![]() Simultaneously, Esarhaddon decreed that his eldest surviving son would become heir to Babylonia. Concerned that there would be competition over the succession, Esarhaddon decided to make Ashurbanipal heir to Assyria. In 674 BCE, Ashurbanipal’s eldest brother and the crown prince of the Assyrian Empire suddenly died. Mesopotamian texts do not specify his place in the line of succession, but surviving records indicate that he likely had three older brothers, as well as one older sister, and several younger brothers. 645 BCE – 635 BCE, via the British MuseumĪshurbanipal was born in 685 BCE to Esarhaddon, king of Assyria. The Younger Son and Heir Assyrian relief depicting Ashurbanipal hunting a lion, ca. Consequently, the Assyrian Empire dedicated much of its resources to developing military innovations and perfecting the art of psychological warfare, developing into one of the most war-like civilizations in Mesopotamia, often referred to as the first military power in history. The Assyrians were heavily reliant on military force to maintain control over their vassals and in order to continue expanding their borders. Please check your inbox to activate your subscription Thank you! In turn, these governors were accountable to the king. To govern its many regions, the empire was split into designated provinces overseen by governors. Subsequently, Assyria also became one of the most diverse empires in Mesopotamian history. By the 7th century BCE, it had reached the peak of its power, becoming the largest empire in the ancient world.Īlthough the Assyrian Empire began as an Akkadian society, it incorporated several ancient cultures into its social structure as it expanded. ![]() In the 9th century BCE, about 300 years after its collapse, the Assyrian Empire would re-emerge as a dominant power in Mesopotamia and reclaim its lost lands. Roughly 200 years later, Assyria would suffer a major administrative collapse and lose much of its territory. After the collapse of the Akkadians, Assyria gradually emerged as an independent political power around the 14th century BCE. The Assyrian Empire originally began as a small city-state under the Akkadian Empire, which dominated Mesopotamia from 2334 – 2154 BCE. 668 BCE – 627 BCE, via the British Museum The Assyrian Empire in the Time of Ashurbanipal Map of the Assyrian Empire at its height, ca. ![]()
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