Aššur-rēša-iši (1132-1115 BC) was the eighty-sixth king of Ashur according to the Assyrian King List [/riao/kinglists/assyriankinglist/index.html] (AKL). The AKL reports that he ruled for eighteen years. Aššur-rēša-iši succeeded his father, Mutakkil-Nusku and was succeeded by his son, Tiglath-Pileser I [/riao/ria3/tiglathpileseri/index.html]. With the accession of Aššur-rēša-iši Assyria began to make a political and economic recovery for the first time since the fall of its fortunes at the end of Tukultī-Ninurta I's reign (Grayson 1987, 309).
Tiglath-pileser describes himself as mār Aššur-rēša-ili šarri danni kāšid mātāt nakirē mušeknišu gimir alṭūtī: "son of Aššur-rēša-iši, strong king, conqueror of enemy lands, subdue of all fierce (enemies)" (Tiglath-pileser I text no. 1 [/riao/ria3/tiglathpileseri/texts119/index.html#tiglathpileser101] vii 42-44). Aššur-rēša-iši himself gives more detail on the subject of his military conquests, stating that he carried out campaigns in the East and North-East, defeating the Lullumu and the Qutu. In the West he carried out offensives against the Aḫlamu, thus causing their retreat (text no. 1 6-7). Aššur-rēša-iši also entered into military conflicts with the Babylonian rulers Ninurta-nādin-šumi (1131-1126 BC) and Nebuchadnezzar I (1125-1104 BC) (Weidner 1932, 223).
Aššur-rēša-iši's multiple royal inscriptions are also evidence of Assyria's improved circumstances. He informs us of his building works at both Ashur and Nineveh. He renovated the Anu-Adad temple (texts no. 7-8), the Aššur temple (texts no. 11-12) and a palace (text no. 14) at the former location and the Ištar temple (texts no. 1-3 and 9), a palace (text no. 5) and an armoury (text no. 4) at the latter. A brick inscription from the provincial city Apquša-Adad (text no. 10) has also been found, indicating that he built a palace there (Grayson 1987, 309).
Poppy Tushingham
Poppy Tushingham, 'Aššur-rēša-iši I', RIA 2: Inscriptions of Adad-nārārī I to Aššur-rēša-iši I, Th RIA Project, 2023 [http://oracc.org/ashurreshaishii/]