List of Assyrian

kings

The king of Assyria (Akkadian: šar māt Aššur),[1] called the governor or viceroy of Assyria
(Akkadian: Išši’ak Aššur)[2] in the Early and Old periods, was the ruler of the ancient
Mesopotamian kingdom of Assyria, which existed from approximately the 26th century BC to
the 7th century BC. All modern lists of Assyrian kings generally follow the Assyrian King List,
a list kept and developed by the ancient Assyrians themselves over the course of several
centuries. Though some parts of the list are probably fictional, the list accords well with
Hittite, Babylonian and ancient Egyptian king lists and with the archaeological record, and is
generally considered reliable for the age.
 King of Assyria

šar māt Aššur

Stele of Adad-nirari III, r.  811–783 BC

Details

First monarch Tudiya

(traditional)

Shalim-ahum

(earliest contemporarily attested)

Last monarch Ashur-uballit II

Formation c. 2450 BC

Abolition 609 BC

Appointer Divine right, hereditary

The ancient Assyrians did not believe that their king was divine himself, but saw their ruler as
the vicar of their principal deity, Ashur, and as his chief representative on Earth. In their
worldview, Assyria represented a place of order while lands not governed by the Assyrian king
(and by extension, the god Ashur) were seen as places of chaos and disorder. As such it was
seen as the king's duty to expand the borders of Assyria and bring order and civilization to
lands perceived as uncivilized.
Originally vassals of more powerful empires, the early Assyrian kings used the title governor
or viceroy (Išši’ak), which was retained as the ruling title after Assyria gained independence
due to the title of king (šar) being applied to the god Ashur. Later Assyrian kings, beginning
with Ashur-uballit I (14th century BC) adopted the title šar māt Aššur as their empire
expanded and later also adopted more boastful titles such as "king of Sumer and Akkad",
"king of the Universe" and "king of the Four Corners of the World", often to assert their control
over all of Mesopotamia.

The line of Assyrian kings ended with the defeat of Assyria's final king Ashur-uballit II by the
Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Median Empire in 609 BC, after which Assyria disappeared as
an independent political unit, never to rise again. The Assyrian people survived and remain as
an ethnic, linguistic, religious (most being Christians since the 1st–3rd centuries AD) and
cultural minority in the Assyrian homeland and elsewhere to this day.

Sources

Assyrian King List of the 7th century BC on a terracotta tablet, from Aššur, Iraq. Housed at the Museum of the
Ancient Orient, Istanbul.

Incomplete king-lists have been recovered from all three of the major ancient Assyrian
capitals (Aššur, Dur-Šarukkin and Nineveh). The three lists are largely consistent with each
other, all originally copies of a single original list, and are based on the yearly appointments of
limmu-officials (the eponymous officials for each year, appointed by the king to preside over
the celebration of the New Year festival). Because of the consistency between the list and the
method through which it was created, modern scholars usually accept the regnal years
mentioned as more or less correct. There are some differences between the copies of the
list, notably in that they offer somewhat diverging regnal years before the reign of king Ashur-
dan I of the Middle Assyrian Empire (reign beginning in 1178 BC). After 1178 BC, the lists are
identical in their contents.[3]
The king-lists mostly accord well with Hittite, Babylonian and ancient Egyptian king lists and
with the archaeological record, and are generally considered reliable for the age.[4] It is
however clear that parts of the list are fictional, as some known kings are not found on the
list and other listed kings are not independently verified.[5] Originally it was assumed that the
list was first written in the time of Shamshi-Adad I circa 1800 BC but it now is considered to
date from much later, probably from the time of Ashurnasirpal I (1050–1031 BC).[6] The
oldest of the surviving king-lists, List A (8th century BC) stops at Tiglath-Pileser II (c. 967–
935 BC) and the youngest, List C, stops at Shalmaneser V (727–722 BC).[7]

