- Flourished:
- 8th century bc
- Flourished:
- c.800 BCE - c.701 BCE
- Title / Office:
- king (744BC-727BC), Assyria
Tiglath-pileser III
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Who was Tiglath-pileser III?
Tiglath-pileser III, who flourished in the 8th century BC, was the king of Assyria from 745–727 BC and initiated the final and most remarkable era of Assyrian expansion. He brought Syria and Palestine under his control. Later, in 729 or 728 BC, he united the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylonia. Before becoming king, Assyria had been politically and militarily weak. In 745 BC, a rebellion brought Tiglath-pileser III to power, and he reorganized territorial governorships and appointed Assyrian officials to oversee local rulers. His military campaigns included victories against Urartu and its allies in 743 BC. He also skillfully managed affairs in Syria and Palestine, isolating Damascus and securing tribute from various cities and regions.
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When did Tiglath-pileser III rule Assyria?
Tiglath-pileser III reigned as king of Assyria from 745 to 727 BCE, inaugurating the empire's final and greatest expansion phase. Prior to his rule, Assyria had been politically and militarily weak since the reign of Adad-nirari III (810–783 BCE). In 745 BCE, Tiglath-pileser III rose to power by rebelling against the weak King Ashur-nirari V. He subjected Syria and Palestine to Assyrian rule. In 729 or 728 BCE, he merged the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylonia. He died shortly after, having set Assyria on the road it was to follow to its end.
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What changes did Tiglath-pileser III bring to the Assyrian army?
Tiglath-pileser III brought significant changes to the Assyrian army. He transformed it into a skilled, professional fighting force, a departure from the somewhat haphazard conscription methods used before his rule.
To support this new army, Tiglath-pileser III implemented reforms such as creating new territorial governorships and an intelligence system to ensure the army's efficiency and loyalty. He also resettled groups in troublesome border regions to ensure loyalty and dependence on the king.
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How did Tiglath-pileser III expand the Assyrian Empire?
Tiglath-pileser III, king of Assyria (745–727 bc), initiated Assyria's greatest expansion phase by subjecting Syria and Palestine to his rule. He reorganized governorships, dividing larger provinces and appointing Assyrian officials answerable to him, ensuring the loyalty of civil servants.
Tiglath-pileser resettled groups in troublesome border regions to assure loyalty and moved against tribes, then against the Urartian ruler Sarduri II, whom he defeated in 743 bc. His strategy in Syria and Palestine involved bypassing Damascus, securing coastal cities, and cutting off Egyptian supplies. By 734 bc, he had sealed the Egyptian border, receiving tribute from Ammon, Edom, and Moab. Ultimately, Tiglath-pileser took the throne of Babylon in 729–728 bc.
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Why is Tiglath-pileser III considered an important ruler in Assyrian history?
Tiglath-pileser III, who reigned as king of Assyria from 745 to 727 BCE, is considered an important ruler because he initiated the final and most expansive phase of Assyrian growth. He brought Syria and Palestine under his control and later united Assyria and Babylonia.
Tiglath-pileser III was an intelligent and vigorous leader who acted swiftly to consolidate power. He divided larger provinces into smaller, more manageable governorships and appointed Assyrian officials to oversee local rulers, ensuring their loyalty and efficiency. His military campaigns broke the stranglehold of surrounding tribes, and his policy of mass resettlement helped to secure troublesome border regions. He defeated the Urartian ruler Sarduri II and his allies, and his handling of affairs in Syria and Palestine demonstrated his skill in diplomacy and military strategy.
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What impact did Tiglath-pileser III have on future empires in the region?
Tiglath-pileser III, who reigned as king of Assyria from 745 to 727 BC, implemented significant administrative, military, and political changes that had a lasting impact on future empires in the region.
He reorganized territorial governorships by subdividing larger provinces and appointing Assyrian officials responsible directly to him, ensuring the loyalty and efficiency of civil servants. Tiglath-pileser III transformed the Assyrian army into a skilled, professional fighting force, facilitating military campaigns and expanding Assyrian control. His policy of mass resettlement involved settling loyal groups in troublesome border regions, maintaining control and order. These strategies enabled him to break the stranglehold of surrounding tribes and exert influence over Syria and Palestine.
