750-500 BCE
- Assyria reached its zenith
- Its neighbours then exploited its decline
- Persian take over
- Steady world population growth, urbanisation
- Specialisation, surpluses, trade, new writing systems, coins, more shipping
- In the absence of an imperial power like in Mesopotamia, there was anarchy in the rest of the world
- In the NCP, the Med, South Asia, the transformation of towns into cities sparked relentless
competition
- Med:
- Infighting between the Greek CS
- Wars between Rome and neighbours
- Continued struggle in the Levant
- India: Mahajanapadas rivalry
- NCP: Spring and Autumn
Most important event: downfall of the Assyrian Empire and the rise of the Achaemenid Dynasty.
The Middle East
MESOPOTAMIA
Assyria
● 8C began in turmoil
○ Cities revolted
○ Lesser kingdoms refused to pay tribute
○ Coup by general Tiglath-Pileser III
● Addressed Assyria’s core problems
○ Make up for overstretch - previous conquests had become too much of a burden - by making
the conquered pay.
■ Established a system of direct rule over conquered peoples and made them deliver
tribute and troops.
○ Provinces kept small to prevent insurrection
○ Eunuchs as governors (couldn’t found their own dynasties)
○ Governors rotated posts frequently and had to report on neighboring provinces
○ A parallel network of control constituting of inspectors, spies, courtiers
● Predatory economy (as the result^)
○ Territorial expansion not only meant to defend the empire, but enrichen it, strengthen it,
enlarge its armed forces.
■ Huge growth in army
● => 5 consecutive forceful kings contributed to Assyria’s revival.
● Assyrians dominated the ME: Tiglath-Pileser overpowered Cyprus and the entire Levant, Persia,
Media Elam, Babylon, ao.
● Speed of conquest showed Assyria’s secure place in the BOP and the fact that neighbors were small
and often divided.
○ ==> Smaller powers failed to cooperate and unite against Assyria. Some smaller states even
called for Assyrian aid against other small states.
● Lots of enemies
, ○ Sennacherib ordered a new campaign into the Levant 705. Defeated Elam, Chaldea, Babylon,
placed his son on the Babylonian throne.
○ 691: Battle of Halule
■ 698: subject peoples revolted; large alliance between Chaldea, Elam, Persians.
Assyria fought them in Babylon.
■ In the battle, Babylon was set ablaze; indecisive battle.
■ => important turning point: cracks in the Assyrian Empire start showing.
○ Assyria vs Egypt
■ Memphis (Egypt) was sacked. Riots broke out in Egypt
○ Anti-Assyrian coalition (678): Medes, Cimmerians, Manneans and Scythians
■ But the Scythian king switched sides when their attack failed.
● But the economy still flourished
● Ashurbanipal (668) reduced Egypt to a puppet state ==> Egypt disappeared from the scene!
○ Defeated several ME players (Persia, Medes, Parthians)
○ Played off one against the other
BUT a sequence of events set off its decline.
● Assyria’s decline
○ Severe drought strained agriculture
○ Unrest in Egypt, Babylon.
○ Grand alliance Aram-Elam-Medes-Egypt-Arab tribes
■ Even Ashurbanipal’s brother (king of Babylon) joined
○ Threat was contained by Ashurbanipal, but his death brought disorder to the whole region.
○ Babylonians rebelled, backed by Scythians and Medes
○ The Medes - under capable Cyaxares - exploited the power vacuum to conquer most of the
kingdoms in the Zagros Mountains. Marriage alliance with Babylon.
○ Coalition destroyed Nineveh and overpowered a combined Assyrian-Egyptian force at the
Battle of Carchemish (605).
● The Medes were the main beneficiary of the triumphs against Assyria.
○ Now controlled their own empire in eastern Meso.
● ==> The Median Empire served as a launch pad for the far more successful powermove by the
Persians.
● Persian takeover
○ Persians had a strategically located power base in the Zagros Mountains, on the eastern
fringes of Medes.
○ Natural advantages: holy trinity of resources (and more)
■ Large tract of flat farmland, natural walls, rivers, moderate climate, proximity to
trade routes.
○ Under Cambyses I Persia noticeably grew in influence.
■ Prestigious marriages with Lydia and Media.
○ Medes were struggling to keep the empire together.
■ + court intrigues and border conflicts
■ 554: Persians openly revolt against the medes.
■ The Median punitive expedition was crushed.
■ Subsequent successful campaigns by Cyrus II,
● Sacked Babylon in 539