One problem that arises with the Assyrian King List is that the creation of the list may have
been more motivated by political interest than actual chronological and historical accuracy. In
times of civil strife and confusion, the list still adheres to a single royal line of descent,
probably ignoring rival claimants to the throne.[8] Additionally, there are some known
inconsistencies between the list and actual inscriptions by Assyrian kings, often regarding
dynastic relationships. For instance, Ashur-nirari II is stated by the list to be the son of his
predecessor Enlil-Nasir II, but from inscriptions it is known that he was actually the son of
Ashur-rabi I and brother of Enlil-Nasir.[9]

Titles

Text and seal of Shamash-shum-ukim, a Neo-Assyrian king of Babylon, featuring a depiction of the king fighting an
oryx antelope. Now housed in the British Museum.

Assyrian royal titles typically followed trends that had begun under the Akkadian Empire (c.
2334–2154 BC), the Mesopotamian civilization that preceded the later kingdoms of Assyria
and Babylon. When the Mesopotamian central government under the Third Dynasty of Ur (c.
2112–2004 BC) collapsed and polities that had once been vassals to Ur became
independent, many of the new sovereign rulers refrained from taking the title of king (šar),
instead applying that title to their principal deities (in the case of Assyria, Ashur). For this
reason, most of the Assyrian kings of the Old Assyrian period (c. 2025–1378 BC) used the
title Išši’ak Aššur, translating to "governor of Assyria".[10][2]

In contrast to the titles employed by the Babylonian kings in the south, which typically
focused on the protective role and the piety of the king, Assyrian royal inscriptions tend to
glorify the strength and power of the king.[11] Assyrian titularies usually also often emphasize
the royal genaeology of the king, something Babylonian titularies do not, and also drive home
the king's moral and physical qualities while downplaying his role in the judicial system.[12]
Assyrian epithets about royal lineage vary in how far they stretch back, most often simply
discussing lineage in terms of "son of ..." or "brother of ...". Some cases display lineage
stretching back much further, Shamash-shuma-ukin (r. 667–648 BC) describes himself as a
"descendant of Sargon II", his great-grandfather. More extremely, Esarhaddon (r. 681–669 BC)
calls himself a "descendant of the eternal seed of Bel-bani", a king who would have lived
more than a thousand years before him.[13]

Assyrian royal titularies were often changed depending on where the titles were to be
displayed, the titles of the same Assyrian king would have been different in their home
country of Assyria and in conquered regions. Those Neo-Assyrian kings who controlled the
city of Babylon used a "hybrid" titulary of sorts in the south, combining aspects of the
Assyrian and Babylonian tradition, similar to how the traditional Babylonian deities were
promoted in the south alongside the Assyrian main deity of Ashur.[12] The assumption of
many traditional southern titles, including the ancient "king of Sumer and Akkad" and the
boastful "king of the Universe" and "king of the Four Corners of the World", by the Assyrian
kings served to legitimize their rule and assert their control over Babylon and lower
Mesopotamia.[14] Epithets like "chosen by the god Marduk and the goddess Sarpanit" and
"favourite of the god Ashur and the goddess Mullissu", both assumed by Esarhaddon,
illustrate that he was both Assyrian (Ashur and Mullissu, the main pair of Assyrian deities)
and a legitimate ruler over Babylon (Marduk and Sarpanit, the main pair of Babylonian
deities).[15]

To examplify an Assyrian royal title from the time Assyria ruled all of Mesopotamia, the
titulature preserved in one of Esarhaddon's inscriptions read as follows[16]:

The great king, the mighty king, king of the Universe, king of Assyria,
viceroy of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, son of Sennacherib,
the great king, the mighty king, king of Assyria, grandson of Sargon,
the great king, the mighty king, king of Assyria; who under the
protection of Assur, Sin, Shamash, Nabu, Marduk, Ishtar of Nineveh,
 Ishtar of Arbela, the great gods, his lords, made his way from the
rising to the setting sun, having no rival.

