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Assyrian Empire 911-612 BCE

Assyrian Empire 911-612 BCE. Empire. 1 st to rule a far flung empire and diverse people. Empire. Rulers of the neo-Assyrian Empire (911-612 BCE) moved westward toward the Mediterranean Sea This movement coincided with long distance trade routes heading to eastern Asia

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Assyrian Empire 911-612 BCE

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  1. Assyrian Empire911-612 BCE

  2. Empire • 1st to rule a far flung empire and diverse people

  3. Empire • Rulers of the neo-Assyrian Empire (911-612 BCE) moved westward toward the Mediterranean Sea • This movement coincided with long distance trade routes heading to eastern Asia • Allowed for ‘booty’ as well as tribute and taxes from those the Assyrians conquered • Guaranteed access to iron and silver deposits • Long tradition of trade with Syria and Anatolia • Capital: Nineveh

  4. Empire • Originally started off as aggressive program of self-defense and reestablishment of old claims • Driven by pride, greed, religious conviction • Assyrians controlled (at its peak) areas in the Med. Sea (Anatolia, Syria-Palestine, Egypt) through Mesopotamia to Iran

  5. Characteristics of the Empire • Larger than anything that had come before • Dedicated to the enrichment of the imperial center at the expense of the periphery (funnel)

  6. God and King • Center of the universe, all belonged to him • Earthly representative of the gods • Instrument of the gods • Hereditary • Anointed by priests • Ashur, capital city • Theocracy

  7. King’s Secular Duties • Received info daily from messengers and spies • Made decisions • Heard complaints • Corresponded through scribes • Received and entertained foreign envoys and government officials • Military leader (planning, inspections)

  8. King’s Religious Duties • Supervisor of state religion • Oversaw public and private rituals • Oversaw upkeep of temples • Consulted gods through divination before making decisions for the state • Carried out under chief god Ashur • All victories were proof of Ashur’s superiority over conquered peoples’ gods

  9. Propaganda • “Blew his own horn” • Throughout kingdom royal inscriptions of victories, power of the king, and punishments if people challenged his laws • Relief sculptures: hunts, sieges, executions, deportations on the walls of palaces at Kalhu and Nineveh • Huge statues of king to awe visitors to the court

  10. Ashurbanipal II

  11. Conquest and Control • Superior military organization and technology • Two groups: • Men who were obligated to give military service according to land grants • Peasants and slaves contributed by landowners

  12. Conquest and Control

  13. Conquest and Control • 500,000 troops • Light armed bowmen and slingers (projectiles) • Spearmen with body armor • Cavalry (speed and mobility) • Four man chariots • Iron weapons • Tunnels, mobile towers • Spies • Signal fires

  14. Mass Deportation • Terror tactics to discourage resistance and rebellion • Mass deportation: forcible uprooting of large numbers of people or communities in order to transport and resettle them • Break the morale of the enemy • Shift large amounts of labor to center of the empire

  15. Control and Economic Problems • Vast distances • Diverse landscapes • Many types of people with various languages, customs, religions, and politcal organization • Tight control at the center and lands closest to the core • Less in outer areas

  16. Control and Economics • Divided into provinces • Provincial officials obtained tribute and taxes, maintained law and order, raise troops, undertake public works, give provisions to Assyrian troops passing through • Central government dealt directly with provinces, frequent inspections

  17. Culture and Society • Free landowning citizens • Farmers and artisans attached to the estates of the king or landowners • Slaves (had legal rights and could move up) • All subjects and deportees were considered “human beings” • All had same legal rights and protection • All had labor and military obligations

  18. Culture/Intellect • Preservation of old and acquisition of new knowledge important • Math • Astronomy • Physicians experimented • Library of Ahshubanipal at Nineveh • 25000 fragment and tablets • Literary and scientific knowledge • Preserved Mesopotamian art, literature • “House of Knowledge”

  19. This tablet, telling the myth of the goddess Ishtar's visit to her sister, the underworld goddess Ereshkigal, ends with a colophon describing it as the property of Assurbanipal, 'king of the world, king of the land of Ashur'; from Assurbanipal's Library in Nineveh

  20. Economy • Agriculture was foundation of economy • Vast majority worked in agriculture to support the army, government officials, religious people, professionals, artisans etc • Trade at local level (foods, crafts) • Long distance trade ( luxury goods- textiles, gems, dyes, ivory) • Silver was the medium of exchange

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