The Middle Assyrian Empire emerged amid the dynamic political realignments of the Ancient Near East during the Late Bronze Age, as Assyria reasserted its independence and rose from a regional kingdom into a formidable imperial power. Following centuries of foreign influence and vassalage under Mitanni domination, Assyria capitalized on the weakening of its northern rival with the strategic support, or tacit cooperation, of the Hittite Empire. The resulting decline of Mitanni authority in Upper Mesopotamia opened the way for Assyria’s expansion, allowing it to reclaim its autonomy and begin projecting military and political power across the region.
The Middle Assyrian period (c. 1365–1000 BCE) marked the consolidation of this resurgence under rulers such as Ashur-uballit I (reign c. 1365–1330 BCE) and Adad-nirari I (reign c. 1307–1275 BCE). These kings extended Assyrian control to the Euphrates in the west, deep into Babylonia in the south, and toward the Zagros foothills in the east. A new imperial administration began to take shape, defined by bureaucratic efficiency, codified law, and sustained military campaigns. Assyria’s growing prominence placed it among the great powers of the Late Bronze Age world, interacting and competing with the Hittites, Babylonians, and Egyptians. This period laid the ideological and institutional groundwork for the later Neo-Assyrian Empire, which would dominate the Near East in the first millennium BCE.
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APA Style
Netchev, S. (2022, January 20). Map of the Middle Assyrian Empire. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15147/map-of-the-middle-assyrian-empire/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Middle Assyrian Empire." World History Encyclopedia, January 20, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15147/map-of-the-middle-assyrian-empire/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Middle Assyrian Empire." World History Encyclopedia, 20 Jan 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15147/map-of-the-middle-assyrian-empire/.
