Shalmaneser I (𒁹𒀭𒁲𒈠𒉡𒊕
md''sál-ma-nu-SAG'' ''Salmanu-ašared''; 1273–1244 BC or 1265–1235 BC) was a king of
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
during the
Middle Assyrian Empire
The Middle Assyrian Empire was the third stage of Assyrian history, covering the history of Assyria from the accession of Ashur-uballit I 1363 BC and the rise of Assyria as a territorial kingdom to the death of Ashur-dan II in 912 BC. ...
. He was the son and successor of
Adad-nirari I.
Reign
Year 1: According to his annals, discovered at
Assur, in his first year he conquered eight countries in the northwest and destroyed the fortress of
Arinnu, the dust of which he brought to Assur.
Year 2: In his second year he defeated
Shattuara, king of
Hanilgalbat (
Mitanni
Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...
), and his
Hittite and
Ahlamu allies.
He incorporated the remains of the
Mittanni kingdom as part of one of the Assyrian provinces. Shalmaneser I also claimed to have
blinded 14,400 enemy prisoners in one eye. He was one of the first Assyrian kings who was known to deport his defeated enemies to various lands rather than simply slaughtering them all.
He conquered the whole country from
Taidu to
Irridu, from Mount Kashiar to Eluhat, and from the fortresses of Sudu and Harranu to
Carchemish on the
Euphrates
The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...
. He built palaces at
Assur and
Nineveh
Nineveh ( ; , ''URUNI.NU.A, Ninua''; , ''Nīnəwē''; , ''Nīnawā''; , ''Nīnwē''), was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul (itself built out of the Assyrian town of Mepsila) in northern ...
, restored the "world-temple" at Assur (Ehursagkurkurra), and founded the city of
Kalhu (the biblical
Calah/
Nimrud
Nimrud (; ) is an ancient Assyrian people, Assyrian city (original Assyrian name Kalḫu, biblical name Calah) located in Iraq, south of the city of Mosul, and south of the village of Selamiyah (), in the Nineveh Plains in Upper Mesopotamia. ...
).
He was succeeded by his son
Tukulti-Ninurta I.
Annual
limmu officials beginning with the year of accession of Šulmanu-ašared. The list is partly derived from Freydank and McIntyre.
Eponyms of Shalmaneser 1 – Summary
/ref> The exact order of the earliest limmus is conjectural but the ordering from Šerriya onwards is essentially fixed.
Notes
Sources
* Dönbaz, Veysel, and Grant, Frame (1983).
The building activities of Shalmaneser I in Northern Mesopotamia
. ''Annual Review of the Royal Inscriptions of Mesopotamia Project'' 1 (1983): 1–5.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shalmaneser 01
13th-century BC Assyrian kings
13th-century BC deaths
Year of birth unknown