Role of the Assyrian king

The Lion Hunt of Ashurbanipal, depicting the King Ashurbanipal (r. 668–631 BC) engaging in a ritual lion hunt, a sport
reserved for royalty and symbolically representing the king's duty to bring order to the world

Ancient Assyria was an absolute monarchy, with the king believed to be appointed directly
through divine right by the chief deity, Ashur.[17] The Assyrians believed that the king was the
link between the gods and the earthly realm. As such, it was the king's primary duty to
discover the will of the gods and enact this, often through the construction of temples or
waging war. To aid the king with this duty, there was a number of priests at the royal court
trained in reading and interpreting signs from the gods.[18]

The heartland of the Assyrian realm, Assyria itself, was thought to represent a serene and
perfect place of order whilst the lands governed by foreign powers were perceived as
infested with disorder and chaos.[17] The peoples of these "outer" lands were seen as
uncivilized, strange and as speaking strange languages.[19] Because the king was the earthly
link to the gods, it was his duty to spread order throughout the world through the military
conquest of these strange and chaotic countries.[17] As such, imperial expansion was not just
expansion for expansion's sake but was also seen as a process of bringing divine order and
destroying chaos to create civilization.[19]

There exists several ancient inscriptions in which the god Ashur explicitly orders kings to
extend the borders of Assyria. A text from the reign of Tukulti-Ninurta I (r. c. 1233–1197 BC)
states that the king received a royal scepter and was commanded to "broaden the land of
Ashur". A similar inscription from the reign of Ashurbanipal (r. 668–631 BC) commands the
king to "extend the land at his feet".[19]
The king was also tasked with protecting his own people, often being referred to as a
"shepherd". This protection included defending against external enemies and defending
citizens from dangerous wild animals. To the Assyrians, the most dangerous animal of all
was the lion, used (similarly to foreign powers) as an example of chaos and disorder due to
their aggressive nature. To prove themselves worthy of rule and illustrate that they were
competent protectors, Assyrian kings engaged in ritual lion hunts. Lion-hunting was reserved
for Assyrian royalty and was a public event, staged at parks in or near the Assyrian cities.[17]
In some cases, the hunt even took place with captive lions in an arena.[20]

Legitimacy

As opposed to some other ancient monarchies, such as ancient Egypt, the Assyrian king was
not believed to be divine himself, but was seen as divinely chosen and uniquely qualified for
the royal duties. Most kings stressed their legitimacy through their familial connections to
previous kings; a king was legitimate through his relation to the previous line of great kings
who had been chosen by Ashur. Usurpers who were unrelated to previous kings usually either
simply lied about being the son of some previous monarch or claimed that they had been
divinely appointed directly by Ashur.[19]

Two prominent examples of such usurpers are the kings Tiglath-Pileser III (r. 745–727 BC)
and Sargon II (r. 722–705 BC). The inscriptions of these kings completely lack any familial
references to previous kings, instead stressing that Ashur himself had appointed them
directly with phrases such as "Ashur called my name", "Ashur placed me on the throne" and
"Ashur placed his merciless weapon in my hand".[19]

Early Assyrian kings

As in the Sumerian king list, it is possible that some of the rulers listed below were
contemporaries rather than predecessors and successors of each other.[21] No dates are
provided by the Assyrian King List for kings preceding the Old Assyrian Empire, making the
lengths of the reigns of these kings (many of which may not have existed at all) unknown.[3]

"Kings who lived in tents"

Approximate political map of the Ancient Near East c. 2500 BC

The intention of the author of the list, describing the first (probably all fictional, note the
rhyming names) seventeen kings as "kings who lived in tents", was probably to indicate them
as nomadic kings of the Assyrians.[3] Considering them "living in tents", these rulers (if they
were real in the first place) probably did not govern the actual city of Aššur itself.[21] It is
possible that the conclusion of this section on the king list would have indicated an end of
the nomadic period of Assyrian history and the foundation of Aššur.[22] The sixteenth king,
Ushpia, was designated by later Assyrians as the founder of the temple dedicated to Ashur in
Aššur.[22]
 Name Ref

