883-859 B.C.E.
King Of Assyria

Empire Builder. Ashumasirpal II, son of Tukulti-Ninurta II (890- 884 B.C.E.), was the founder of a revitalized and expanded Neo- Assyrian Empire. He was renowned for his military might, conquests of foreign lands, hunting, and building activities—all aspects of the ideal Assyrian king. He was a master of military tactics, and his annual campaigns caused fear and destruction to those who opposed him. Conquered peoples were forced to pay tribute and contribute men to his corvee (forced labor service imposed on conquered peoples). His campaigns are documented in inscriptions and in monumental reliefs that decorated his palaces. By the end of the seventh century B.C.E., his successors dominated the entire ancient Near East, from Egypt to the land of Urartu in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south.

Ideology of Empire. During...