In ancient traditions, Assyria was the first world empire in a
series that continued with Persia, Macedonia, and Rome. After Rome,
we imagine the series bifurcating into a Western trajectory (from
Charlemagne to Napoleon and the Third Reich) and an Oriental
trajectory (from the Parthians and Sasanians to the Abbasids until
the modern Caliphate). Assyria, often overlooked or slighted by
modern studies of empire, still maintains our interest because it
provides an example of the "simple form" of empire and imperialism,
before subsequent developments resulted in structures of greater
complexity. Most important among basic features of "empire" is the
"imperial mission"-the mandate given by the gods or God to the
emperor to extend, through conquest or persuasion, annexation or
hegemony, the only legitimate power of the central state to the
entire (known) world. This accomplishment can only be ideological,
since in practice no empire, ancient or modern, could actually
conquer the world. Nonetheless, ancient empires could come closer
to the target, because their known world, the mental map of their
oikoumene, was limited to their close surroundings. Assyria, by
bringing the most populated and civilized countries of its time
(surrounded by mountains, seas, deserts) into submission came close
to fulfilling its mission. In our modern, Western perspective,
however, the term empire is usually applied to alien and despotic
(mainly Oriental) polities, while we in the West prefer to belong
to more democratic "alliances." Nevertheless, ancient Assyria still
retains its value as a prototype of the "empire of evil" against
which democracy fights and must resist. This book outlines the
basic features of Assyrian imperialism within the framework of the
general development of the imperial idea, all the while insisting
on noting comparative material. The intent is twofold: (1) to
better understand Assyria through comparison with later empires,
and (2) to underscore the relevance of the "Assyrian model" and its
influence on later history. Although the first intention profits
ancient historians, the second goal is addressed to modern and
contemporary historians, who too often ignore (or at least
disregard) the long historical background lying behind more recent
developments. The world in general, in the present climate of
globalization, deserves to be better informed about pre-modern and
non-Western trajectories of world history.
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