Tudiya
[3][23]
Tūdīja

Adamu
[3][23]
Adāmu

Yangi
[3][23]
Jangi

Suhlamu
[3][23]
Suḫlāmu

Harharu
[3][23]
Ḫarḫaru

Mandaru
[3][23]
Mandāru

Imsu
[3][23]
Imṣu

Harsu
[3][23]
Ḫarṣu

Didanu
[3][23]
Didānu

Hana
[3][23]
Ḫanû

Zuabu
[3][23]
Zuabu

Nuabu
[3][23]
Nuabu

Abazu
[3][23]
Abāzu

Belu
[3][23]
Bēlû

Azarah
[3][23]
Azaraḫ

Ushpia
[3][23]
Ušpia

"Kings who were ancestors"

The meaning of "kings who were ancestors" is unclear, this section is also the only section of
the Assyrian king list to be written in reverted order for reasons unknown. The list mentions
"ten kings who were ancestors" but includes the final king of the "kings who lived in tents",
Apiashal, as one of them, possibly an error.[3] To avoid repetition, Apiashal has been left out
of the previous section in this list.

Name Succession & notes Ref

Apiashal
[3][23]
Son of Ushpia
Apiašal

Hale
[3][23]
Son of Apiashal
Ḫalê

Samani
[3][23]
Son of Hale
Samānu

Hayani
[3][23]
Son of Samani
Ḫajjāni

Ilu-Mer
[3][23]
Son of Hayani
Ilī-Mēr

Yakmesi
[3][23]
Son of Ilu-Mer
Jakmesi

Yakmeni
[3][23]
Son of Yakmesi
Jakmeni

Yazkur-el
[3][23]
Son of Yakmeni
Jazkur-il

Ila-kabkabu
[3][23]
Son of Yazkur-el
Ila-kabkabū

Aminu
[3][23]
Son of Ila-kabkabu
Aminu

"Kings named on bricks whose eponyms are unknown"

The kings listed in this section would probably have been early rulers of Aššur.[7] King Kikkia
is mentioned by later kings as having restored the inner city wall of Aššur.[24] In addition to
the three kings listed here, three further kings are listed as "kings named on bricks whose
eponyms are unknown" in the Assyrian king list,[7] but they are in this list presented in the
following section due to their dynastic relationship to later kings.
 Name Succession & notes Ref

Sulili
[3][23]
Son of Aminu
Sulili

Kikkia
[3][23]
Unclear succession
Kīkkia

Akiya
[3][23]
Unclear succession
Akīa

Old Assyrian kings (c. 2025–1366/1353 BC)

Dynasty of Puzur-Ashur

Approximate political map of the Ancient Near East c. 1900 BC

The period beginning with Puzur-Ashur I's reign is sometimes referred to as the Dynasty of
Puzur-Ashur.[25] Puzur-Ashur's line saw the beginning of true Akkadian names in the Assyrian
royal line as opposed to earlier names which may have corresponded closer to Hurrian
names.[21]
 Name Succession & notes Ref

Puzur-Ashur I
[3]
Unclear succession
Puzur-Aššur

Shalim-ahum
[3]
Son of Puzur-Ashur I
Šallim-aḫḫe

Ilu-shuma
[3]
Son of Shalim-ahum
Ilu-šūma

Erishum I
[3]
Son of Ilu-shuma
Erišum

Ikunum
[3]
Son of Ilu-shuma
Ikūnum

Sargon I
[3]
Son of Ikunum
Šarru-ukīn

Puzur-Ashur II
[3]
Son of Sargon I
Puzur-Aššur

Naram-Sin
[3]
Son of Puzur-Ashur II
Narām Sîn

Erishum II
[3]
Son of Naram-Sin
Erišum

Dynasty of Shamshi-Adad

Approximate extent of Shamshi-Adad I's empire upon his death

Also referred to as the period of Amorite domination over Assyria.[26]

