Aššur-rēša-iši (1132-1115 BC) was the eighty-sixth king of Ashur according to the Assyrian King List [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/kinglists/assyriankinglist/index.html] (AKL). The AKL reports that he ruled for eighteen years. Aššur-rēša-iši succeeded his father, Mutakkil-Nusku [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/mutakkilnusku/index.html] and was succeeded by his son, Tiglath-Pileser I [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria1114884bc/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 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/tukultininurtai/index.html]'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 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria1114884bc/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 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi101] 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 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi107]), the Aššur temple (texts no. 11-12 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi111]) and a palace (text no. 14 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi114]) at the former location and the Ištar temple (texts no. 1-3 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi101] and 9 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi109]), a palace (text no. 5 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi105]) and an armoury (text no. 4 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi104]) at the latter. A brick inscription from the provincial city Apquša-Adad (text no. 10 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/texts114/index.html#ashurreshaishi110]) has also been found, indicating that he built a palace there (Grayson 1987, 309).
Poppy Tushingham
Poppy Tushingham, 'Aššur-rēša-iši I', The Royal Inscriptions of Assyria online (RIAo) Project, The RIAo Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2018 [http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/riao/thekingdomofassyria13631115bc/ashurreshaishii/]