How Powerful was the Assyrian Empire?

Thousands of years ago, in the lands of Mesopotamia, the Assyrians arose from a small city-state and steadily grew into a great empire. The empire witnessed ancient kings ruling a kingdom where military skill waged war with supremacy, and merchants conducted their business as the economy flourished. The Assyrians are remembered as conquerors, but is there more to uncover about this ancient people? Find out as we delve into the history of the Assyrian Empire. The history of the Assyrians starts long ago, on the banks of the Tigris river, located in modern day Iraq. Their culture began in the city of Ashur, which shared its name with their primary god. As Ashur evolved, the region flourished due to its close proximity to southern Mesopotamia. The rivers and fertile plains cultivated the growth of other cities and civilizations. This region was known as the Fertile Crescent. The city was further north from Sumerian cities such as Ur, Larsa and Uruk. However, they acquired skills from their neighbours such as writing, which enabled substantial advancement. Many cities in Mesopotamia, including Ashur, fell under the rule of the Akkadian Empire, which was led by Sargon of Akkad. The Akkadian Empire's fortunes were short lived, as the Assyrians were quick to rebel and gain independence. Around the year 2000 BC, the city had developed into a substantial state. The Assyrians were able to develop far reaching trade routes. Merchants developed several trading towns, where goods from Mesopotamia were bartered for goods in Anatolia and vice versa. Notably, merchants conveyed goods such as tin and textiles on donkeys and later camels in exchange for precious metals and timber. The city of Ashur became a central location between these trade routes and helped in the growth and economic competence of the city. The city-state of Ashur would manage to conquer and control nearby cities such as Nineveh and Ekalatum, gaining recognition throughout the known world. It was during the fall of the Neo-Sumerian Empire that waves of migration took place by a people known as the Amorites. Over hundreds of years, the Amorites migrated from Syria and some leaders successfully ascended to power in various cities, usurping native Akkadian and Sumerian kings. One of these cities was the Assyrian city of Ekalatum, ruled over by King Shamshiyadad. He was accepted by the Assyrians, but was forced to flee to Babylon when the city-state of Eshnunna conquered the region. Within a few years, the king of Eshnunna died and allowed Shamshiyadad to reconquer the city-state. He honoured the god Ashur, maintained stability and achieved political unity, whilst also conquering a vast amount of territory, calling himself King of the Universe. His empire did not continue after his death, however, his legacy remained within the culture of the Assyrians. Assyria was conquered by Hammurabi of Babylon, however, after his death, the empire weakened. Nevertheless, Babylon would remain as Mesopotamia's greatest power until an invasion by the Hittites. The Hittites came from Anatolia, whose orchestrated military campaigns decimated the nearby kingdom of Yamhad, and then followed this by sacking the city of Babylon. Rather than rule, the Hittites returned to their homeland. The power vacuum allowed the newly migrated Kassites to rebuild and rule Babylon, while the Hurrian tribes united to form the kingdom of the Matani. Assyrian influence and expansion was halted due to the dominance of the Matani, who had gained a substantial amount of territory within Mesopotamia over a short time period. Assyria was wedged between two superpowers until the Matani fell into instability and infighting, resulting in a loss of unity. The political landscape changed once again, Assyria gained independence and expanded their influence in the territories surrounding Assyria. It was the Assyrian king, Ashur-Ubalati, who instigated waves of conquest and expansion. After defeating a coalition of Hittites and Matani rebels, Shalamasa I was recognised as the Great King of Assyria by the Hittites, Egyptians and Babylonians. After King Shalamasa's death, King Tukuli-Nunurta replaced him, subsequently conquering Babylon. Seeking supreme control, he ordered the relocation of the statue of their chief god, Marduk, and destroyed the walls of the city. Tukuli continued his military campaigns and defeated the Elamites in battle. The Babylonians tried to revolt against Tukuli's rule, but he returned, burned and pillaged the city. This would prove to be a mistake, as Babylon had been a cultural leader for thousands of years and many Assyrians saw themselves as protectors of Babylonian culture. Tukuli would be murdered by his sons and Babylon regained independence. In the 12th century BC, a mysterious series of events caused the collapse of many Bronze Age civilizations and remains a contentious subject with archaeologists and historians today. Evidence suggests a coalition of warrior tribes known as the Sea People ravaged the coastal kingdoms and empires of Mesopotamia, Anatolia and nearly destroyed Egypt. Due to being further inland, the Assyrian Empire escaped much of the bombardment from the Sea People attacks and consequently took