Middle Assyrian Empire

Middle Assyrian Empire
Aššūrāyu
1392 BCE–934 BCE
Map of the Ancient Near East showing the extent of the Middle Assyrian Empire (orange) c. 1392 BCE.
Capital		Aššur
Languages		Akkadian language
Religion		Ancient Mesopotamian religion
Government		Monarchy
King
•	1365 BCE — 1330 BCE	Ashur-uballit I (first)
•	967 BCE — 934 BCE	Tiglath-Pileser II (last)
Historical era		Bronze Age
•	Independence from Mitanni	1392 BCE
•	Ascension of Ashur-uballit I	1365 BCE
•	Reign of Ashur-dan II	934 BCE
Preceded by Succeeded by Old Assyrian Empire Mitanni Neo-Assyrian Empire
Today part of		Syria  Iraq  Turkey

 Iraq  Turkey

The Middle Assyrian Empire is the period in the history of Assyria between the fall of the Old Assyrian Empire in the 14th century BC and the establishment of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the 10th century BC.

By the reign of Eriba-Adad I (1392–1366 BC) Mitanni influence over Assyria was on the wane. Eriba-Adad I became involved in a dynastic battle between Tushratta and his brother Artatama II and after this his son Shuttarna III, who called himself king of the Hurri while seeking support from the Assyrians. A pro-Assyria faction appeared at the royal Mitanni court. Eriba-Adad I had thus finally broken Mitanni influence over Assyria, and in turn had now made Assyria an influence over Mitanni affairs.

Ashur-uballit I (1365–1330 BC) succeeded the throne of Assyria in 1365 BC, and proved to be a fierce, ambitious and powerful ruler. Assyrian pressure from the southeast and Hittite pressure from the north-west, enabled Ashur-uballit I to break Mitanni power. He met and decisively defeated Shuttarna II, the Mitanni king in battle, making Assyria once more an imperial power at the expense of not only the Mitanni themselves, but also Kassite Babylonia, the Hurrians and the Hittites; and a time came when the Kassite king in Babylon was glad to marry Muballiṭat-Šērūa, the daughter of Ashur-uballit, whose letters to Akhenaten of Egypt form part of the Amarna letters.