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Admin moved page Why Did Babylon Collapse in the Late Bronze Age? to Why Did Babylon Collapse in the Late Bronze Age
To keep cultural continuity in Babylon and no doubt to appear as legitimate rulers to non-Kassites, the Kassites continued the tradition of using the Sumerian and Akkadian languages in their inscriptions and religious rituals. <ref>Kuhrt, p. 338</ref> The Kassites, though, also offered an important linguistic innovation to Mesopotamia. The Kassites brought the dialect of Akkadian into Babylon which morphed into the “standard Babylonian” used by later groups such as the Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians. <ref> Mieroop, Marc van de. <i>A History of the Ancient Near East: ca. 3000-323 BC.</i> 2nd ed. (London: Blackwell, 2007), p. 177</ref>
====The Expansion of Kassite Power====
[[File: Amarnamap.png|300px|thumbnail|left|Map of the Most Powerful Near East Kingdom in the Late Bronze Age]]
As the Kassites pursued a policy of cultural continuity in Babylon, they embarked on an aggressive campaign of conquest throughout the rest of Mesopotamia. The Kassites actively consolidated their control of Mesopotamia through a combination of alliances, threats, and outright conquest if the first two methods were not effectiveineffective. The conquest of the Babylonia region was complete by 1460 BC, but began sometime toward the end of Burnaburiash I’s rule (reigned ca. 1530-1500 BC) after the Kassite king concluded a treaty with Puzur-Ashur III of Assyria. The Kassites then went on to conquer the southernmost part of Mesopotamia, known as the Sealand, during the reigns of Kashtiliashu III (ca. 1490 BC) and Agum III (ca. 1465 BC), <ref>Brinkman, p. 274</ref> which That left only the northernmost part of Mesopotamia – Assyria – out of their direct control. Once the Kassites had established control over most of Mesopotamia, they opened trade routes and diplomatic channels with the other great Near Eastern kingdoms.
Modern scholars consider Kassite Babylon to be one of the founding members of the Late Bronze Age “Great Powers of the Near East” club, which also included Egypt, Hatti, Mitanni, and after Mitanni collapsed, Assyria. From 1340-1230 BC most of Kassite Babylon’s major interactions were with the Hittites (Hatti), Assyrians, and Hurrians (Mitanni). The relationships between the Great Powers would ebb and flow, with enemies quickly turning to friends and vice versa. For instance, the Kassites usually had cordial trade relations with the faraway Egyptians, but perhaps sensing an opening, the Babylonian King Kadashman-Turgu (ruled ca. 1281-1264) offered to send Kassite troops to aid the Hittites in a war against the Egyptians. <ref>Brinkman, p. 276</ref> But Kassite Babylon’s biggest threat would always come from the north. Mitanni was in control of the region of Assyria for most of the fifteenth century BC, but in the fourteenth century the Assyrians rose up with the help of the Hittites and toppled the Kingdom of Mitanni for good. <ref> Brinkman, p. 275</ref> The Assyrians would prove to be a problem for all of the other kingdoms in the Near East, but non none more so than Kassite Babylon.
====The Collapse of Bronze Age Babylon====<dh-ad/>
As the Bronze Age drew to a close in the late thirteenth century BC, Kassite Babylon faced enemies on multiple sides. Just to Babylon’s east was the Kingdom of Elam, which although not in the Great Powers club, became just as prominent in the Late Bronze Age into the early Iron Age. Knowing that the Elamites would be difficult to counter militarily, especially with the threat of the Assyrians in the north, the Kassite kings began marrying Elamite princesses in the early thirteen century BC. <ref> Potts, D.T. “Elamites and Kassites in the Persian Gulf.” <i>Journal of Near Eastern Studies</i> 65 (2006) p. 117</ref> The diplomatic marriages, though, were not enough to stop the covetous desires of the Elamites, or other groups of peoples.
Babylon’s inland location prevented it from being overwhelmed by the Sea Peoples, but it was not enough to stop over wandering bands of bellicose peoples who were similarly traversing the Near East at the end of the Bronze Age. Waves of Aramaean raiders attacked Babylonia, inflicting heavy damage on the city in the twelfth century BC, softening it for the Assyrians and Elamites. <ref>Kuhrt, p. 379</ref>
By the time the Arameans had begun their raids on the territory of Babylonia, Kassite Babylon was already subordinate to the Assyrians. The Assyrian King Ashur-Uballit I (ruled 1363-1328 BC) helped put down a rebellion in Babylon during the rule of the ephemeral Karahadash (reigned 1333 BC) and then installed Kirgalzu II (ruled 1332-1308 BC) on the throne, effectively making Babylon a puppet of Assyria. The Babylonians, though, were still somewhat strong enough to place their own king, Kashtiliashu IV (reigned 1232-1225 BC) on the throne before the Assyrian King Tukulti-Ninurta I (ruled 1243-1207 BC) usurped him and placed Enlil-nadin-shumi (1224 BC) on the throne and then two of his successors. <ref>Potts, p. 117</ref> The Assyrian king decided to send a clear message to Babylon by destroying its walls and taking the sacred statue of Marduk back to Assyria.
“The wall of Babylon he destroyed, the Babylonians he put to the sword. The treasure of Esagila and Babylon he profanely brought forth and the great lord Marduk he removed from his abode and carried him off to Assyria. The rule (lit., way) of his governors he established in Karduniash (Babylonia). For seven years Tukulti-Urta ruled. Thereafter After that, the nobles of Akkad and of Karduniash revolted , and they set Adad-shum-usur on the throne of his father. As for Tukulti-Urta, who had brought evil upon Babylon, Assur-nasirpal, his son, and the nobles of Assyria, revolted and they cast him from his throne; in Kar-Tukulti-Urta they besieged him in his palace and slew him with the sword. For . . . six yearyears, until the time of Tukulti-Assur, Bel (Marduk) dwelt in Assyria; in the reign of Tukulti-Assur, Bel came (back) to Babylon.” <ref> Luckenbill, Daniel David, ed. and trans. <i> Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylon.</i> 2 volumes. (London: Histories and Mysteries of Man, 1989), p. 1:49-50 </ref>
Although the statue of Marduk was returned to Babylon, it would only be there less than 100 years. Around the year 1155 BC, the Elamites attacked Babylon from the southeast , and the Assyrian came from the north in a pincer movement that officially ended the Kassite Dynasty. The Marduk statue was taken to the Elamite capital of Susa and Babylon would be relegated to a second rate city. <ref> Brinkman, p. 277</ref> Babylon passed into Assyrian hands for about five hundred years until the Neo-Babylonian Dynasty brought the city back to its once great stature.
====Conclusion====
Babylon was one of the greatest cities of the Bronze Age Near East, reaching its peak of influence and power during the Kassite Dynasty. The Kassites accepted most of the previous religious and cultural traditions of Babylon and expanded their reach throughout the region through military and diplomatic endeavors. Eventually, though, Kassite Babylon suffered the same fate that the Hittites did at the end of the Bronze Age. Roving bands of Aramaean raiders, as well as more coordinated attacks by the Assyrians and Elamites ultimately proved to be fatal for Late Bronze Age Babylon.
====References====
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[[Category: Ancient History]] [[Category: Ancient Mesopotamian History]] [[Category: Bronze Age History]] [[Category: Late Bronze Age]] [[Category: Babylon]] [[Category:Wikis]]
