2. The rise of Media and the beginning of its expansion. The development of the political situation in the region at the end of the 660-s B.C. presumes that after the anti-Assyrian rebellion in Media certain positive processes took place bringing forth the consolidation of the country and the growth of its power due to the conquest of several neighbouring smaller dominions, first of all those along the Zagros part of the Great Khorasan Road. It could radically change the balance of power in the region and make Media ready for new conquests. Already by 660 B.C. Mannaean rulers worried by the growth of Median power betrayed their former ally and formed a new alliance with Assyria. Assyrian texts mention Cimmerians, also the former members of the anti-Assyrian coalition, supporting the Mannaean case in the 660-s. By the end of the 550-s Media remained the only anti-Assyrian power in the region. Only to Media could be applied the archaic term Gutium listed among the allies of the rebel Babylonian king Samas-sum-ukm, who rose against Assyria in 652 B.C. The participation of Media in this rebellion is symptomatic. It is possible to suggest that Media began to look for new allies against Assyria. Though the first attempt turned unsuccessful, in due time Babylonia became the ally of Media in their joint struggle against Assyria.

The first major political achievement of Media was the conquest of the Urartian kingdom which took place probably not earlier than the end of the 640-s B.C. New Urartian texts and archaeological data make it possible to suggest that in the 650-s B.C. the Urartian kingdom encountered a serious political crisis. It caused the desolation and neglect of towns and fortresses in the last years of Rusa II not only on the borders but even in the middle of Uratian territories, which testifies against the suggested foreign invasion by the end of the 650-s. The civil war weakened Urartu and finally led to its désintégration during the reign of its last two kings, Rusa III and Sarduri III in the 640-s. Median king Phraortes took advantage of the situation and took part in the destruction and conquest of Urartu. There was no other power at that time, besides Media, interested in the downfall of Urartu and able to conquer it. In 609–608 B.C. 'the land of Urashtu' in Babylonian chronicles was a purely geographical term. In the 'Curse of Jeremiah' in 594/3 B.C. (51:27) the name of Urartu is applied to one of the administrative units within the Median kingdom.