advantage of the chaos. Military service became compulsory and the first weapons made of iron were introduced. The Assyrian army consisted of light and heavy infantry. Heavy infantry were equipped with a conical bronze helmet, a leather kilt and a large, deep conical shield. In comparison, lighter infantry had smaller, flatter shields and shorter helmets. However, both carried a dagger and a spear. Those that rode on horseback wore light armour whilst carrying a long spear. Cavalry units were an elite class of soldier that generally dominated the battlefield, crossing rough terrain where chariots could not. However, the military wasn't the only accomplishments of the Assyrians. Under the leadership of Ashur-Balkala, the world's first public botanical gardens and zoo were established, comprising of a collection of plants and animals ranging from primates to crocodiles. However, conflict was never far away from the Assyrians, a group known as the Arameans invaded from the north. These raids and attacks from this new group of migrating tribes reduced the Assyrian Empire to its original heartland. It wouldn't be until a few hundred years later that Assyrian kings began a new wave of conquests. As each king was crowned, they adopted the same warfare lifestyle as their predecessors. With the victories on the battlefield, they built many roads, thereby allowing armies to march with haste. Each new king built a new capital along these roads, with large palaces, magnificent wealth, lavish lifestyle and power. The Assyrians became known for their military expertise, their psychological warfare and brutal tactics, inflicting cruel punishments for those who resisted their rule. Their standing army was well organised, with systematic numbers and rankings. It was the largest and greatest standing army the world had ever seen. The reign of Tiglath-Pelissera proved to be most profound. He understood that the power of high Assyrian officials had become excessive and sought to reduce their influence. His strategy was to divide the empire into more provinces, thereby decreasing the high officials' resources should they aspire to revolt. He also appointed eunuchs as governors of newly conquered provinces, removing the threat of rule becoming a dynastic issue. Instead of a largely native Assyrian army, Tiglath-Pelissera incorporated a large number of conquered people into his army. Anyone who joined would become Assyrian and adopt their religion and culture. With an informed military, many new tactics evolved, perhaps the most significant being siege warfare. The army would set up outside an enemy city, stop all movement in and out. This inevitably resulted in starving the populace, weakening the people inside the city to such an extent that surrender was the only option. When storming a city, the Assyrians would shower their opponents with arrows to provide cover fire. Siege weapons included ladders and battering rams. Knights and nobles who were defeated were treated harshly, giving the Assyrians a reputation for being cruel and brutal. It was not uncommon for a king to be killed by flaying his skin, which was then put on display for the local population to witness. Their brutal tactics against their enemies resulted in many opponents surrendering before a single drop of blood was spilled. The Assyrians relied on fear as a means of bringing the population under their control. Prisoners and citizens of a newly conquered city were often forcefully removed or relocated to different parts of the empire to fulfill their needs. Under the rule of King Sargon II, 30,000 Israelites were removed and relocated. This effective tactic reduced the likelihood of revolt, breaking people's bonds with their homeland. Ashurbanipal was the last of the great kings of Assyria who steered the empire to its greatest extent, stretching from the Egyptian capital of Thebes in the west to the Elamite capital of Susa in the east. Under his rule, an imperial library was built, containing thousands of clay tablets written in Akkadian and Sumerian cuneiform. It was said to be one of the largest libraries of its kind at the time. The constant campaigning to control and expand its vast empire left Assyria exhausted and drained of wealth and manpower. Sourcing sufficient troops and subsequently feeding and resourcing the military was challenging for such a huge empire. Following Ashurbanipal's death, the empire began to disintegrate rapidly after a series of bitter civil wars. Egypt successfully rebelled and a new power in the east, known as the Medes, emerged as a growing, powerful people. The final defeat for the empire came as a coalition of Babylonian and Mede forces attacked and sacked the city of Nineveh. As the empire collapsed, the Neo-Babylonian Empire rapidly took its place. The Assyrians had set the standard for imperial rule for the generations that followed. The empire laid the foundations for many successful empires that followed. They were known as a cruel, ruthless people that became the biggest empire of the time. Many of their military tactics were copied and used for hundreds of years after their demise. Although the empire was eventually defeated, the ancestors of such a prestigious people remain to this day.