Tukulti-Ninurta I 01

(i 1) Tukultī-Ninurta (I), king of the world, strong king, king of Assyria, chosen of (the god) Aššur, vice-regent of the god Aššur, attentive shepherd, favorite of the gods Anu and Enlil, whose name the god Aššur and the great gods faithfully called, the one to whom they gave the four quarters (of the world) to administer and the one to whom they entrusted their dominion, the attentive one, appointee of the gods, the one who gladdens the heart of the god Aššur, the one whose conduct is pleasing to the gods of heaven and the netherworld and who is endowed with excellence, the one who constantly makes abundant the offerings for all of the gods, the one who encircled enemy lands above (and) below, strong king, capable in battle, the one who shepherds the four quarters (of the world) at the heels of the god Šamaš, am I; son of Shalmaneser (I), king of Assyria; (and) son of Adad-nārārī (I), (who was) [also] king of Assyria.

(i 21) When (the god) Aššur, my lord, faithfully chose me to worship him, gave me the scepter for my office of shepherd, (presented) me in addition the staff for my office of herdsman, granted me excellence so that I might slay my enemies (and) make those who do not fear me bow down (at my feet), (and) placed upon me the lordly crown, (at that time,) I set my foot upon the neck of the lands (and) shepherded the extensive black-headed people like animals. He (the god Aššur) teaches me just decisions. Like ... the Anunnakū gods ... the gods ... the strength ...

(i 37) (No translation possible)

(ii 8) With the [support of the god Aššur and the] great [gods, my lords who] go before me, [I ... difficult paths, mighty [mountains ...] and had no rival in the four quarters (of the world).

(ii 14) [At the beginning of] my reign, I marched to the land Uq[umanî. I made] the entirety of the land Qutû [(look) like] a ruin hill (created by) the Deluge (and) I surrounded their army with a circle of sandstorms. At that time, they banded together against my army in rugged (and) very mountainous terrain. They fiercely took up a position for armed conflict. I put my trust in (the god) Aššur and the great gods, my lords, and I struck (and) brought about their defeat. I filled the caves and ravines of the mountains with their corpses. I made heaps of their corpses [like grain piles] beside their city gates. I destroyed, demolished, (and) turned into mounds of ruins (lit. “a mound and ruins”) their cities. [...] I became the lord of the wide land Qutû. In happiness and excellence, I stood over them.

(iii 2) I captured Abulê, the king of the land Uqumanî, (and) the bulk of his advisors (and) I brought them bound to my city, Aššur. I made them swear by the great gods of heaven (and) netherworld, I imposed upon them the [exacting] yoke of my lordly majesty, (and then) I released them (so that they could return) to their lands. I made [...] rebellious [cities] bow down at my feet. Moreover, I imposed (upon them) corvée. Annually, with all due honor, I receive their valuable tribute in my city, Aššur.

(iii 8) (As for) the land of the distant Guteans (Qutû), whose paths are extremely difficult and whose terrain [is unsuitable] for the movement of my army, they [...] took fright at the ferocity of my warfare and bowed down at my feet. I levied tribute and impost upon them.

(iii 12) At that time, I marched to the lands Šarnida (and) [Me]ḫri. By means of the troops of the land Qutû, which (the god) Aššur and the great gods had granted to me, I cut down mighty beams of the land Meḫri (and) brought (them) to my city, Aššur. I buttressed the palace of my lordly majesty, which I love, with those beams from the land Meḫri.

(iii 21) In that (same) year, when the time was ripe, I conquered five rebellious cities of the land Katmuḫi, fortified cult centers in its dominion, that had dragged off my people (and) plundered my land during a deceitful peace. Like an earthquake, I shook their sanctuaries. I carried off captives (and) property (and) brought (them) to my city, Aššur.

(iii 30) The land Šubarû, all of it, the entirety of Mount Kāšiāru, as far as the land Alzi, which had previously rebelled and withheld their audience gift(s) during the reign of Shalmaneser (I) — the king of the world, my father — had united itself under one command. I raised my hands to the god Aššur and the great gods, my lords, (and) went up to Mount Kāšiāru. (As) with a bridle, I controlled the lands Šubarû, the land Alzi, and the kings (who were) their allies. I conquered a large cult center of the land Purulumzi. I burned them (the inhabitants) alive with fire (and) I counted the rest of [their] troops as captives.