 Name Succession & notes Ref

Shamshi-Adad I
[3]
Usurper, possibly a descendant of Sulili
Šam-ši-Adad

Ishme-Dagan I
[3]
Son of Shamshi-Adad I
Išme-Dagān

Mut-Ashkur
[3][27]
Son of Ishme-Dagan I
Mut-Aškur

Rimush
Unclear relation, descendant of Shamshi- [3][27]
Rimuš Adad I

Asinum [3][27]
Grandson of Shamshi-Adad I
Asīnum

Seven usurpers

After the end of Shamshi-Adad's dynasty, seven competing claimants reigned for a total of
just six years. Ashur-dugul appears to have ruled throughout most of the period, making the
extent of the rule of the other usurpers unclear.[28]

Name Succession & notes Ref

Ashur-dugul
[3][27]
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings
Aššur-dugul

Ashur-apla-idi
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings, extent of [3][27]
Aššur-apla-iddina rule unclear

Nasir-Sin
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings, extent of [3][27]
Nāsir Sîn rule unclear

Sin-namir
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings, extent of [3][27]
Sîn-nāmir rule unclear

Ipqi-Ishtar
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings, extent of [3][27]
Ipqi-Ištar rule unclear

Adad-salulu
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings, extent of [3][27]
Adad-salulu rule unclear

Adasi
Usurper, unrelated to previous kings, extent of [3][27]
Adasi rule unclear

Adaside dynasty (c. 1700/1680–722 BC)

Approximate political map of the Ancient Near East c. 1700 BC

Approximate political map of the Ancient Near East c. 1600 BC

The Adasides ruled Assyria from the middle of the Old Assyrian period to the dynasty's fall
(and replacement by the Sargonid dynasty) in the middle of the Neo-Assyrian period, ruling
for nearly a thousand years.[29] From this section and onwards, the list records the dates of
royal reigns in both the Middle chronology (indicated with MC) and Short chronology
(indicated with SC), competing chronologies of ancient Mesopotamian history. The Middle
Chronology tends to be favored by modern researchers.[30][31][32]
 Name Reign Succession & notes Ref

Bel-bani
1700 – 1691 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Adasi
Bēlu-bāni 1680 – 1671 BC (SC)

Libaya
1690 – 1674 BC (MC) Son of Bel-bani or [3][27]
Libaia 1670 – 1654 BC (SC) Adasi

Sharma-Adad I
1673 – 1662 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Libaya or Adasi
Šarma-Adad 1653 – 1642 BC (SC)

Iptar-Sin
1661 – 1650 BC (MC) Son of Sharma-Adad I [3][27]
Ib-Tar-Sîn 1641 – 1630 BC (SC) or Adasi

Bazaya
1649 – 1622 BC (MC) Son of Iptar-Sin or Bel- [3][27]
Bāzāiu 1629 – 1602 BC (SC) bani

Lullaya
1621 – 1616 BC (MC) Usurper, unrelated to [3][27]
Lulāiu 1601 – 1596 BC (SC) the Adaside dynasty

Shu-Ninua
1615 – 1602 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Bazaya
Šu-Ninua 1596 – 1583 BC (SC)

Sharma-Adad II
1601 – 1598 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Shu-Ninua
Šarma-Adad 1582 – 1580 BC (SC)

Erishum III
1598 – 1586 BC (MC) Son or brother of [3][27][33]
Erišum 1579 – 1567 BC (SC) Sharma-Adad II

Shamshi-Adad II
1585 – 1580 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Erishum III
Šam-ši-Adad 1567 – 1561 BC (SC)

Ishme-Dagan II
1580 – 1564 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Shamshi-Adad II
Išme-Dagān 1561 – 1545 BC (SC)

Shamshi-Adad III
1564 – 1548 BC (MC) Nephew of Sharma- [3][27][33]
Šam-ši-Adad 1545 – 1529 BC (SC) Adad II

Ashur-nirari I
1548 – 1522 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Ishme-Dagan II
Aššur-nārāri 1529 – 1503 BC (SC)

