Elam, 850–800 BCE
Autocracy · Monarchy · Middle East · Archaic World era
The Neo-Elamite kingdom on the Iranian southwest, an ancient civilization contesting Babylonia and Assyria for Mesopotamia’s edge.
Neo-Elamite kingship governed the southwestern Iranian plain and the approaches to Mesopotamia from Susa and Anshan, heir to one of the region’s oldest civilizations. It repeatedly allied with Babylonia against Assyria, contesting control of the lower Tigris and Euphrates. Regional princes retained considerable autonomy, and sustained Assyrian campaigns culminated in the sack of Susa in 646.
Dominant patterns
- External Expansion
- Militarization
- Imperial Decline
- Succession Crisis
- Democratization
Political-science factor profile
Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).
| Centralization of Power | 60 |
| Media Control | 45 |
| Repression | 50 |
| Nationalism | 58 |
| Militarization | 65 |
| Economic Stress | 45 |
| External Conflict | 72 |
| Cult of Personality | 60 |
| Elite Fragmentation | 55 |
| Institutions | 50 |
| Social Polarization | 45 |
| Corruption & Patrimonialism | 50 |
| Ideological Mobilization | 55 |
| External Sovereignty | 85 |
Economy & society
| GDP per capita | $650 (intl-$) |
| Population | 1.0M people |
| Share of world population | 1% |
| Territory | ~250k km² |
| Capital population | ~25k |
Closest historical twins
The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Elam 850–800 BCE, by similarity score (0–100).
- Ethiopia, 1889–1906 – similarity 96/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
- Khazar Khaganate, 650–750 CE – similarity 90/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
- Habsburg Monarchy, 1700–1740 CE – similarity 90/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
- Kievan Rus, 980–1054 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
- Macedon, 359–336 BCE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
- Frankish Kingdom, 687–751 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis, Democratization
- France, 1461–1483 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
- Songhai Empire, 1464–1528 CE – similarity 89/100 · shared: External Expansion, Militarization, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
What followed
- Assyrian destruction of Susa in 646 BCE.
- Fragmentation of the old Elamite state.