| Adad-nīrārī II | |
|---|---|
| King of theNeo-Assyrian Empire | |
| Reign | 21 regnal years 911–891 BCE |
| Predecessor | Ashur-dan II (Middle Assyrian Empire) |
| Successor | Tukulti-Ninurta II |
| Born | 10th century BCE |
| Died | 891 BCE |
| Spouse | Babylonian princess, daughter ofNabu-shuma-ukin I[1] |
| Issue | Tukulti-Ninurta II |
| Father | Ashur-dan II |
Adad-nīrārī II (also spelled Adad-nērārī, which means "Adad (the storm god) is my help") reigned from 911 BCE[2] to 891 BCE. He was the firstKing of Assyria in theNeo-Assyrian empire. He instigated the first renewed period of major expansion following that of theMiddle Assyrian Empire which had begun in 1365 BCE underAshur-uballit I and ended after the death ofAshur-bel-kala in 1053 BCE.
Adad-nīrārī II's father wasAshur-dan II, whom he succeeded after a minor dynastic struggle. It is probable that the accession encouraged revolts amongst Assyria's nominal vassals in nearby regions of Anatolia, the Levant and Iran.
He firmly subjugated the areas previously under only nominal Assyrian vassalage, conquering and deporting troublesomeArameans following a battle at the junction of theKhabur andEuphrates rivers in 910 BC. After subduingNeo-Hittite andHurrian populations in eastern Anatolia, Adad-nīrārī II then twice attacked and defeatedShamash-mudammiq ofBabylonia, annexing a large area of land north of theDiyala River and the towns ofHīt andZanqu in midMesopotamia in the same year. He made further gains overBabylonia underNabu-shuma-ukin I later in his reign. He also campaigned to the west, subjugating theAramean cities of Kadmuh andNisibin and their territories. Along with vast amounts of treasure collected, he also secured theKabur river region.[3] His reign was a period of returning prosperity to the Middle East region following expansion ofPhoenician and Aramaean trade routes, linkingAnatolia,Egypt under the Libyan22nd Dynasty, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean.
Adad-nīrārī II's son was namedTukulti-Ninurta II who continued to successfully expand Assyrian territory and wage war againstAssyria's enemies.[3]
Because of the existence of full eponym lists from Adad-nīrārī II's reign down to the middle of the reign ofAshurbanipal in the 7th century BC, year one of his reign in 911 BC is perhaps the first event in ancient Near Eastern history which can be dated to an exact year, although theAssyrian King List is generally considered to be quite accurate for several centuries before Adad-nīrārī's reign, and scholars generally agree on a single set of dates back toAshur-resh-ishi I in the late 12th century BC.
| Preceded by | King of Assyria 911–891 BC | Succeeded by |
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