Overview

At the height of its influence, the Mitanni kingdom controlled an area that included Syria, northwest Mesopotamia, and Southeastern Anatolia. The kingdom of Mitanni was known variously as Ḫanigalbat to the Assyrians, Ḫabigalbat to Babylonians, and Naharina to Egyptians. The kingdom likely began in the 16th century bc, reached the apex of power in the 15th century bc—when it was among the most powerful states in the entire Near East—and declined in the 14th and 13th centuries bc. The Mitanni kingdom was primarily composed of Hurrians, though it appears there was an Indo-European-speaking constituent. This Indo-European influx introduced a number of important aspects to Mitannian culture, including a number of new deities as well as a number of words and phrases relating to horse and chariot training.