Teglath-Phalasar III

Teglath-Phalasar III was king of Assyrie of 745 with 727 front J. - C. Its name, Tukultī-apil-Esharra , means “the heir to the Esharra is my help”.

Accession with the throne

Teglath-Phalasar probably goes up on the throne after a coup d'etat, with the favor of a revolt with Kalhu. The Assyrie leaves then a difficult period, which sees its shaken authority on all the sides, in particular to north under the action of the kingdom of Urartu. The preceding sovereigns, rather weak, have evil to deal with the influence of noble Assyrian having taken a great capacity, the such turtanu Shamshi-ilu.

Great victories

This new king proves as of the very energetic beginning, and one by one regulates all the problems to which then its kingdom faces. Its first countryside has as a framework the Babylonia, where it comes to assistance of the king Nabonassar, in difficulty vis-a-vis the Araméens and with the Chaldéens. It benefits from it to extend its territory in this direction. After this first success, it turns to Urartu. In 743, it gains in Commagène a brilliant victory against the king urartéen Sarduri II and its allies. The following years are devoted to the reconquest of the Syria North, to the nose and the beard of Sarduri, which foments unfruitful revolts. Teglath-Phalasar reinforces its border with Urartu, before launching in 735 an offensive in direction of this country, which does not reach the heart of the unfavourable kingdom but has the merit to calm the heats of its king. After a campaign in direction of the Iranian Plate, the Assyrian armies move towards Syria and the Palestine.

Teglath-Phalasar takes and appendix with its kingdom Gaza (734), Damas and subjects the majority of the local kingdoms. The last campaigns of this king are held in Babylonia, where the death of Nabonassar in 735 threw the country in the disorder, at the instigation of Chaldéens. Teglath-Phalasar overcomes their king Nabu-mukin-zeri and assembles on the throne of Babylon in 729, under the name of Pulû. Little before its death, it associates his/her son and successor indicated Salmanazar with the businesses of the kingdom and this one succeeds to him his death in 727.

The founder of the Assyrian Empire

In addition to the recovery of the situation of the Assyrie in a few years by its conquests, Teglath-Phalasar III also gives its structure to the Assyrian Empire. It changes the mode of domination of the kingdoms overcome by replacing the sovereign of certain areas annexed by an Assyrian governor. It proceeds thus to Arpad in 740, with the Unqi in 738, with Damas with 732, then finally with Babylon in 729, where it proclaims king, thus making begin a century from Assyrian domination in this country. It divides also certain provinces to reduce the authority of their Gouverneur. It preserves however certain kingdoms Vassaux if it sees an administrative and economic advantage there. It practices moreover large Déportation S of populations, to break the revolts in certain countries and to emphasize depopulated territories.

The army is reorganized to make it more effective: the command is entrusted to the Eunuque S, considered to be more faithful, and the armament and average logistics are improved. Teglath-Phalasar III the double also system of the Conscription by the creation of a professional army ( to kisir šarrūti ) made up of quotas taken in the peripheral provinces. It results a weakening of national cohesion from it. The Cavalerie develops with the detriment of the tanks, allowing operations in mountainous country. The infantry (Archer S, Piquier S), trained of quotas from abroad and provincial, will take an increasing importance and will make the army heavier and difficult to make operate in the presence of riders.

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