(iv 1b) I conquered four fortified cities of the dominion [of] Eḫli-Tešub, the king of the land Alzi (and) six rebellious cities of the land Amadāni. I carried off captives (and) property from them (and) brought (them) to my city, Aššur. Eḫli-Tešub, the king of the land Alzi, took fright in the face of my frightfulness and, taking his courtiers and his sons, he abandoned the entirety of his land. Secretly, he went to the border of the Naʾiri (lands), to an unknown land. The rest of their troops who had fled in the midst of battle, fearing the fury of my battle array, ran to the rocky mountains in order to save their (own) lives.

(iv 16) I destroyed, demolished, burned with fire, (and) turned into mounds of ruins (lit. “a mound and ruins”) 180 of their fortified cities. (As for) the lands Alzi, Amadāni, Niḫani, Alaya, Tepurzi, and Purulimzi, I incorporated their territories into the my land. I took from them hostages and made (them) bow down at my feet. Moreover, I imposed (upon them) corvée.

(iv 24) At that time, from (Mount) Tulsinâ, the ... mountain, (the region) between the cities Šasilu (and) Mašḫaṭ-šarri on the opposite bank of the Lower Zab, from Mount Zuquški (and) Mount Lalar — the district of the wide land Qutû — the entirety of lands Lullumê and Papḫû, to the land Katmuḫi, (and) the land Šubarû, all of it, the entirety of Mount Kāšiāru to the border of the Naʾiri lands [and] the border of the land M[akan], to the Euphrates River, the great gods allotted these regions to me. [I brought] all of (my) enemies under one command.

(iv 37) The ruler who accepts their gifts, the shepherd who has charge over them, [and the herdsman] who properly administers them, am I.

(iv 40) At that time, in [the sanctuaries] of my city, Aššur, [from the ziggurat] of the god Adad — my lord — [to the Craftsman’s Gate], on the [north] side, [extensive] house-plots, [much] terrain [...] I cleared away [...] those [...] I cleared away. I reached bedrock fifty mūšaru straight down [to its foundation pit. In a style (that is) appropriate] for my city, I erected (the foundations) [... layers of brick] high using limestone [and brick]. The former [...]. I completed (it) [from its foundations to its crenellations. Moreover], I deposited [my commemorative inscription (therein)].

(iv 62) [In the future may] a future ruler, [when that] palace [becomes old and] dilapidated, [renovate its dilapidated section(s). May he anoint my commemorative inscription with oil, make offerings, (and) return (it) to its place. The gods Aššur and Adad will (then) listen to his] prayers.

(v 5) (As for) the one who [erases my inscribed] name [and writes] his (own) name, [discards my] commemorative inscription (and) [puts (it)] in [another place] where [there is no visibility — a Taboo] house — [conceives of and does anything injurious], or prevents [the gods who dwell in] the city [Aššur] from [entering] my palace [during the festivals], abandons that palace and neglects [it], (who), because of these curses, tears down and destroys that palace because of these curses and in the sacred area of [my palace] constructs a(nother) palace like it, my commemorative inscriptions in [another] place (which is) [not] their place [...] commands and [...], may [the gods Aššur and Adad, the gods of] heaven (and) netherworld, rip out [the foundations of his royal throne of his royal majesty. ...] … [...]

(vi 2) to ... of his enemies, (and) may they inflict upon him want, hunger, and famine. May a king [who is] his [enemy] take away [his] throne (and) under his very eyes rule his land. [... May ...] not go out. His offspring [... the] people ... [The goddess Ištar], the lady of strife and battle, [the one who] designated my turn for kingship, may she change him from a man to a woman, may she cause his manhood to dwindle away. May she inflict upon him [the defeat of his land]. May he not stand firm before [his enemy]. May she slay [...]. May she ... his warriors. May she hand him over to his enemies.