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| Biainili 𒆳𒁉𒀀𒄿𒈾 | |
|---|---|
| 858 BCE–585 BCE | |
 Biainili at its peak in 743 BCE | |
| Capital | Tushpa |
| Common languages | Urartian |
| Dominant mode of production | Slavery |
| Government | Monarchy |
| History | |
• Established | 858 BCE |
• Dissolution | 585 BCE |
Biainili, commonly known by the Akkadian name Urarṭu, was the earliest state located in the Caucasus. It was centered around Lake Van in modern-day eastern Turkey.[1]
Formation[edit | edit source]
Iron tools appeared in the Caucasus by the late second millennium BCE. In the late 12th century BCE, the Assyrian king Tukultīapilešarra I mentioned defeating 23 chieftains, who he called kings, in the Lake Van area. The chieftains had their own chariots and palaces. The Urartian tribes gradually united during the 11th and 10th centuries BCE. They unified into a state to protect themselves from Assyrian aggression.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Rise[edit | edit source]
Arame, the first king of a united Urartu, led raids of neighboring countries to capture slaves and resources. Šulmānuašarēdu III of Assyria attacked Urartu and captured the royal city of Arzashkun. However, the Assyrians were unable to capture the core regions of Urartu.[1]
Sarduri I adopted a royal title based on the title of the Assyrian kings. He made Tushpa the capital of Urartu and fortified it with stone walls. Ishpuini expanded Urartu to Lake Urmia and established control over Musasir, another group of Urartian-speaking tribes. He built many temples and palaces and led raids to steal livestock from neighboring countries, but he did not destroy conquered territories like the Assyrians. The conquered kept some of their property in exchange for supporting the state.[1]
Meinua, the son of Ishpuini, divided Urartu into provinces led by governors, although some local kings also stayed in power as long as they paid tribute. Under his reign, the central government instead of vassals began providing the army its equipment. His troops invaded Syria and captured the left bank of the Euphrates. He also built many fortresses and a 70-km canal.[1]
Assyria reached its peak under Argishti I, who allied with the kingdom of Manna. They conquered much of Assyria's territory to nearly reach Babylonia. He also expanded northwards and crossed the Aras river to reach the borders of Egrisi in western Georgia. The Urartians founded the cities of Yerebuni (now Yerevan) in 782 BCE and Argishtikhinili in 776 BCE. They built four canals and massive granaries in these new cities. Argishti captured over 280,000 slaves in his wars.[1]
Wars with Assyria[edit | edit source]
Sarduri II abolished volunteer military forces so that the army would be fully equipped by the state. His forces captured 200,000 slaves. Following Tukultīapilešarra III's military reforms, Assyria was able to defeat Urartu near Arpad, Syria. The Assyrians advanced to Lake Van and besieged Tushpa but failed to capture it. Sarduri's son Rusa I reorganized the country into smaller provinces and crushed rebellious elements in the military. He organized economic projects north of Lake Urmia, where Urartu's ally of Manna was based. He also created a reservoir and the city of Rusakhinili near Lake Van.[1]
In 714 BCE, Šarrukīn II led an Assyrian attack on Lake Urmia. The rulers of Manna fought against the Assyrians while Rusa's army attacked them from the rear. Urartu lost its cavalry and chariots, but the rest of the army escaped. Šarrukīn then attacked the economic centers around Lake Urmia and looted the temple at Musasir. The Assyrians destroyed much of the country but did not try to capture the cities of Tushpa or Rusakhinili. However, they were able to prevent Urartu from achieving hegemony.[1]
Collapse[edit | edit source]
After Assyria defeated Urartu, the two kingdoms no longer went to war with each other. They established diplomatic relations with each other, and the Assyrians extradited runaway slaves from Urartul. Argishti II and Rusa II continued building irrigation systems near Lake Van. Rusa II signed a peace treaty with the Cimmerian tribes, but the Scythians defeated the Cimmerians soon after. Scythian tribes founded a kingdom in the 670s BCE and attacked northern Urartu. Urartu fought a defensive war and could no longer use prisoners captured from raids to build its economy. In the early sixth century BCE, Urartu became a vassal of the Medes.[1]
Economy[edit | edit source]
The main workforce of Urartu was slaves captured in war. There were also many free commoners.[1]
The ruling class included the royal family, the tribal nobility, and military and administrative leaders. Over time, the chief warlords and governors increased their power.[1]
Urartu had large farming estates irrigated by canals. The granaries and wine cellars of Teishebaini stored products from an area of 4,000 to 5,000 hectares. The royal estate at Rusakhinili had about 5,500 workers. Temple estates were smaller than royal estates.[1]
Religion[edit | edit source]
Ishpuini established the sky god Haldi, the sun god Siuini, and the rain god Teiseba as the main three gods. Haldi was the supreme god, and his temple was located at Musasir.[1]