The Assyrian monarch returned to his capital, having "struck terror as far as the sea." Thus Assyrian influence was once more extended over the whole of the southern country, and Babylonia resumed her position of a secondary power, dependent on the great monarchy of the north.
But she was not long allowed to retain even the shadow of an autonomous rule.

In or about the year B.C.821 the son and successor of the Black-Obelisk king, apparently without any pretext, made a fresh invasion of the country.

Mero-dach-belatzu-ikm, the Babylonian monarch, boldly met him in the field, but was defeated in two pitched battles (in the latter of which he had the assistance of powerful allies) and was forced to submit to his antagonist.

Babylon, it is probable, became at once an Assyrian tributary, and in this condition she remained till the troubles which came upon Assyria towards the middle of the eighth century B.C.gave an opportunity for shaking off the hated yoke.

Perhaps the first successes were obtained by Pul, who, taking advantage of Assyria's weakness under Asshur-dayan III.