The Assyrian Empire was cosmopolitan and multi-cultural, comprising many different ethnic groups, cultural and religious traditions. Often the gods of the conquered peoples were incorporated into the imperial Assyrian pantheon.
Subject peoples retained a certain degree of administrative and cultural autonomy in exchange for allegiance to the empire. The ability of the Assyrian Empire to successfully assimilate and administer many different peoples after conquest might explain why it lasted so long.
Its success, however, was partly due to the practice of deporting large numbers of people from their homeland and resettling them elsewhere.
The power and territory of the Assyrians reached its greatest extent in the Neo-Assyrian Empire (746 - 609 BC). A highly developed civil service under the leadership of trained officers was often installed by Assyrian kings in conquered lands.
Loyal generals were made governors of provinces, and many people from subjugated provinces were drafted into the civil service. Sedition and revolt were thus controlled through involving conquered people in the administration of the Assyrian Empire.