Puzur-Ashur III
1522 – 1498 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Ashur-nirari I
Puzur-Aššur 1503 – 1479 BC (SC)

Enlil-nasir I
1498 – 1485 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Puzur-Ashur III
Enlīl-nāsir 1479 – 1466 BC (SC)

Nur-ili
1485 – 1473 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Enlil-nasir I
Nur-ili 1466 – 1454 BC (SC)
[3][27]
Ashur-shaduni
1473 BC (MC)
Son of Nur-ili
 Aššur-šaddûni 1454 BC (SC)

Son of Enlil-nasir I,
Ashur-rabi I
1473 – 1433 BC (MC) [3][27]
usurped the throne
Aššur-rabi 1453 – 1435 BC (SC)
from Ashur-shaduni

Ashur-nadin-ahhe I
1433 BC (MC)
[3][27]
Son of Ashur-rabi I
Aššur-nādin-ahhē 1435 – 1420 BC (SC)

Son of Ashur-rabi I,
Enlil-nasir II
1433 – 1427 BC (MC) usurped the throne [3][27]
Enlīl-nāsir 1420 – 1414 BC (SC) from Ashur-nadin-ahhe
I

Ashur-nirari II
1427 – 1420 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Ashur-rabi I
Aššur-nārāri 1414 – 1407 BC (SC)

Ashur-bel-nisheshu
1420 – 1411 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Ashur-nirari II
Aššūr-bēl-nīšēšu 1407 – 1398 BC (SC)

Ashur-rim-nisheshu
1411 – 1403 BC (MC) [3][27]
Son of Ashur-nirari II
Aššūr-rā’im-nīšēšu 1398 – 1390 BC (SC)

Ashur-nadin-ahhe II
1403 – 1393 BC (MC) Son of Ashur-rim- [3][27][33]
Aššur-nādin-ahhē 1390 – 1380 BC (SC) nisheshu

Son of Ashur-bel-
Eriba-Adad I
1393 – 1366 BC (MC) [3][27][33]
nisheshu or Ashur-rim-
Erība-Adad 1380 – 1353 BC (SC)
nisheshu

Middle Assyrian kings (1365/1353–912 BC)

Adaside dynasty (continued)

The territory of the Middle Assyrian Empire in the 13th to 11th centuries BC
 Name Reign Succession & notes Ref

1365 – 1330 BC
Ashur-uballit I
[3][34]
(MC)
Son of Eriba-Adad I
Aššur-uballiṭ
1353 – 1318 BC (SC)

1329 – 1320 BC
Enlil-nirari
[3][34]
(MC)
Son of Ashur-uballit I
Enlīl-nārāri
1317 – 1308 BC (SC)

1319 – 1308 BC
Arik-den-ili
[3][34]
(MC)
Son of Enlil-nirari
Arīk-den-ili
1307 – 1296 BC (SC)

1307 – 1275 BC
Adad-nirari I
[3][34]
(MC)
Son of Arik-den-ili
Adad-nārārī
1295 – 1264 BC (SC)

1274 – 1245 BC
Shalmaneser I
[3][34]
(MC)
Son of Adad-nirari I
Salmānu-ašarēd
1263 – 1234 BC (SC)

1244 – 1208 BC
Tukulti-Ninurta I
[3][34]
(MC)
Son of Shalmaneser I
Tukultī-Ninurta
1233 – 1197 BC (SC)

1207 – 1204 BC Son of Tukulti-Ninurta I,

Ashur-nadin-apli
[3][34]
(MC)
usurped the throne
Aššūr-nādin-apli
1196 – 1194 BC (SC) from his father

1203 – 1198 BC
Ashur-nirari III
Son or nephew of [3][34]
(MC)

Aššur-nārāri Ashur-nadin-apli
1193 – 1188 BC (SC)

1197 – 1193 BC Son of Tukulti-Ninurta I,

Enlil-kudurri-usur
[3][34]
(MC)
usurped the throne
Enlilbe-kudúr-uṣur
1187 – 1183 BC (SC) from Ashur-nirari III