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Tiglath-pileser III (flourished 8th century bc) was the king of Assyria (745–727 bc) who inaugurated the last and greatest phase of Assyrian expansion. He subjected Syria and Palestine to his rule, and later (729 or 728) he merged the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylonia.
Rise to power.
Since the days of Adad-nirari III (reigned 810–783 bc) Assyria had been politically and militarily weak, for its northern neighbour, Urartu, dominated the states controlling its principal trade routes to the Mediterranean and to the Iranian plateau. Some portions of the empire had ceased to pay the tribute required by treaties. In the spring of 745 bc a rebellion against the weak king Ashur-nirari V, a son of Adad-nirari III, brought a new ruler, who was then governor of Calah, to power. This new ruler assumed the throne name of Tiglath-pileser in what may have been a deliberate reference to an illustrious forebear, Tiglath-pileser I (reigned c. 1115–c. 1077 bc).
As king, Tiglath-pileser III, an intelligent and vigorous man, acted swiftly. He rearranged territorial governorships by subdividing the larger provinces that had tended to strive for independence from the central power. Outside the immediate home territory he appointed Assyrian officials to be directly responsible to him as well as to support their local ruler. By 738 there were 80 such provinces. The Assyrians had to report directly to the king, who thus was able to check continuously on the loyalty and efficiency of all of his civil servants. They were responsible for local taxation, the storage of military supplies, and the calling up of local forces to support the new Assyrian army, now a skilled professional force compared with its predecessor, which had relied on somewhat haphazard conscription. A new intelligence system, using reports transmitted by staging posts, was also created.
Military campaigns.
Tiglath-pileser was thus prepared to break the stranglehold of the surrounding tribes. He first moved eastward against Zamua (modern Sulaymānīyah), then north against the Medes. Both were brought back under control of the adjacent provincial governors. The tribal lands of Puqudu, northeast of Baghdad, were joined to the Arrapkha (Kirkūk) province, thereby holding the Aramaean tribes in check. This and contiguous operations strengthened the hands of Nabonassar, the native king of Babylonia, who maintained peace until his death in 734. All this was facilitated by Tiglath-pileser’s policy of mass resettlement. Groups whose loyalty was assured, since they were now dependent on the king for protection in a foreign environment, were settled in troublesome border regions. In 742–741 alone, tens of thousands were thus resettled.
Tiglath-pileser next attacked the Urartian ruler Sarduri II and his neo-Hittite and Aramaean allies, whom he defeated in 743 bc. Advance westward was, however, barred by the capital of Arpad, which had to be besieged for three years—a technique now feasible to a standing army. The victory in 741 was far-reaching, as noted in the Bible (Isaiah 37:13), and was to stem the barbarian pressures from the north that, after Tiglath-pileser, were to threaten civilizations throughout the area. Tribute was brought to him at Arpad from Damascus, Tyre, Cilicia, and other cities and regions.
The Assyrian king’s skill is best seen in his handling of affairs in Syria and Palestine. From an independent military headquarters he bypassed the rebels’ ringleader at Damascus, won over most coastal cities, cut off supplies of timber from Egypt, and sent a force to Ashkelon and Gaza. In 734 the border with Egypt was sealed. The tribes of Ammon, Edom, and Moab, who, with Israel, had attacked Ahaz of Judah—a vassal of Assyria—now had to pay tribute. Over the next two years Tiglath-pileser systematically broke the power of Damascus. Israel was made subject through the assassination of Pekah (Pakaha) and his replacement by a pro-Assyrian vassal Hoshea (Ausi). Galilee was made part of an adjacent province.
The Assyrian sensed that these rebels were encouraged by Ukin-zer, the Chaldean chief who, in 734, had seized the throne of Babylon. Using consummate diplomacy, Tiglath-pileser sowed discord among other Aramaean tribes, one of whose chiefs he won over. His strategy now paid off. He could move the Assyrian army through areas held by loyal governors or vassals east of the Tigris. One force seized Babylon and another the rebel stronghold of Sapia. It proved a fitting culmination that in 729–728 Tiglath-pileser himself took over the throne of Babylon using his personal (or perhaps Babylonian) name of Pulu (II Kings 15:19; I Chronicles 5:26). He died soon afterward, having set Assyria on the road it was to follow to its end.
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