HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE ASSYRIAN STATE

Abstract

The Assyrian Empire (2500–605 BC) was an ancient empire located in Mesopotamia, on the borders of present-day northern Iraq and Syria. Independent city-states formed around the city of Ashur in the 3rd millennium BC and began to unite as a centralized state in the 2nd millennium BC. Assyria, distinguished by its military reforms, use of iron weapons, and efficient administrative system, became a major empire in the Middle East in the 9th–7th centuries BC. This article provides a scholarly overview of the stages of the formation, socio-political structure, and regional influence of the Assyrian Empire.