Emerging as a regional power in northern Mesopotamia in the 10th century BCE, the Neo-Assyrian Empire expanded rapidly in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, conquering vast territories in the Middle East and beyond, and establishing one of the largest and most powerful empires of the ancient world. Under the leadership of ambitious and ruthless kings such as Ashurnasirpal II, Shalmaneser III, Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, and Sennacherib, the Neo-Assyrians conducted brutal military campaigns and imposed harsh policies of forced deportations and resettlement, aimed at consolidating their control and preventing rebellions. However, the empire's rapid expansion and oppressive rule ultimately led to its downfall, as subject peoples revolted and neighboring powers formed alliances against it, culminating in the collapse of the Neo-Assyrian Empire in 612 BCE to a coalition of Babylonians, Medes, and Scythians, marking the end of one of the most formidable empires in ancient history.
