STY]

It included twenty-two kings, and lasted for about three hundred and
fifty years.

The latter was chief of the Bit-Amukkani, one of the most important
among the Chaldaean communities;* the descendants of the Aramaean nomads
were thus once more placed upon the throne, and their accession put an
end to the relations which had existed for several centuries between
Assyria and Karduniash.

* The chronicle is silent with regard to the origin of
Ukinzir, but Tiglath-pileser, who declines to give him the
title of "King of Babylon," says that he was _mar Amuhlcani_
= son of Amukkani. Pinches' _Canon_ indicates that Ukinzir
belonged to a dynasty the name of which may be read either
Shashi or Shapi. The reading Shapi at once recalls the name
of Shapia, one of the chief cities of the Bit Amukkani; it
would thus confirm the evidence of the Nimroud Inscription.

These marauders, who had always shown themselves impatient of any
settled authority, and had never proffered more than a doubtful
submission to even the most triumphant invader, were not likely to
accept the subordinate position which members of the presiding dynasty
had been, for the most part, content to occupy. It was more probable
that they would, from the very first, endeavour to throw off the
suzerainty of Nineveh. Tiglath-pileser gave the new dynasty no time to
settle itself firmly on the throne: the year after his return from Syria
he got together an army and marched against it. He first cleared the
right bank of the Tigris, where the Pukudu (Pekod) offered but a feeble
resistance; he annexed their territory to the ancient province of
Arrapkha, then crossed the river and attacked the Kaldi scattered among
the plains and marshes of the Shatt el-Hai.

[Illustration: 294.jpg A KALDU]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a woodcut published by Tomkins.

The Bit-Shilani were the first to succumb; their king Nabushabshi was
impaled before one of the gates of his capital, Sarrabanu, the town
itself was taken by storm, plundered and dismantled, and 55,000 of its
inhabitants were led captive into Assyria. After the Bit-Shilani, came
the turn of the Bit-Shaali. Dur-Illatai, their capital, was razed to
the ground, and its population, numbering 50,400 men and women, was
deported. Their chief, Lakiru, who had shown great bravery in the
struggle, escaped impalement, but was sent into captivity with his
people, a Ninevite governo