From the article archive
Writing Practice, Dec. 6th 2001
The Chaldeans were not the first to migrate out of the arid land of Yarbay, nor would they be the last. They were, most certainly, the ones that had the greatest impact on the world of Ærth.
The first Chaldean families arrived in southern Mesopotamia in the first half of the third millennium BAF. By the latter half of that millennium the Chaldeans had integrated themselves into Babylonian government and religion. When the Assyrians conquered Babylon the Chaldeans transfered their loyalties to their new masters.
Thanks in part to Ægyptian agitation and Iranian raids, but mostly thanks to their own cruelty, the Assyrians were faced with near constant revolts. Whenever one was crushed, another would take its place. The Assyrian armies were kept constantly busy. The Chaldeans stayed quiet, loyal subjects of Nineveh.
Until the year 2150 BAF. In that year they made their move. With the covert aid of the Medes and Ægyptians they took advantage of a series of revolts in Assyria's northern territories and wrested control of the old Babylonian Empire. While the Assyrians assembled a punitive force to punish the rebels a Chaldean delegation appeared in Nineveh with a proposition.
The Chaldeans would administer Mesopotamia for the Assyrians, gathering taxes, tariffs, and tribute. Stretched thin by the demands of empire the Assyrians accepted the offer. It is arguably the greatest scam ever pulled on one people by another.
The Chaldeans took advantage of the situation to cement their power. Soon Assyrian officials were being denied entry to their Mesopotamian territories. Taxes were diverted. Entire units of the Assyrian army were disarmed and enslaved. All under the umbrella of Assyrian law. The Chaldeans played a dangerous game successfully for a number of years, but finally the Assyrians caught on.
Belatedly they realized that they had allowed an enemy to take control of the heart of their empire. They prepared to rectify the situation. Thanks to rebellions they could only probe Chaldean defenses at first. But over time the revolts were suppressed and the resources to mount a punitive expedition were assembled. The Chaldeans would be taught a richly deserved lesson.
The people of Canaan were no more prone to rebelling than any other subjects of the Assyrian Empire. The northern tribes were deported to the eastern empire early in Assyria's history. The southern tribes waited until later. Maybe it was their god, an irascible storm deity. Maybe their nigh unassailabel capitol of Jerusalem had something to do with it. Most historians are convinced it was the infamous Judean obstinance that did the trick. Ægyptian bribes certainly helped. In the year 1875 BAF the Judeans rose in revolt.
The news of the rebellion reached the Assyrian capital quickly. The army that was to punish the Chaldeans was instead sent west to punish the Judeans. The seige of Jerusalem was a hard one, as expected. The epidemic that slaughtered the Assyrians was not. According to the Judeans their god, Yahweh took credit for it. But Yahweh is a storm god. It's more likely the responsible party is the Canaanite god of flies and disease, Ba'alzebub. Regardless of who was responsible, the Assyrian army was destroyed.
The Ægyptian army coming to the relief of Jerusalem was quick to take advantage of the situation. Gathering up the Judean forces, and anybody else they could shanghai, they marched north to Syria and the plains of Megiddo.
Faced with an invasion from the west the Assyrians assembled a new army, stripping their eastern and southern defenses. This was what the Medes and Chaldeans had been waiting for. Faced with professional soldiers the Assyrian militia stood not a chance. In just a few weeks the capital of Nineveh was under seige. Before the main Assyrian army could reverse course and march back the city fell. Every inhabitant down to the youngest infant was slaughtered. The same happened to the old capital of Asshur. With her heart torn out Assyria collapsed.
Assyrian fighting men were hunted down like wild dogs. Assyrian women and children were enslaved, or fled into the mountains. The lands once ruled by the empire plunged into chaos. Assyria would never rise again.
The Ægyptians, Judeans, Medes, and Chaldeans returned home to plot and plan. The Ægyptians aided the Judeans in conquering the land of Canaan, in return for a treaty of alliance and trade that, in effect, made the new Judean kingdom an Ægyptian vassal. The new Babylonian Empire made plans to take control of the old Assyrian Empire. The Medes made plans to conquer Babylon.
*******
Coming Up: The Persians make their move, The Ægyptians have (another) civil war, and the Miracle of the Tigris. Till then.
