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| ====== Tukulti-Ninurta I ====== | ====== Tukulti-Ninurta I ====== |
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| | ==== Biography of Tukulti-Ninurta I ===== |
| Following on the campaigns of his predecessor Adad-Nirari I to the west, Tukulti-Ninurta I undertook ambitious missions aimed at carving away land controlled by the Hittites and then from the staunch enemy to the south, Babylon. He is one of the better documented kings of the Middle Assyrian period. Among the sources dealing with him are remnants of an epic poem detailing his struggle with Babylonia, a number of royal inscriptions, and some alabaster tablets describing the construction of his new capital city. Yet despite his success in strengthening Assyria's position among the great powers, the king himself fell to an assassination plot by one of his sons, after which ensued a period of political turmoil and moderate territorial loss (Kuhrt pg. 358). | Following on the campaigns of his predecessor Adad-Nirari I to the west, Tukulti-Ninurta I undertook ambitious missions aimed at carving away land controlled by the Hittites and then from the staunch enemy to the south, Babylon. He is one of the better documented kings of the Middle Assyrian period. Among the sources dealing with him are remnants of an epic poem detailing his struggle with Babylonia, a number of royal inscriptions, and some alabaster tablets describing the construction of his new capital city. Yet despite his success in strengthening Assyria's position among the great powers, the king himself fell to an assassination plot by one of his sons, after which ensued a period of political turmoil and moderate territorial loss (Kuhrt pg. 358). |
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| Tukulti-Ninurta ascended the throne at a time of great tension between Assyria and the Hittites. His father Shalmaneser I had defeated the kingdom of Mitanni (Hanigalbat), which since Suppiluliuma had served as a buffer state for the Hittites' eastern flank. Now worried that the son would take after his father, Tudhaliya sent messages to the new Assyrian king seeking to maintain a peaceful status quo, and even to deflect his rival's energy south toward Babylon (See KUB III 73, 10'f, KUB XXIII 103 rev. 20f, and Singer pg. 102). | Tukulti-Ninurta ascended the throne at a time of great tension between Assyria and the Hittites. His father Shalmaneser I had defeated the kingdom of Mitanni (Hanigalbat), which since Suppiluliuma had served as a buffer state for the Hittites' eastern flank. Now worried that the son would take after his father, the Hittite king Tudhaliya sent messages to the new Assyrian king seeking to maintain a peaceful status quo, and even to deflect his rival's energy south toward Babylon (See KUB III 73, 10'f, KUB XXIII 103 rev. 20f, and Singer pg. 102). |
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| Yet despite initially friendly overtures from Tukulti-Ninurta, both sides gradually abandoned their pretense toward peace and a confrontation appeared likely. Thus in a response to rebellions of the Qutu and Uqumeni to the north of Assur, Tukulti-Ninurta invaded an area called Shubari just north of modern Diyarbakir, attacking the lands of Katmuhi, Alzi, Amadani (Amedi) and Paphi (Papanhi) (Singer pg. 104). The Hittites retaliated, but the conflict seems to have ultimately favored Tukulti-Ninurta, as in two of his late inscriptions the Assyrian king boasts of capturing eight szar of Hittite soldiers from across the Euphrates (ibid). | Yet despite initially friendly overtures from Tukulti-Ninurta, both sides gradually abandoned their pretense toward peace and a confrontation appeared likely. Thus in a response to rebellions of the Qutu and Uqumeni to the north of Assur, Tukulti-Ninurta invaded an area called Shubari just north of modern Diyarbakir, attacking the lands of Katmuhi, Alzi, Amadani (Amedi) and Paphi/Papanhi (Singer pg. 104). The Hittites retaliated, but the conflict seems to have ultimately favored Tukulti-Ninurta, as in two of his late inscriptions the Assyrian king boasts of capturing eight szar of Hittite soldiers from across the Euphrates (ibid). |
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| The Assyrian offensive now threatened the Hittites last eastern stronghold of Isuwa with its routes leading across the Euphrates and the all important copper mines at Ergani Maden (Singer, pg. 105). Indeed, certain letters from the archives of Ugarit and Hattusa make references to | The Assyrian offensive now threatened the Hittites last eastern stronghold of Isuwa with its routes leading across the Euphrates and the all important copper mines at Ergani Maden (Singer, pg. 105). Indeed, certain letters from the archives of Ugarit and Hattusa make references to |
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| Tukulti-Ninurta I also undertook the construction of a new capital city a short distance from Assur, naming in Kar Tukulti-Ninurta ("Port Tukulti-Ninurta"). There he spent much of the last years of his life, facing growing opposition to his expensive military policies and ultimately meeting his death in palace intrigue (Singer pg. 107). Further, tespite the amount of resources put into building the new capital, the city did not last long beyond its founder's reign (see Kuhrt pg. 357). | Tukulti-Ninurta I also undertook the construction of a new capital city a short distance from Assur, naming in Kar Tukulti-Ninurta ("Port Tukulti-Ninurta"). There he spent much of the last years of his life, facing growing opposition to his expensive military policies and ultimately meeting his death in palace intrigue (Singer pg. 107). Further, tespite the amount of resources put into building the new capital, the city did not last long beyond its founder's reign (see Kuhrt pg. 357). |
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