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Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Kingdom and Empire on the northern parts of the Mesopotamian valley, and worshiped as polytheists in the Mesopotamian pantheon. They were renowned and feared for their military prowess and brutality. Today the Assyrian people remain as a minority in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey as a Christian minority.
786 Questions
What made the Assyrians superior warriors?
Assyrians had a head start developing agriculture, domesticating animals, and building cities. Their cities were heavily fortified, leaving few weaknesses for others to exploit. They also had horses, which were a large military strength, particularly when harnessed to chariots.
They had powerful military leaders, like Sargon of Akkad, who created the first Assyrian kingdom in about 2371 BC. Sargon defeated Lugalzaggisi, who was Sumer's ruler, thereby conquering all of Sumer.
What is the history of the Assyrian Empire?
When tracing the long history of Assyria it is clear that the kingdom which initially began around the region on the Upper Tigris River in the Middle Bronze Age, grew to become a powerful empire later, spanning from 2400 BC to 612 BC. Assyrian history could be divided into six periods, such as Emergence - beginning: 2400 BC, the first Golden Age: 2400 BC - 612 BC, the first Dark Age: 612 BC - 33 AD, the Second Golden Age: 33 AD - 1300 AD, the Second Dark Age: 1300 AD to 1918 AD and finally Diaspora: 1918 AD to the present.During the long history of Assyria, they were subjugated (conquered) most of the time by more powerful kingdoms and people of the southern region. The Assyrians are a semetic people indegenous to Mesopotamia; they are Mediterranean Caucasoids and are ethnically distinct from Arabs and Jews. They are known as a race of warriors who were cruel and brutal than any other race. Assyrians were fierce warriors and used swords, slings, bows and shields in war. They also used war chariots drawn by horses. Archers fired at the enemy from them. The common language and art of Assyria originated from Sumeria, but was modified over the years. In fact, the Assyrians spoke two languages. The Neo-Assyrian Period (911-612 BC) which succeeded the Middle Assyrian period (14th-10th BC), is the last, but the most popular and best documented period in the duration of the Assyrian Empire. Assyrians established merchant colonies known as Karum (the Akkadian word for port) in 1920 BC-1840 BC and 1796 BC - 1740 BC. Even though Assyria was a minor kingdom in the Middle Assyrian period, it competed for dominion with their southern Mesopotamian rival, Babylon. It reached peak power with reforms of Tiglath-Pileser III who ruled Assyria from 745-727 BC. During the 25th dynasty of Egypt, Assyria became a serious threat to Egypt. Even though not much information has been gathered about life in the early periods, it is recorded that the Assyrians practised Ashurism and Christianity as their religions. The first religion was derived from the name of God Ashur and was practised until 256 AD, with some of the people taking to Christianity. Assyria is considered as the first nation to embrace Christianity. In fact, records state that the first Assyrian church was founded in 33 AD by Thomas, Bartholemew and Thaddeus. Inventions It is the Assyrians who first used battering rams to knock holes in the city walls during battle. They were skilled at seige warfare to defeat their enemies. They also used excavation as a means to undermine the strength of city walls in enemy territory. The concept of corps of engineers who bridged rivers with pontoons (flat bottomed boats or metal drums) or provided soldiers with inflatable skins for swimming is believed to have been introduced by the Assyrians. Assyrians had invented many devises that are still used in our present days as locks and keys that were first used in Assyria. in Assyria the sexagesimal system of keeping time was developed. One cannot imagine driving without paved roads; it is in Assyria where paved roads were first used. And the list goes on, including the first postal system, the first use of iron, the first magnifying glasses, the first libraries, the first plumbing and flush toilets, the first electric batteries, the first guitars, the first aqueducts, the first arch, and on and on.
The most important thing that originated from Assyria is ideas, ideas that would shape the world to come. It is the idea, for example, of imperial administration, of dividing the land into territories administered by local governors who report to the central authority, the King of Assyria. This fundamental model of administration has survived to this day, as can be seen in America's federal-state system.
How did the policies of Cyrus and Darius contrast with those of the Assyrians?
Answer Cyrus was king of Persia (560/559 - 530BCE). Darius was ...
What is the contribution of assyrian?
1. First recorded organized and civilized CITIES.
2. First Horse CHARIOT with an advanced perfectly proportioned WHEEL.
3. First LAWS-Code of Hammurabi
4. First Traces of MEDICINE, due to the injuries from wars.
5. First Systematically organized LIBRARY by King Ashurbanipal.
6. First to divide a circle into 360 degrees, Long. and Lat.
7. First most powerful WOMAN LEADER and initally ARMY GENERAL, Queen Shamiran.
8. First MATHEMATICS.
9. First TELESCOPE LENS, the Nimrud Lens
10. First ENGINEERS, excavations, which were used to undermine city walls (seige), battering rams to knock down walls, concept of engineering.
11. First umbler lock and kEY system was found in the ruins of the palace of Khorsabad, built by the Assyrian king Sargon II.
12. First unbelievably designed GARDEN (to imitate the Garden of Eden) THE HANGING GARDENS, one of the WONDERS OF THE WORLD.
and much more....
Resources:
London Museum
Baghdad Historical Museum
Online Encyclopedias...
Did the assyrian people live in the north of mesopotamia ner the Euphrates river?
No. The Assyrian people lived north of Mesopotamia near the TIGRIS RIVER.
What was the principle difference in the assyrian and babylonian cultures?
