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'Sinsharishkun' ('Sin-shar-ishkun', ca. 627 - 612 BC), who seems to have been the Saràkos (Saracus) of Berossus, was one of the last kings of the Assyrian empire.

Contents

Early Years

Last Babylonian War

War in the Assyrian heartlands

References

Early Years

He was the son of Ashurbanipal, and possibly the brother of the last Assyrian king, Ashuruballit II (612-607 BC). He is the last king who has years attested in some Babylonian cities. Little is known about this king due to the lack of sources of his time. It seems that he ascended the throne somewhere around 627. Although there is no actual proof it is likely that Sinsharishkun's rise to power wasn't peaceful. He had to deal with the rebellious Sinshumulishir and his older brother and predecessor Ashuretililani.

Last Babylonian War

After defeating his rivals, Sinsharishkun faced a much larger threat. His Babylonian vassal state rebelled under the previously unknown Nabopolassar in 626 BC. What followed was a long war fought in the Babylonian heartland. Nabopolassar tried to capture Nippur, the Assyrian center of power in Babylonia, but failed because of the arrival of Assyrian reinforcements. Eventhough, Nabopolassar defeated that army and was crowned in 626. Sinsharishkun lost more cities soon but succeeded in recapturing Uruk for a while ca. 622 BC but lost again. When Shinsharishkun leaded a large army to Babylonia in 623 another rebellion broke out in the Assyrian heartlands. A small army was sent back but surrended without a fight so that usurper could reach the capital Nineveh without a problem and ascended the throne. Chronicles for the next events are absent but eventually Sinsharishkun was able to quel the Assyrian rebellion but precious time was lost to solve Babylonian problem. In 621 BC or later later Nabopolassar captured Nippur and so broke the main power of the Assyrians.

War in the Assyrian heartlands

In 616 BC Nabopolassar felt strong enough to move the centre of war and launched an attack on the Assyrian heartlands. In years of war that followed Ashur, Nimrud, and Nineveh were looted with the help of the Medes. The fate of Sinsharishkun is not known, as the section of the Babylonian chronicle in which he is mentioned in the siege of Nineveh is damaged. Whether or not he survived the siege of Nineveh, his political role was terminated.

References

★ N. Na'aman, ZA 81 1991 - Chronology and history in the late Assyrian empire

★ S. Zawadzki, The fall of Assyria and Median-Babylonian relation in light of the Nabopolassar chronicle