The following is an excerpt from the state archives of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire. The documents deals with revolt by a city that was under Assyrian control against the imperial rule of the Emperor Ashurnasirpal in the seventh century BCE.
Remember our present theme of technology, and its essential characteristic of control. In this reading, the Emperor Ashurnasirpal describes how he lost political control of a city that he ruled. He also describes how he regained that control. You will find some strange names and unfamiliar words in this reading, but they are not as important at the moment as the events that are described and the methods used by the emperor to solve his political problem.
Points to Ponder:
--This revolt began with rebels killing the imperial governor, Hamatai. What do you think this governor did as part of his job? In whose name did he rule? It is certainly true that Hamatai was a person, but was this governor a kind of technology that was used by the emperor?
--How did Ashurnasirpal end the revolt? What did he do to prevent further revolts? Can you identify a specifically political method, or technique, that he used?
--If you consider technology in the general sense of methods and tools for controlling your physical and social environment, do you think that this primary source illustrates a kind of technology?
The Revolt
While I was staying in the land of Kutmuhi,
they brought me the word: "The city of Suru of Bit-Halupe
has revolted, they have slain Hamatai, their governor, and Ahiababa,
the son of a nobody, whom they brought from Bit-Adini, they have
set up as king over them." With the help of Adad and the
great gods who have made great my kingdom, I mobilized my chariots
and armies and marched along the bank of the Habur.
During my advance I received much tribute from Shulmanuhaman-ilani
of the city of Gardiganni, from Ilu-Adad of the city of Katna,
-- silver, gold, lead, vessels of copper, and garments of brightly
colored wool, and garments of linen. To the city of Suru of Bit-Halupe
I drew near, and the terror of the splendor of [Ashur], my lord,
overwhelmed them. The chief men and the elders of the city, to
save their lives, came forth into my presence and embraced my
feet, saying: "If it is thy pleasure, slay! If it is thy
pleasure, let live! That which thy heart desireth, do!"
Ahiababa, the son of nobody, whom they had brought from Bit-Adini,
I took captive. In the valor of my heart and with the fury of
my weapons I stormed the city. All the rebels they seized and
delivered them up. My officers I caused to enter into his palace
and his temples. His silver, his gold, his goods and his possessions,
iron, lead, vessels of copper, cups of copper, dishes of copper,
a great horde of copper, alabaster, tables with inlay, the women
of his palaces, his daughters, the captive rebels together with
their possessions, the gods together with their possessions, precious
stone from the mountains, his chariot with equipment, his horses,
broken to the yoke, trappings of men and trappings of horses,
garments of brightly colored wool and garments of linen, goodly
oil, cedar, and fine sweet-scented herbs, panels of cedar, purple
and crimson wool, his wagons, his cattle, his sheep, his heavy
spoil, which like the stars of heaven could not be counted, I
carried off.
Azi-ilu I set over them as my own governor. I built a pillar over
against his city gate, and I flayed all the chief men who had
revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins; some I walled
up within the pillar, some I impaled upon the pillar on stakes,
and others I bound to stakes round about the pillar; many within
the border of my own land I flayed, and I spread their skins upon
the walls; and I cut off the limbs of the officers, of the royal
officers who had rebelled. Ahiababa I took to Nineveh, I flayed
him, I spread his skin upon the wall of Nineveh.
My power and might I established over the land of [Laqe]. While
I was staying in the city of Suru, [I received] tribute from all
the kings of the land of [Laqe], -- silver, gold, lead, copper,
vessels of copper, cattle, sheep, garments of brightly colored
wool, and garments of linen, and I increased the tribute and taxes
and imposed them upon them. At that time, the tribute of Haiani
of the city of Hindani, -- silver, gold, lead, copper, umu-stone,
alabaster, purple wool, and [Bactrian] camels I received from
him as tribute. At that time I fashioned a heroic image of my
royal self, my power and my glory I inscribed thereon, in the
midst of his palace I set it up. I fashioned memorial stelae and
inscribed thereon my glory and my prowess, and I set them up by
his city gate.