Ashur-nirari V was a son of Adad-nirari III, and succeeded his brother, Ashur-dan III. He inherited a difficult situation from his predecessor. The Assyrian rulership was severely limited by the influence of court dignitaries, particularly that of Shamshi-ilu, who was the commander-in-chief (turtanu). According to the eponym canon, for four years the king was compelled to stay "in the land". It was customary for the Assyrian king to campaign every year, and such an indication usually meant the kingship had been seriously weakened. In his fourth and fifth regnal years, however, he campaigned to Namri. In 746 BC a revolt broke out again, and the following year the throne was seized by Tiglath-pileser III, who may have been his brother or his son, or, alternately, an usurper with no relationship to the previous royal house at all.