spent almost the entire rest of his reign trying to re-conquer lost land before his death in 811 BC, when succeeded by his wife, Queen Sammuramat and then his son Adad-nirari III in 806 BC.
Adad-nirari III was an aggressive Monarch, invading The Levant, subjugating the Arameans, Phoenicians, Philistines, Israelites, Neo-Hittites and Edomites, reinforcing tribute upon Damascus, invading Persia and subjugating the Persians, Medes, and Manneans up to the Caspian Sea, and conquering the Chaldean and Sutu tribes of southern Mesopotamia.
A relief depicting Assyrian soldiers and their captives.
As soon as Tiglath-Pileser took the throne in 744, Assyria had both civil war and pestilence threatening it, while a war with Uratru was lost. However, Tiglath Pileser III made enormous changes to the structure of Assyria, improving its security and efficiency. The provinces
726-609 BC
During this period, Assyria became an important superpower. The Assyrian king Shalmaneser V conquered the Kingdom of Samaria (the northern region of Israel), and some years later, King Esarhaddon engaged in a war against Egypt under the Nubian Pharaoh Taharqa, and eventually defeated him and sacked Egypt's main cities.[9]
However, not long after the death of Esarhaddon's son Ashurbanipal, a coalition of Iranians and Chaldeans rebelled against Assyria, and eventually overran both Nineveh and Harran no later than 609 BC. This conquest eventually gave rise to the Neo-Babylonian Empire under King Nabopolassar.[10]
↑Taagepera, Rein (1979). "Size and Duration of Empires: Growth-Decline Curves, 600 B.C. to 600 A.D". Social Science History. 3 (3/4): 121. doi:10.2307/1170959. JSTOR1170959.
