Border provinces were essential cogs in the military and economic mechanism of the Assyrian empire. On one hand, they were the base for military control of bordering territories, which consisted of a constant surveillance of the situation in these territories and of military campaigns launched from time to time. On the other hand, they were an important target of economic exploitation, either as direct sources for materials needed in the heartland of the empire, or as regular conveyor belts of finished products extracted by means of taxation.
Giovanni B. Lanfranchi
Giovanni B. Lanfranchi, 'Imperial Activities in Border Provinces', The Correspondence of Sargon II, Part II: Letters from the Northern and Northeastern Provinces, SAA 5. Original publication: Helsinki, Helsinki University Press, 1990; online contents: SAAo/SAA05 Project, a sub-project of MOCCI, 2020 [http://oracc.org/saao/saa05/activitiesinborderprovinces/]