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 governor being appointed in his place.  Ukinzir, who was, as we know, hereditary prince of the Bit-Amuk-kani, came up in haste to defend his appanage, and threw himself into his fortress at Shapia:  Tiglath-pileser cut down the gardens and groves of palms which lent it beauty, burnt the surrounding farms and villages, and tried, without success, to make a breach in the walls; he still, however, maintained the siege, but when winter came on and the place still held out, he broke up his camp and retreated in good order, leaving