Shalmaneser III

Shalmaneser III launched a campaign against the kingdom of Urartu, defeating King Aramu and sacking the city of Arzashkun. He claimed to have destroyed 2,500 settlements and extended Assyrian control into the Lake Van region.

Shalmaneser III fought a coalition of twelve kings, including Hadadezer of Damascus and Ahab of Israel, at Qarqar on the Orontes River. The battle was indecisive, with both sides claiming victory, but it halted Assyrian expansion into Syria for a time.

Shalmaneser III commissioned the Black Obelisk, a four-sided stone monument depicting tributaries including Jehu of Israel. It was erected at Kalhu and provides a detailed record of his military campaigns and the submission of various kingdoms.

A major rebellion broke out led by Shalmaneser III's son Ashur-danin-pal, involving 27 cities including Ashur and Nineveh. The revolt lasted for years and was eventually suppressed by Shalmaneser's other son Shamshi-Adad V, weakening the empire.