Turtanu

The word 'Turtanu' is an Akkadian word/title meaning 'commander in chief'[1] or 'prime minister'. The turtanu was not however the king of the entire Assyrian empire but rather a second in command. The Assyrian king would assign the individual who was turtanu to go to battle for him,[2] thus giving great power and influence to the turtanu.

Turtanu Examples

Dayyan-Assur was turtanu under the reign of Shalmaneser III (859-824BC). Dayyan-Assur led campaigns in lieu of Shalmaneser III who gave him power over the Assyrian army. These campaigns took the Assyrian army and influence into the Zagros, where encounters with future opponents the Medes and Manneans.[3] Another example of a turtanu was Shamshi-ilu. He was the Assyrian military commander under Adad-Nirari III (811-783BC) and later Shalmaneser IV (783-773) as well as others. He appears to have been of Bit-Adini descent, a province annexed by Assyria some time before. He led a campaign against the Argishti I of Urartu.[4]

Influence of Turtanu

The position of turtanu led to a decline of centralized power in Assyria. Shamshi-ilu for example, who was turtanu during four kings reigns, and was one of if not the most powerful individual in Assyria at the time (8th century BC), began to lead out his own campaigns without the sanction of the king. Shamshi-ilu was based out of Kar-Shalmaneser and began campaigning for his own kingdom west of the Euphrates.[5] These campaigns led to greater power held by Shamshi-ilu and a fragmentary Assyria.

References
  1. Van De Mierroop, Marc (2007). A history of the ancient Near East, ca 3000-323 B.C. (2 ed.). Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing. p. 242. ISBN 978-1-4051-4911-2.
  2. Yamada, Shiego. "The Construction of the Assyrian Empire: A Historical Study of the Inscriptions of Shalmaneser III (859-824 BC) Relating to His Campaigns to the West". Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill, (2000). p.332 ISBN 90-04-11772-5
  3. Van De Mierroop (2007) p. 242
  4. Leick, Gwendolyn. Who's Who in the Ancient Near East. Taylor & Francis E-Library ed. London: Routledge, (2002). p.149 ISBN 0-415-13231-2
  5. Van De Mierroop (2007) p.244
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