1 / 23

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

oksana
Télécharger la présentation

Assyrian Empire 911-612 BCE

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  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

More Related