Eski Mısır’da Asur Hakimiyetinin Başlangıcı ve Sonrasında Oluşturulan İdari Organizasyon

Bronz Çağı’nın güçlü krallıklarını ortadan kaldıran Ege Göçlerinden sonra Asur Krallığı, askeri ve siyası açıdan hızla güçlenerek Ön Asya’nın tek siyasi ve askeri gücü olmaya çalışmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, Asur kralları her yıl komşu bölgelere askeri seferler düzenlemiştir. Bu seferlerin sonucunda, Asur hegemonyası doğuda Hazar Denizi’ne kuzeyde Van Gölü’ne batıda Akdeniz’e ulaşmıştır. Mısır Krallığı, Asur karşısında mücadele verebilecek tek siyasi güç olarak kalmıştır. Asarhaddon döneminde başlatılan ilk Mısır seferi başarılı olmasa da üç yıl sonraki geri dönüşte Asur ordusu Memfis kenti dahil olmak üzere Delta bölgesini ele geçirmeyi başarmıştır. Sonrasında Asarhaddon, Delta bölgesindeki şehirleri hakimiyetinde tutan Mısır kökenli soylu ailelere vergi ödemeleri karşılığında siyasi güçlerini korumalarına izin vermiştir. Asur’un birçok bölgede uyguladığı bu idari organizasyonda, el geçirilen bölgeler küçük yönetim birimlerine ayrıldıktan sonra her birinin başına Asur’a sadakat sözü vermiş kişiler atanmıştır. Asur krallarına bağlı, bu yerli yöneticilerin en önemli görevi yıllık vergiyi toplayıp krala teslim etmekti. İsyan etmediği sürece göreve devam eden bu yöneticiler eli ile geniş coğrafyalar idare edilebilmiştir. Asarhaddon’un ele geçirdiği bölgeler önce Nübye Kralı Taharka sonra Tanutamun tarafından geri alınmaya çalışılmıştır. Asur kralına isyan olarak kabul edilen bu girişimler askeri seferler ile bastırılmıştır. Asarhaddon’dan sonra Asur Kralı olan Asurbanipal, ilk denemesinde ele geçiremediği Teb kentinin surlarını aşmayı başarıp, şehri yağmalatmıştır. Asurbanipal’in bu başarısına rağmen Mısır’ın güneyi uzun süre elde tutulamamıştır. Fakat Asur metinlerine göre Delta ve Vadi bölgelerine çok sayıda vekil yönetici atanmıştır. Asur krallarının kuzeyden gelen Kimmer akınları ile uğraştığı dönemlerde Asur’a bağlı bir yönetici olan I. Necho, diğer vekil yöneticilerin üstünde bir konum elde etmeyi başarmıştır. I. Necho’nun oğlu I. Psamtik ise Delta ve Vadi bölgelerini bir yönetim altında toplayıp bağımsız bir Mısır kralı olmayı başarmıştır. Bu çalışma, Asur ordularının Mısır’a düzenlediği seferleri Mısır kaynakları üzerinden aktarmaya gayret göstermiş ve Mısır’ın, Asur yönetimine girmesinden sonra oluşturulan vekalet ile idare organizasyonunun nasıl geliştirildiğini açıklamayı amaçlamıştır.

The Beginning of the Assyrian Domination in Ancient Egypt and the Administrative Organization Created After

After the Sea People Migrations that eliminated the powerful kingdoms of the Bronze Age, the Assyrian Kingdom rapidly strengthened militarily and politically and tried to become the only political and military power in Near East. For this purpose, the Assyrian kings organized military expeditions to neighboring regions every year. As a result of these campaigns, Assyrian hegemony reached the Caspian Sea in the east, Lake Van in the north, and the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Kingdom of Egypt remained the only political power that could fight against Assyria. Although the first Egyptian expedition launched during the reign of Asarhaddon was not successful, the Assyrian army managed to capture the Delta region, including the city of Memphis, on its return three years later. Later, Asarhaddon allowed the noble families of Egyptian origin, who dominated the cities in the Delta region, to maintain their political power in exchange for paying taxes. In this administrative organization, which Assyria implemented in many regions, after the seized regions were divided into small administrative units, people who pledged loyalty to Assyria were appointed to head each of them. Attached to the Assyrian kings, the most important task of these native rulers was to collect the annual tax and deliver it to the king. As long as they did not rebel, wide regions could be managed by the hand of these rulers who continued to serve. The regions captured by Asarhaddon were first tried to be retaken by the Nubian King Taharka and then by Tanutamun. These attempts, which were considered a rebellion against the Assyrian king, were suppressed by military expeditions. Ashurbanipal, who became the King of Assyria after Asarhaddon, managed to overcome the walls of Thebes, which he could not capture at his first attempt, and plundered the city. Despite this success of Ashurbanipal, the south of Egypt was not held for a long time. However, according to Assyrian texts, a large number of deputy rulers were appointed to the Delta and Valley regions. During the periods when the Assyrian kings were dealing with the Cimmerian raids coming from the north, Necho I., who was a ruler attached to Assyria, managed to achieve a position above other proxy rulers. Necho’s I. son Psamtik I., on the other hand, managed to gather the Delta and Valley regions under one rule and become an independent Egyptian king. This study has tried to transfer the campaigns organized by the Assyrian armies to Egypt through Egyptian sources and aimed to explain how the organization of administration was developed by proxy, which was created after Egypt came under Assyrian rule.

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