Near East Kingdoms

Bit Zamani (State) (Northern Mesopotamia)

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The city states of Sumer formed one of the first great civilisations in human history (see feature link). This Near Eastern civilisation emerged a little way ahead of that of Africa's ancient Egypt, and up to a millennium before that of the Indus Valley culture. It developed out of the end of the Pottery Neolithic across the Fertile Crescent, a period which had seen Neolithic Farmer practices spread far and wide across the Near East and beyond.

As irrigation improved so the more southerly reaches of the Euphrates could at last be occupied by humans and their animals. Southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and the western edge of Iran) was subjected to permanent settlement during the fifth and fourth millennia BC.

Sumer faded and ended by about 2004 BC, and Mesopotamia's history during the second millennium BC was chequered, with some key low points and one of several short dark age periods to end it. The early first millennium BC found a series of small cities and minor states across central northern Mesopotamia, all of which were threatened by Assyria's renewed empire-building activities.

The state of Bit Zamani was apparently settled by Aramaeans who flooded into the region during the Bronze Age collapse of the later thirteenth and early twelfth centuries BC. In fact it seems to have existed as a known district or region by the early 1200s BC. An Assyrian governor is noted there, but perhaps in reaction to the region being formed by Aramaeans.

Then it remained completely obscure until the start of the ninth century BC, although an eleventh century BC Assyrian reference mentions campaigning against Aramaeans of the general region, including those of the Tur Abdin mountains.

The state of Bit Zamani was itself located within the mountainous region of Tur Abdin, with the city of Amida at its core, otherwise shown as Amedi or Amedu, today's Diyarbakır in Turkey. It was one of the four Aramaean states to border Assyria, along with Bit-Halupe, Bit-Bahiani and Laqe. All of them were defeated and assimilated by Assyria.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from History of the Ancient Near East c.3000-323 BC, Marc van der Mieroop (Blackwell Publishing, 2004, 2007), from Historical Atlas of the Ancient World, 4,000,000 to 500 BC, John Heywood (Barnes & Noble, 2000), from Mesopotamia: Assyrians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Enrico Ascalone (Dictionaries of Civilizations 1, University of California Press, 2007), and from External Links: Ancient Worlds, and Ancient History, Anthony Michael Love (Sarissa.org), and Interactions between Assyria and Aramaeans: Bit Zamani and Assyria, Jeffrey Szuchman (Syria: Archaeology, Art, & History, pp 55-65).)

c.1270 BC

The first references to a political organisation to the north of Ashur in northern Mesopotamia comes when the Assyrians campaign to the north of Syria and encounter what they call the Nairi and Uruatri. Shalmaneser I and his son, Tukulti-Ninurta I, are primarily to blame.

While southern Mesopotamia flourished during the third millennium BC, it took longer for the same effect to be felt in northern Mesopotamia, with the first larger cities and city states only really emerging towards the end of the millennium (click or tap on map to view full sized)

The former conquers eight 'countries' to the north-west of Ashur and destroys their fortresses (which include that of Arina). In response these 'countries' begin to merge into a single kingdom which becomes known as Urartu.

An Assyrian governor is noted in nearby Bit Zamani around this time (early thirteenth century BC). The name may already reflect the formation of a tribal territory by encroaching Aramaeans, but no further details are available.

c.1200 - 900s BC

With political chaos engulfing Anatolia, Syria, and the Levant coast, and Assyria weakening, there is nothing to stop Aramaean tribes from migrating southwards and eastwards.

Over the course of the twelfth to ninth centuries BC they mount attacks which destroy cities such as Qatna and Qattara, take control of many established cities, and found small cities or states of their own, many of which become temporarily significant.

1000s BC

Aramaeans start to raid into northern Mesopotamia and south into Babylonia. One of their earliest states is Bit-Bahiani. The Assyrian king, Tiglath-Pileser I, has already been campaigning aggressively against them in an attempt to prevent them settling.

The modern site of Tell Halaf was, during its later existence, known as Guzana, also becoming the capital of the Aramaean kingdom of Bit-Bahiani, despite Assyrian attempts to prevent Aramaeans from settling in Mesopotamia and southern Syria

c.910 - 890 BC

Adad-Nirari of Assyria solves the Aramaean problem by conquering them at Nisbin and then marching down the Khabur valley to obtain submission from a series of Aramaean-controlled cities in Mesopotamia and Syria, including Alep (Lukhuti), Aram-Nahara'im, and Bit-Bahiani.

c.880s? BC

The Assyrians are becoming a dominant force in their region, so an attack on Nineveh may be an attempt to subjugate then and halt their expansion. Assyrian records also note the existence of Bit Zamani, which now appears in history after a long period of development.

fl c.880s - 879 BC

Ruler of Bit Zamani. Defeated by Assyria. Murdered.

Tukulti-Ninurta II of Assyria is victorious over Ammi-Ba'al of Bit-Zamani before agreeing a treay with him. As a result Bit-Zamani becomes little more than a vassal of Assyria. Ammi-Ba'al remains in command but has to support Tukulti-Ninurta during his military expeditions along the upper Tigris against Hurrians and Urartuans in Nairi.

Urartuan ivories were a prized luxury, and the two griffin-headed demons of white and black ivory pictured here perhaps were made to decorate a throne

c.879 BC

Usurper. Swiftly defeated by Assyria. Killed.

c.879 BC

Having been part of the coup which has murdered Ammi-Ba'al and replaced his governance, Bur-Ramman faces a near-immediate reaction from the late king's overlord, Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria. His rebellion and usurpation is quickly quashed and he is killed.

c.879 - 856? BC

Brother, appointed by Assyria. Later rebelled.

c.866 BC

Initially loyal to Assyria, Illan almost ends his career by rebelling. Ashurnasirpal attacks him at his fortress of Damdammusa and then at the capital of Amedu. The outcome is not known, but Illan seemingly retains his throne with renewed pledges of obedience to Assyria.

It was Ashurnasirpal II who undertook the expansion and recovery of Assyria following general social collapse and a short dark page period between about 1200-900 BC

c.856 BC

Shalmaneser III is on a military expedition when he takes direct control of the state of Bit Zamani. The king who is removed is not known by name - it may or may not be Ilan - and the state is annexed fully to Assyria, part of its province of Rabshakeh.

Under this status it is later known under a variety of names which include Amedu (former capital of Bit Zamani), Nairi, Sinabu, and Tushhan. Bit Zamani is sometimes the chief district within this province, as witnessed by the governor's title, and sometimes other districts are in the ascendancy.