The Assyrians of today are descendants of the ancient Assyrian people who built the mighty empires of Assyria and Babylonia. They rose to power and prosperity in Mesopotamia which mainly consists of modern-day Iraq.
Assyrian's played a major role in the foundation of civilization and mankind. After the fall of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires respectively, in the seventh and sixth centuries BC., Assyrian's were reduced to a small nation living at the mercy of their overlords in the vastly scattered lands of the Middle Eastern region.
Although we like to imagine that Mesopotamia was a single, coherent culture passing from hand to hand, in fact the cultures of Mesopotamia were diverse and variegated. Even in the period of great empires, beginning with the Akkadians, Mesopotamia consisted of largely independent city-states with their own cults (often completely different religions), languages, kings, and administrations.
When we speak of Mesopotamia as dominated by one group or another, the traditions and governments of other groups thrived beneath this domination. These diverse city-states were always on the look-out for an opportunity for independence, and the history of the exchange of power is largely determined by the desire for independence seething below the surface.
Empires of Mesopotamia
Sumerians 2900-1800 BC
Akkadians 2340-2125 BC
Amorites 1800-1530 BC
Hittites 1600-717 BC
Kassites 1530-1170 BC
Assyrians 1170-612BC
Chaldeans 612-539 BC
Persians
