ated it.[430]

The Assyrian war-lord afterwards forced several Nairi kings to
acknowledge him as their overlord. He was so greatly feared by the
Syro-Cappadocian Hittites that when he approached their territory they
sent him tribute, yielding without a struggle.

For several years the great conqueror engaged himself in thus subduing
rebellious tribes and extending his territory. His military
headquarters were at Kalkhi, to which city the Court had been
transferred. Thither he drafted thousands of prisoners, the great
majority of whom he incorporated in the Assyrian army. Assyrian
colonies were established in various districts for strategical
purposes, and officials supplanted the petty kings in certain of the
northern city States.

The Aramaeans of Mesopotamia gave much trouble to Ashur-natsir-pal.
Although he had laid a heavy hand on Suru, the southern tribes, the
Sukhi, stirred up revolts in Mesopotamia as the allies of the
Babylonians. On one occasion Ashur-natsir-pal swept southward through
this region, and attacked a combined force of Sukhi Aramaeans and
Babylonians. The Babylonians were commanded by Zabdanu, brother of
Nabu-aplu-iddin, king of Babylonia, who was evidently anxious to
regain control of the western trade route. The Assyrian war-lord,
however, proved to be too powerful a rival. He achieved so complete a
victory that he captured the Babylonian general and 3000 of his
followers. The people of Kashshi (Babylonia) and Kaldu (Chaldaea) were
"stricken with terror", and had to agree to pay increased tribute.

Ashur-natsir-pal reigned for about a quarter of a century, but his
wars occupied less than half of that period. Having accumulated great
booty, he engaged himself, as soon as peace was secured throughout his
empire, in rebuilding the city of Kalkhi, where he erected a great
palace and made records of his achievements. He also extended and
redecorated the royal palace at Nineveh, and devoted much attention to
the temples.

Tribute poured in from the subject States. The mountain and valley
tribes in the north furnished in abundance wine and corn, sheep and
cattle and horses, and from the Aramaeans of Mesopotamia and the
Syro-Cappadocian Hittites came much silver and gold, copper and lead,
jewels and ivory, as well as richly decorated furniture, armour and
weapons. Artists and artisans were also provided by the vassals of
Assyria. There are traces of Phoenician influence in the art of this
period.