Tukulti-Ninurta I 05

(1) Tukultī-Ninurta (I), king of the world, king of Assyria, king of the four quarters (of the world), sun(god) of all of the people, strong king, king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the Upper (and) Lower Seas, king of the extensive mountains and plains, king of the land Šubarû (and) Qutû, and king of all of the Naʾiri lands, the king whom the gods have helped to obtain his desired victories and who shepherds the four quarters (of the world) with his fierce might, am I; son of Shalmaneser (I), king of the world, king of Assyria; (and) son of Adad-nārārī (I), (who was) also king of the world (and) king of Assyria.

(15) At the beginning of my kingship, at the beginning of my reign, I conquered the lands Qutû, Uqumanî, Elḫunia and Šarnida, (and) Meḫri. Annually, I regularly received the tribute of their lands and the produce of their mountains in my city, Aššur.

(23) At that time, I controlled (as) with a bridle the lands Papḫû, Katmuḫi, Bušše, Mumme, Alzi, (A)madani, Niḫani, Alaya, Tepurzi, Purulumzi (and) the entirety of the wide land Šubarû. I made the(ir) kings — their commanders — bow down at my feet. Moreover, I imposed (upon them) corvée.

(33) With my surpassingly strong might, I frequently traversed impassable rocky mountains, (on) the paths that no other king (before me) had known. Forty kings of the Naʾiri lands fiercely took up a position for armed conflict. I fought with them (and) brought about their defeat. I caused their blood to flow into the caves and ravines of the mountains. I became the lord of all of their lands and levied upon them tribute and impost forever.

(48) With the support of the gods Aššur, Enlil, and Šamaš, the great gods, my lords, (and) with the aid of the goddess Ištar, the lady of heaven (and) netherworld (who) marches before of my army, I approached Kaštiliašu, the king of Karduniaš (Babylonia), to do battle. I brought about the defeat of his army (and) struck down his warriors. In the midst of that battle, I captured Kaštiliašu, the king of the Kassites, (and) trod with my feet upon the neck of his lordly majesty as though it were a footstool. I brought him bound as a captive into the presence of (the god) Aššur, my lord. I became the lord of Sumer and Akkad to its full extent. I fixed the boundary of my land as the Lower Sea of the Rising Sun.

(70) At that time, I delineated the sanctuaries of my city, Aššur, (which are on) the north side, remote regions, (and) much terrain. I reached bedrock eighty mūšaru straight down its foundation pit. I built Elugalumunkurkurra, the royal residence, which I love, (and) I completed (it) from its foundations to its crenellations. Moreover, I deposited my commemorative inscription.

(84) 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.

(94) (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, conceives of and does anything injurious, or prevents the gods who dwell in the city Aššur from entering my palace during festivals (and) summons (them) to another palace, (or) abandons that palace and neglects it, may the gods Aššur and Adad, the gods of heaven (and) netherworld, extinguish his kingship (and) make his name (and) his seed disappear from the land. May a king who is his enemy take away his throne (and) under his very eyes rule his land. May the goddess Ištar, my lady who designated my turn for kingship, bring about the defeat of his land so that he does not stand firm before his enemies. May she hand him over to his enemies.