Descendant of Adad-
1192 – 1180 BC
Ninurta-apal-Ekur
nirari I, usurped the [3][34]
(MC)

Ninurta-apal-ekur throne from Enlil-

1182 – 1180 BC (SC)
kudurri-usur

Ashur-dan I
1179 – 1134 BC Son of Ninurta-apal- [3][34]

Aššur-dān Ekur, regnal dates from

Ashur-dan I onwards
 are consistent in all
chronologies

Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur
[3][34]
1133 BC Son of Ashur-dan I
Ninurta-tukultī-Aššur

Son of Ashur-dan I,
Mutakkil-nusku
usurped the throne [3][34]
1133 BC
Mutakkil-nusku from Ninurta-tukulti-
Ashur

Ashur-resh-ishi I
[3][34]
1132 – 1115 BC Son of Mutakkil-nusku
Aššur-rēša-iši

Tiglath-Pileser I
[3][34]
1114 – 1076 BC Son of Ashur-resh-ishi I
Tukultī-apil-Ešarra

Asharid-apal-Ekur
[3][34]
1075 – 1074 BC Son of Tiglath-Pileser I
Ašarēd-apil-Ekur

Ashur-bel-kala
[3][34]
1073 – 1056 BC Son of Tiglath-Pileser I
Aššūr-bēl-kala

Eriba-Adad II
[3][34]
1055 – 1054 BC Son of Ashur-bel-kala
Erība-Adad

Son of Tiglath-Pileser I,
Shamshi-Adad IV
[34]
1053 – 1050 BC usurped the throne
Šam-ši-Adad
from Eriba-Adad II

Ashurnasirpal I
Son of Shamshi-Adad [3][34]
1049 – 1031 BC
Aššur-nāṣir-apli IV

Shalmaneser II
[3]
1030 – 1019 BC Son of Ashurnasirpal I
Salmānu-ašarēd

Ashur-nirari IV
[3]
1018 – 1013 BC Son of Shalmaneser II
Aššur-nārāri

Ashur-rabi II
[3]
1012 – 972 BC Son of Ashurnasirpal I
Aššur-rabi

Ashur-resh-ishi II
[3]
971 – 967 BC Son of Ashur-rabi II
Aššur-rēša-iši

Tiglath-Pileser II
[3]
967 – 935 BC Son of Ashur-resh-ishi II
Tukultī-apil-Ešarra

Ashur-dan II
[3]
935 – 912 BC Son of Tiglath-Pileser II
Aššur-dān
 Neo-Assyrian kings (912–609 BC)

Adaside dynasty (continued)

Territory and expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the reign of Ashurnasirpal II

Territory and expansion of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in the reign of Shalmaneser III

The Neo-Assyrian Empire in the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III

 Image Name Reign Succession & notes Ref

Adad-nirari II
[3]
— 912 – 891 BC Son of Ashur-dan II
Adad-nārārī

Tukulti-Ninurta II
[3][35]
— 891 – 884 BC Son of Adad-nirari II
Tukultī-Ninurta

Ashurnasirpal II
Son of Tukulti-Ninurta [3][35]
884 – 859 BC
Aššur-nāṣir-apli II

Shalmaneser III
Son of Ashurnasirpal [3][35]
859 – 824 BC
Salmānu-ašarēd II

Shamshi-Adad V
Son of Shalmaneser [3][35]
824 – 811 BC
Šam-ši-Adad III

Adad-nirari III
Son of Shamshi-Adad [3][35]
811 – 783 BC
Adad-nārārī V

Shalmaneser IV
[3][35]
— 783 – 773 BC Son of Adad-nirari III
Salmānu-ašarēd

Ashur-dan III
[3][35]
— 773 – 755 BC Son of Adad-nirari III
Aššur-dān

Ashur-nirari V
[3][35][36]
— 755 – 745/744 BC Son of Adad-nirari III
Aššur-nārāri

