The capture of western Mitanni by the Hittite king Suppiluliuma-I (r.c.1344-c.1322 BC) and the subsequent assassination of the Mitannian king Tushratta (r.c.1370-c.1340 BC) enabled the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit-I (r.c.1353-c.1318 BC) to annex part of the eastern area of Mitanni, including the important grain-growing towns of Nineveh and Arbela to the north and east of Assur.
Ashur-uballit now began to call himself ‘Great King’ and he wrote letters to the pharaoh Amenhotep IV (r.c.1352-c.1336 BC). He married his daughter to the son of the Babylonian king Burnaburiash II (r.c.1359-c.1333 BC) but when their son Karahardash (r.c.1333-c.1332 BC) became king of Babylon he was killed and replaced by Nazibugash (r.c.1332 BC), described as ‘a son of a nobody’. Ashur-uballit invaded Babylonia, executed Nazibugash and placed Kurigalzu II (r.c.1332-c.1308 BC) on the throne.
Enlil-nirari (r.c.1317-c.1308 BC) defeated Kurigalzu, who was attempting to recover lost territory, at Sugagu south of Assur. Arik-den-ili (r.c.1307-c.1296 BC) seems to have fought in the mountains to the north and east to strengthen Assyria’s frontiers. Adad-nirari-I (r.c.1295-c.1264 BC) defeated the Babylonian king Nazimaruttash (r.c.1307-c.1282 BC), forcing him to retreat. Adad-nirari then pushed westwards to conquer the Hittite client state of Mitanni. He defeated Shattuara-I (r.c.1310-c.1290 BC) and later crushed a revolt by Shattuara’s son Wasashatta (r.c.1290-c.1270 BC).
Shalmaneser-I (r.c.1263-c.1234 BC) attacked Urartu, one of a number of Hurrian principalities in the mountainous regions around Lake Van and Lake Urmia, known to the Assyrians as the Nairi lands. He claims that he brought the whole of Urartu into submission within three days. He next attacked the fortress of Arini in Musri (east of Assyria?), which he accused of rebellion. It was sacked and the subjection of the whole of Musri followed.
In Mitanni (known as Hanigalbat to the Assyrians) he was opposed by Shattuara II (r.c.1270-c.1260 BC), who had rebelled, and a Hittite army. Shalmaneser won a crushing victory and then reduced all of Mitanni. Thus Hurrian rule in Upper Mesopotamia ended, and the struggle between the Hittites and the Assyrians for control of the area decided.
After consolidating the gains of his predecessors, Tukulti-Ninurta-I (r.c.1233-c.1197 BC) began to establish firmer control over the lands to the east and north. Possibly taking advantage of Tukulti-Ninurta being occupied in the north, the pharaoh Kashtiliash IV (r.c.1232-c.1225 BC) advanced north and captured Assyrian territory. In the great battle that ensued, Kashtiliash was captured and Babylonia occupied.
After Tukulti-Ninurta was murdered by one of his sons, Assyrian military power went into decline with two factions struggling for power. The Babylonian king Adad-shuma-usur (r.c.1216-c.1187 BC) exploited this situation by laying siege to Assur and fighting the Assyrian king Enlil-kudurri-usur (r.c.1187-c.1183 BC). During these hostilities an Assyrian prince Ninurta-apil-Ekur (r.c.1182-c.1180 BC), previously an exile in Babylon, seized the Assyrian throne and ruled with the support of the Babylonian king.
Babylonian domination was thrown off when Ashur-dan-I (r.c.1179-c.1133 BC) raided Babylonia c.1160 BC, but he was unable to push back the Mushki (a northern tribe) who had installed themselves on the upper Tigris. Ashur-resh-ishi-I (r.c.1133-c.1115 BC) claimed to have shattered the wide-ranging groups of Akhlamu (Aramaeans) to the north and west of the country. He also had to defend himself against an attack by Nebuchadnezzar-I (r.c.1126-c.1103 BC)
Tiglath-pileser-I (r.c.1115-c.1076 BC) campaigned against the Mushki and penetrated Armenia. He took action against the Akhlamu and finally against the Aramaeans. Ashur-bel-kala (r.c.1074-c.1056 BC) fought in the northern mountains and against the Aramaeans with Babylonia as his ally. The Aramaeans were a major factor in the decline of Assyria. By the turn of the millennium Assyria was surrounded by formidable enemies. Little is known of Assyria during this time but after reign of Ashurnasirpal-I (r.c.1050-c.1031 BC), or possibly earlier, the land of Assyria was reduced to the areas around the towns of Assur, Nineveh, Arbela and Kilizi.
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