ASSYRIAN:
organized military power, with an autocratic king as its supreme ruler
social class defined by military standing
important class of scribes
BABYLONIAN:
priesthood was the highest authority
priesthood was divided into a great number of classes
strong agricultural and commercial classes
There is no one language spoken by the Assyrian people--the Assyrians today speak Arabic, Persian, Neo-Aramaic languages, and Turkish--as they are spread throughout much of Middle East, though mostly Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.
Why did the people in the region rejoice when the assyrian empire was defeated?
Assyria was brutal and violent to the people under its power. As a result, the fall of Assyria was celebrated by those it had subjugated.
How were the Assyrians able to build and keep such a large empire?
The Assyrians where so strong because they were cruel, they would conquer empires and kill the leaders and exile, enslave and slaughter the citizens. They also had their war machine. They fought with chariots, on foot, horseback, and had good iron weapons. They were hated and feared.
metal such as tin lead silver gold also wood stone jewels textiles and a lot of other things
Which empire is better the Akkadian's the Babylonian's the Assyrian's or the Neo-Babylonian's?
They are all a good in a way.But the Assyrians had the war strategy,iron weapons.they also took over the Babalonian Empire.the Assyrians were feird.ther for they were better...
How are Assyria and Persia similar?
They're both located in the Middle East. Both of these countries have a very warm, dry climate with deserts.
How did the Assyrians make their money?
Assyria was a major Kingdom of Mesopotamia and the monetary system in that region consisted mainly of trade goods. Listed most valuable to least valuable, the trade goods were gold, silver, copper/bronze, lead and barley. Assyria had very fertile croplands and the majority of Assyrians worked farmland. As Assyria expanded mining and forestry also became sources of income, however farming and agriculture remained the most lucrative and prevalent.
What can happen when a country follows a policy of cruelty toward captured people as Assyria did?
It created enemies, tow of those enemies Medes and Chaldeans joined forces to defeat the Assyrians.
What characteristics describe Babylonian and Assyrian empires?
Babylonic Civilization and its salient features:
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon, and later Seleucia-Ctesiphon(Māhōzē) as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi (1792- 1752 BC or fl. ca. 1696 - 1654 BC, short chronology) created an empire out of the territories of the former Akkadian Empire.
Salient features of Babylonic Civilization are:
o Amorite Period
o Kassite period
o Early Iron Age
o Neo-Babylonian Empire (Chaldean Era)
o Persian Babylonia
o Babylonian culture
§ Art and Architecture
§ Astronomy
§ Medicine
§ Literature
§ Astronomy
§ Mathematics
§ Philosophy
Assyrian Civilization and its salient features:
Assyria or Athura (Aramaic for Assyria) was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the late 25th or early-24th century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia (present day northern Iraq), that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur (Akkadian: ??? ? Aššūrāyu; Aramaic: אתור Aṯur; Hebrew:אַשּׁוּר Aššûr; Arabic: آشور Āšūr). Assyria was also sometimes known as Subartu.
Salient features of Assyrian Civilization are:
o Assyrian Empire of Shamshi-Adad I
o Assyria under Babylonian domination
o Assyrian dynasty restored
o Assyria under Mitanni domination
o Assyrian expansion and empire 1390 - 1076 BC
o Assyria in the Ancient Dark Ages, 1075-912 BC
o Society in the Middle Assyrian period
o Expansion, 911-627 BC
o Downfall, 626-605 BC
o Athura, Assuristan, Assyria province
o Germany and West Africa theories
What is the weather like in Assyria?
It was very hot just like in ancient Egypt with a tip of humid air
What characterized the empire of the Assyrians?
Thay were feared and hated. they had a harsh and efficient government.
their army was highly disciplined, with iron weapons and armour and an excellent cavalry. They showed no mercy to defeated people- toturing, enslaving, and executing many.
They had a well developed government and administration. built paved roads, aqueduts and arches.
They also had a postal system, libraries and zoos.
Hope this helps people. :)
By: Chris
How did the Assyrians communicate throughout their empire?
The Assyrians set up posts with fresh horse's, mules, or donkeys throughout the kingdom to transport messages. Usually they would get a response by the end of the week. It is just like the Pony Express that America used to have before the telegram.
Why were the Kushites able to thrive after losing Egypt to the Assyrians?
Kush was a fully functional kingdom even without controlling the Lower Nile Valley. It also maintained a strong relationship with Aksum in Ethiopia which was not threatened by Assyrian Imperialism.
What two things did the Assyrians do to control territories they conquered?
They transplanted the aristocracies to other areas and imported replacement ones. This ensured there was no sympathetic local ruling class which would lead uprisings against Assyrian control.
Their army provided a backup to enforce control, and to prevent incursions by external forces.
This technique was copied by the successive empires of Babylon and Persia after they took over, which is what happened to the Jews. When the Assyrians captured the north, they deported the aristocracy and imported a new one - the Ten Tribes were not deported, their aristocracy was, and the people remained with an Assyrian one replacing it. Similarly the Babylonians took over the south and deported the Judean aristocracy and replaced it with a Babylonian one - the people remained. Cyrus the Persian allowed the descendants to go home and try to reclaim their estates. Some took up the offer, but many remained, preferring their new life in Babylon.
How might conquered people feel about playing tribute in Assyrians?
It had to be very bad for people having to pay another tribute to another nation. That is why we had all those areas battling each other until forming empires.
