Based on the provided search results, here is a summary of the Aksumite conquest of Kush:
In the 4th century CE, the Kingdom of Aksum, located in present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea, invaded and conquered its neighbor to the north, the Kingdom of Kush, centered in Nubia (modern-day Sudan). By around 350 CE, King Ezana of Aksum had conquered Kush and destroyed its capital Meroe[1][9][16].
The Aksumite invasions are documented in several fragmentary Greek inscriptions from both Aksum and Meroe. These inscriptions, dating to the reigns of the Aksumite kings Ousanas and Ezana in the early-to-mid 4th century, describe Aksumite military campaigns in Nubia and the imposition of tribute on Kush[2][3].
It seems there were at least two major Aksumite invasions - one under King Ousanas and another more devastating one under King Ezana after his conversion to Christianity around 330 CE. While Ousanas’ campaign did not attack Meroe itself, Ezana’s forces reached the Nile and sacked Meroe[3][11]. However, the Aksumite presence in Nubia was likely short-lived and did not result in long-term occupation[2].
The fall of Kush is often associated with these Aksumite invasions in the mid-4th century, although overuse of land and dwindling resources also internally weakened the Kushite state[5][11]. Meroe was abandoned around this time. Smaller Nubian kingdoms continued for many centuries, but Kush as a major power was ended by the Aksumite conquest[1][9].
In summary, the rising Kingdom of Aksum invaded and defeated its older neighbor Kush in the 4th century CE, destroying the capital Meroe and marking the end of the Kushite period as the dominant state in the region. This coincided with Aksum’s own ascendance as a major trading empire in Northeast Africa.
Citations:
[1] https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-the-kush-civilization.html
[2] http://dlib.nyu.edu/awdl/isaw/hatke2013-aksum-and-nubia/
[3] https://academic.oup.com/nyu-press-scholarship-online/book/21782/chapter-abstract/181753905?redirectedFrom=fulltext
[4] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/kingdom-aksum/
[5] https://www.britannica.com/place/Kush
[6] https://www.britannica.com/place/Sudan/The-kingdom-of-Kush
[7] https://nsms6thgradesocialstudies.weebly.com/the-kingdom-of-aksum.html
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Aksum
[9] https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-1/pages/9-3-the-kingdom-of-kush
[10] https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/egypt-art/x7e914f5b:kingdom-of-kush/a/ancient-nubia-and-the-kingdom-of-kush-an-introduction
[11] https://www.worldhistory.org/Kush/
[12] https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/kingdom-aksum/7th-grade/
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Kush
[14] https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksum-ancient-kingdom-Africa
[15] https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-africa/east-africa2/ethiopia/a/the-kingdom-of-aksum
[16] https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/kingdom-of-aksum/
[17] https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-kush-and-axum-civilizations-on-the-swahili-coast-development-interactions.html
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922_regnal_list_of_Ethiopia
[19] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aksumite%E2%80%93Persian_wars