Tiglath-Pileser III
Son of Adad-nirari III [3][37][38][36][39]
745 – 727 BC
Tukultī-apil-Ešarra or Ashur-nirari V

Shalmaneser V
Son of Tiglath-Pileser [3][35]
727 – 722 BC
Salmānu-ašarēd III

Sargonid dynasty (722–609 BC)

The Neo-Assyrian Empire at the apex of its power in 671 BC, in the reign of Esarhaddon
Image Name Reign Succession & notes Ref

Claimed to be the son

Sargon II
of Tiglath-Pileser III, [3][35][40]
722 – 705 BC
Šarru-kīn usurped the throne
from Shalmaneser V

Sennacherib
[3][35]
705 – 681 BC Son of Sargon II
Sîn-aḥḥē-erība

Esarhaddon
[3][35]
681 – 669 BC Son of Sennacherib
Aššur-aḫa-iddina

Ashurbanipal
[41][42]
669 – 631 BC Son of Esarhaddon
Aššur-bāni-apli

Ashur-etil-ilani
[42]
— 631 – 627 BC Son of Ashurbanipal
Aššur-etel-ilāni

Sinsharishkun
[42]
— 627 – 612 BC Son of Ashurbanipal
Sîn-šar-iškun

General of Ashur-etil-
ilani, rebelled against
Sin-shumu-lishir
[43]
626 BC Sinsharishkun and
Sîn-šumu-līšir
attempted to claim the
throne for himself

Unclear relation,
Ashur-uballit II
[44][45]
— 612 – 609 BC possibly the son of
Aššur-uballiṭ
Sinsharishkun

See also

List of kings of Babylon – for the Babylonian kings

List of Mesopotamian dynasties – for other dynasties and kingdoms in ancient

Mesopotamia

Sumerian King List – for legendary and historical Sumerian kings, rulers of Mesopotamia
before the Assyrians and Babylonians
 Adiabene – a later Assyrian/Syriac kingdom from 15 to 116 AD

Osroene – a later Assyrian/Syriac kingdom from 132 BC to 214 AD, ruled by kings of Arabic
origin

References

Citations
1. Karlsson 2017, p. 2. 24. Lewy 1966, p. 21.

2. Liverani 2013. 25. Roux 1994, p. 543.

3. Assyrian King List. 26. Dumbrill 2015, p. 97.

4. Rowton 1970, pp. 194–195. 27. Ancient Egypt and Archaeology.

5. La Boda 1994, p. 89. 28. Radner 1998, p. 179.

6. Azize 1998, p. 1–27. 29. Veenhof & Eidem 2008, p. 24.

7. Meissner 1990, p. 101–102. 30. Kuhrt 1997, p. 12.

8. Hagens 2005, p. 24. 31. Mieroop 2015, p. 4.

9. Hagens 2005, p. 27. 32. Sagona & Zimansky 2009, p. 251.

10. Hallo 1980, p. 193. 33. Newgrosh 1999, p. 80.

11. Stevens 2014, p. 73. 34. Kuhrt 1995, p. 351.

12. Karlsson 2017, p. 1. 35. Manser & Reid 2012, p. 114.

13. Karlsson 2017, p. 12. 36. Davenport 2016, pp. 37–41.

14. Soares 2017, p. 21. 37. Frye, Wolfram & Dietz 2016.

15. Soares 2017, p. 28. 38. Radner 2016, p. 47.

16. Luckenbill 1927, p. 211. 39. Garelli 1991, p. 46.

17. British Museum. 40. Mark 2014.

18. Melville 2016, pp. 219–229. 41. Lipschits 2005, p. 15.

19. Parker 2011, pp. 357–386. 42. Na’aman 1991, p. 243.

20. Reade 1998b, pp. 72–79. 43. Lipschits 2005, p. 13.

21. Roux 1994, p. 187. 44. Reade 1998, p. 260.

22. Rowton 1970, pp. 202–204. 45. Radner 2019, pp. 135–141.

23. Glassner 2004, p. 137.

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