High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Assyria originated in the 23rd century BC, its earliest king Tudiya being a contemporary of Ibrium of Ebla. It evolved from the Akkadian Empire of the late 3rd millennium BC. Assyria was a strong nation under the rule of Ilushuma (1945–1906 BC), who founded colonies in Asia Minor and raided Isin and other Sumero-Akkadian states in southern Mesopotamia. Under Shamshi-Adad I (1813–1791 BC) and his successor Ishme-Dagan (1790–1754 BC), Assyria was the seat of a regional empire controlling northern Mesopotamia and regions in Asia Minor and northern Syria. From 1365 to 1076 BC, Assyria became a major empire and world power, rivalling Egypt. Kings such as Ashur-uballit I (1365 BC – 1330 BC), Enlil-nirari (1329 – 1308 BC), Arik-den-ili (c. 1307–1296 BC), Adad-nirari I (1295 – 1275 BC), Shalmaneser I (1274 – 1245 BC), Tukulti-Ninurta I (1244 BC – 1208 BC), Ashur-resh-ishi I (1133 – 1116 BC) and Tiglath-Pileser I (1115 – 1077 BC) forged an empire which at its peak stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caspian Sea, and from the foothills of the Caucasus to Arabia. The 11th and 10th centuries BC were a dark age for the entire Near East, North Africa, Caucasus, Mediterranean and Balkan regions, with great upheavals and mass movements of people. Despite the apparent weakness of Assyria, at heart it in fact remained a solid, well defended nation whose warriors were the best in the world. Assyria, with its stable monarchy and secure borders, was in a stronger position during this time than potential rivals such as Egypt, Babylonia, Elam, Phrygia, Urartu, Persia and Media Beginning with the campaigns of Adad-nirari II (911–892 BC), Assyria once more became a great power, growing to be the greatest empire the world had yet seen, although some historians do not regard it as a true empire in the modern sense until the reforms of Tiglath-Pileser III in the mid-8th century BC. The Assyrian empire has at times been described as the first military power in history. This article deals with the forces of the Assyrians in the above described times.