Alan
The first Chaldean families arrived in southern Mesopotamia in the first half of the third millennium BAF. By the latter half of that millennium the Chaldeans had integrated themselves into Babylonian government and religion. When the Assyrians conquered Babylon the Chaldeans transfered their loyalties to their new masters.
Thanks in part to Ægyptian agitation and Iranian raids, but mostly thanks to their own cruelty, the Assyrians were faced with near constant revolts. Whenever one was crushed, another would take its place. The Assyrian armies were kept constantly busy. The Chaldeans stayed quiet, loyal subjects of Nineveh.
Until the year 2150 BAF. In that year they made their move. With the covert aid of the Medes and Ægyptians they took advantage of a series of revolts in Assyria's northern territories and wrested control of the old Babylonian Empire. While the Assyrians assembled a punitive force to punish the rebels a Chaldean delegation appeared in Nineveh with a proposition.
The Chaldeans would administer Mesopotamia for the Assyrians, gathering taxes, tariffs, and tribute. Stretched thin by the demands of empire the Assyrians accepted the offer. It is arguably the greatest scam ever pulled on one people by another.
The Chaldeans took advantage of the situation to cement their power. Soon Assyrian officials were being denied entry to their Mesopotamian territories. Taxes were diverted. Entire units of the Assyrian army were disarmed and enslaved. All under the umbrella of Assyrian law. The Chaldeans played a dangerous game successfully for a number of years, but finally the Assyrians caught on.
Belatedly they realized that they had allowed an enemy to take control of the heart of their empire. They prepared to rectify the situation. Thanks to rebellions they could only probe Chaldean defenses at first. But over time the revolts were suppressed and the resources to mount a punitive expedition were assembled. The Chaldeans would be taught a richly deserved lesson.
The people of Canaan were no more prone to rebelling than any other subjects of the Assyrian Empire. The northern tribes were deported to the eastern empire early in Assyria's history. The southern tribes waited until later. Maybe it was their god, an irascible storm deity. Maybe their nigh unassailabel capitol of Jerusalem had something to do with it. Most historians are convinced it was the infamous Judean obstinance that did the trick. Ægyptian bribes certainly helped. In the year 1875 BAF the Judeans rose in revolt.
The news of the rebellion reached the Assyrian capital quickly. The army that was to punish the Chaldeans was instead sent west to punish the Judeans. The seige of Jerusalem was a hard one, as expected. The epidemic that slaughtered the Assyrians was not. According to the Judeans their god, Yahweh took credit for it. But Yahweh is a storm god. It's more likely the responsible party is the Canaanite god of flies and disease, Ba'alzebub. Regardless of who was responsible, the Assyrian army was destroyed.
The Ægyptian army coming to the relief of Jerusalem was quick to take advantage of the situation. Gathering up the Judean forces, and anybody else they could shanghai, they marched north to Syria and the plains of Megiddo.
Faced with an invasion from the west the Assyrians assembled a new army, stripping their eastern and southern defenses. This was what the Medes and Chaldeans had been waiting for. Faced with professional soldiers the Assyrian militia stood not a chance. In just a few weeks the capital of Nineveh was under seige. Before the main Assyrian army could reverse course and march back the city fell. Every inhabitant down to the youngest infant was slaughtered. The same happened to the old capital of Asshur. With her heart torn out Assyria collapsed.
Assyrian fighting men were hunted down like wild dogs. Assyrian women and children were enslaved, or fled into the mountains. The lands once ruled by the empire plunged into chaos. Assyria would never rise again.
The Ægyptians, Judeans, Medes, and Chaldeans returned home to plot and plan. The Ægyptians aided the Judeans in conquering the land of Canaan, in return for a treaty of alliance and trade that, in effect, made the new Judean kingdom an Ægyptian vassal. The new Babylonian Empire made plans to take control of the old Assyrian Empire. The Medes made plans to conquer Babylon.
*******
Coming Up: The Persians make their move, The Ægyptians have (another) civil war, and the Miracle of the Tigris. Till then.
Alan
Recovered from the Gaming Outpost database backup. Original wording is preserved; damaged punctuation and presentation markup have been repaired. Historical links without a local match point to the Internet Archive.