| Tukulti-Ninurta I | |
|---|---|
 Tukulti-Ninurta I depicted both standing and kneeling | |
| King of theMiddle Assyrian Empire | |
| Reign | 37 regnal years 1243-1207 BC (high)[1] 1233-1197 BC (low) |
| Predecessor | Shalmaneser I |
| Successor | Ashur-nadin-apli |
| Issue | Ashur-nadin-apli,Enlil-kudurri-usur |
| Father | Shalmaneser I |
Tukulti-Ninurta I (meaning: "my trust is in [the warrior god]Ninurta"; reignedc. 1243–1207 BC) was a king ofAssyria during theMiddle Assyrian Empire. He is known as the first king to use the title "King of Kings".
Tukulti-Ninurta I succeededShalmaneser I, his father, as king and won a major victory against theHittite Empire at theBattle of Nihriya in the first half of his reign, appropriating Hittite territory inAsia Minor and theLevant. Tukulti-Ninurta I retained Assyrian control ofUrartu, and later defeatedKashtiliash IV, theKassite king ofBabylonia, and captured the rival city ofBabylon to ensure full Assyrian supremacy overMesopotamia. He set himself up as king of Babylon, and took on the ancient title "King of Sumer and Akkad" first used byUr-Nammu.
Tukulti-Ninurta had petitioned the godShamash before beginning his counter offensive. Kashtiliash IV was captured, single-handed by Tukulti-Ninurta according to his account, who "trod with my feet upon his lordly neck as though it were a footstool" and deported him ignominiously in chains to Assyria. The victorious Assyrian demolished the walls of Babylon, massacred many of the inhabitants, pillaged and plundered his way across the city to theEsagila temple, where he made off with thestatue of Marduk. After capturing Babylonia, he invaded theArabian Peninsula, conquering the pre-Arab states ofDilmun andMeluhha.[2] Middle Assyrian texts recovered at ancientDūr-Katlimmu include a letter from Tukulti-Ninurta to hissukkal rabi'u, or grand vizier,Ashur-iddin advising him of the approach of his generalShulman-mushabshu escorting the captive Kashtiliash, his wife, and his retinue which incorporated a large number of women, on his way to exile after his defeat. In the process he defeated theElamites, who had themselves coveted Babylon. He also wrote an epic poem documenting his wars against Babylon and Elam. After a Babylonian revolt, he raided and plundered the temples in Babylon, regarded as an act of sacrilege to all Mesopotamians, including Assyrians.
As relations with the priesthood inAshur began deteriorating, Tukulti-Ninurta built a new capital city;Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta. However, his sons rebelled against him and besieged him in his new city. During the siege, he was murdered. One of them,Ashur-nadin-apli, would succeed him on the throne.
After his death, the Assyrian Empire fell into a brief period of stagnation. TheTukulti-Ninurta Epic describes the war between Tukulti-Ninurta I and Kashtiliash IV.[3]
| Preceded by | King of Assyria 1243 BC–1207 BC | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
