Assyria

In the northern section of the Tigris River of Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq, the ancient territory of Assyria was once a formidable empire. Named for Ashur, the original capital of the region, Assyria was populated around 2000 BC by Semitic-speaking individuals from the southwest. The area was organized after 1900 BC, as the Assyrian influence spread northward into Anatolia (the region now known as Turkey) through trading and the development of colonies in this area.

However, by 1800 BC, the Assyrians were driven to the south and out of Anatolia, by the Hittites, a group of Indo-European speaking people from north of the Black Sea. Assyrian strength in Mesopotamia continued to decline as the empire of Babylonia increased in power in the region and tended to usurp the position of the Assyrians. By 1550 BC, the Kingdom of Mitanni, an empire founded by Indo-Iranians (also called Aryans), seized control over the Assyrians. The Assyrians did not manage to gain their independence from the Mitannis until 1365 BC.

After gaining their independence in 1365, and until 800 BC, the Assyrians managed to increase their dominance in northern Mesopotamia. By the time the control of the Assyrians began to wane in 800, numerous sections of the Middle East had fallen under their control at one time or another, if only temporarily. These sections include Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, Persia (on the Iranian plateau), and Egypt. During the rule of Ashurbanipal (668-26), a recession occurred in Assyria, weakening the empire. By 612, the Mede, a group from Iran, and Babylonians worked together and destroyed one of the principle centers of power in Assyria, the city of Nineveh.

Sources:

Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1993; World History, Volume One, St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Company, 1991; Samuel Noah Kramer, Cradle of Civilization, New York: Time Incorporated, 1969.