Historical Overview of the Kurds and Assyrians and the Relationship Between Them (7) – The Ancestors of the Kurds: The Hurrians – The Mitannians 2. The Indo-Aryan Mitannians
At the beginning of the second millennium BC, the Near East region witnessed migrations of Indo-Aryan peoples to Kurdistan, present-day Iran, and Asia Minor. They merged with the indigenous population of the areas where they settled, bringing their advanced civilization to their new homelands, which enabled them to establish new states and rule over them.
The Mitannians were among these migrating Indo-Aryan peoples who settled in Kurdistan and merged with the Hurrians, who were the indigenous population of the land. After the middle of the sixteenth century BC, they established the Kingdom of Mitanni east of the Euphrates River (Harry Saggs: The Might That Was Assyria, translated by Amer Sulaiman, Baghdad, 1999, page 54), while the researcher (Kantor) mentions that the Kingdom of Mitanni was established in around 1475 BC and continued until around 1275 BC (Source No. 1). Furthermore, the Mitannians were heavily present in the area of (Ugarit) located 11 kilometers north of Latakia, where many Mitannian antiquities were discovered in this region. It is likely that their presence in (Ugarit) was for commercial and religious purposes.
There are numerous pieces of evidence that the Mitannians were Indo-Aryans who migrated to Kurdistan. This evidence relies particularly on the names of Mitannian deities and their proper names. Written texts on horse training by (Kikkuli), the trainer of chariot-pulling horses, contain a number of Indo-Aryan vocabulary items (Source 2). The researcher (Kammenhuber) considers these linguistic vocabulary items to be derived from the Indo-Iranian language (Source 2). The researcher (Mayrhofer) also states that Indo-Aryan features are clear in these texts (Source 3).
Some deity names, proper names, and other terms of the Kingdom of Mitanni show great similarity to Indo-Aryan, suggesting that the Indo-Aryan elite imposed itself on the Hurrian population in the context of Indo-Aryan expansion. In a treaty between the Hittites and the Mitannians, the oath is taken in the name of the deities {(Mitra, Varuna, Indra, and Nasatya (Ashvins)}.
The names of the Mitannian aristocracy are mostly of Indo-Aryan origin. In particular, the names of the Mitannian deities (Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Nasatya) show that they have Indo-Aryan roots; therefore, some researchers believe they are directly related to the Kassites (Source 4). Below is some evidence that the Mitannians were Indo-Aryans:
The Mitannian horse trainer (Kikkuli) is the author of the text that speaks about horse breeding. This text was written in around 1499 BC and provides valuable information about the development of the Indo-European language, and its contents are also of special importance. The text written by (Kikkuli) on horse breeding includes technical terms, including numerical terms, such as “a-i-ka, aika” which corresponds in Sanskrit to “eka” meaning “one”, “tuwa” which corresponds to the Sanskrit “dwe” meaning “two”, “tie-ra-, tera-” which corresponds in Sanskrit to “tri” meaning “three”, “paanza, pańća” which corresponds in Sanskrit to “pañca” meaning “five”, “ša-at-ta, satta” which corresponds in Sanskrit to “sapta” meaning “seven”, “na-a-[w]a, nāva” which corresponds in Sanskrit to “nava” meaning “nine”, and (vartanna) which corresponds in Sanskrit to (vartana) meaning (“horse racing match or a round in a horse race”). The number “one” “aika” is of special importance because it places the aristocracy in the vicinity of Indo-Aryan names versus Indo-Aryan or Old Iranian which generally has “aiva” (Source 5). These Indo-Aryan numerical vocabulary items are still alive in Indo-European languages, including the Kurdish language.
The text written by the horse trainer (Kikkuli) also contains vocabulary such as “babru” which corresponds in Sanskrit to the word “babhru” meaning “brown”, “parita” which is “palita” in Sanskrit meaning “gray”, and “pinkara” which corresponds in Sanskrit to the word “pingala” meaning “red”. These Indo-Aryan words support the fact that the Mitannians were Indo-Aryans.
The Vedic religion (the ancient Indian religion that preceded the Zoroastrian religion) had, in some form, a presence in the region of Mesopotamia during the eras of the rule of the Mitannians, the Hittites, and the Kassites (around 1750 BC), who worshipped the god Surya. A Hittite inscription was discovered in (Bogazköy) for the god of destruction and annihilation (Ak/gniš), who is the Indo-Aryan god of fire (AGNI). In the Zoroastrian hymn book (Gathas), the word (atr) means (fire), whereas this vocabulary item is not present in the sacred Indian (Veda) books. This indicates that the Vedic religion had a presence in the region at that time (Source No. 6, and this book can also be viewed directly through Link No. 1).
The names of some Mitannian kings reveal themselves to have Indo-Aryan roots. It appears that they were followers of the Vedic religion. The ruling aristocratic class was (maryanni) which means “young warrior”, derived from the Sanskrit word “marya”. The Mitannian warriors were called (Marya), which is also a Sanskrit term.
The name of the Mitannian capital (Washukanni) is similar to the Sanskrit phrase “mine of wealth”. The Indo-Aryan vocabulary item (kanni) still remains in the Kurdish language, meaning (water spring), and the meaning is close to the word “mine”, as the former is a source of groundwater and the second is also an underground source.
The names of the Mitannian kings are Indo-Aryan. The name of the founder of the Kingdom of Mitanni, King (Kirta) (1500–1490 BC), is Indo-Aryan. The names of other Mitannian kings and men of that era are also of Indo-Aryan origin. For example: (Tushrata) which corresponds to the Sanskrit word (Dasharatha) meaning “owner of ten war chariots”, (Baratarna) corresponds to the Sanskrit word (Paratarna) meaning “the great sun”, (Biridaswa) = (Brihadashwa) “owner of great horses”, (Artatamna) = (Rtumna) “he who devotes himself to the divine religion”, (Saustatar) = (Saukshatra) “the good ruler”, (Saumathi) = (Satawaza) “he who is a winner of seven prizes”, (Shuttarna) = (Sutarna) “a good sun”, (Sumaala) = “owner of beautiful wreaths of flowers”, (Parsatatar) = (Parashukshatra) “ruler with an axe”, (Mattiwaza) = (Mattivaja) “his wealth is prayer” (Source No. 3).
Before ascending the throne, King (Šattiwaza) (around 1325–1280 BC) bore a Hurrian name, (Kili-Teššup), like many of his Mitannian king ancestors. Among the many Hurrian and Mesopotamian deities by which the Mitannian kings swore in their treaties were the Indo-Aryan deities Mitra, Varuna, Indra, and Nasatyas (see Link No. 2).
A famous treaty was concluded between the Hittite ruler (Suppiluliuma) and the Mitannian king (Mattiwaza) in around 1380 BC in (Boghazkoy), where oaths were taken not only in the name of Babylonian deities to bear witness to this treaty, but oaths were also taken in the name of deities of Vedic origin such as Mitra, Varuna, Indra, and Nasatya (Ashvin). The names of these deities are written in the same form found in the sacred Indian books (Rig-Veda) (Source No. 7).
The names of these Vedic deities are very similar to those mentioned in the sacred Zoroastrian book (Avesta), where supplication in the (Avesta) is made to the god (Mitra “Mithra”). It appears that the gods Indra and Naonhaithya in the sacred Zoroastrian book (Avesta) became demons, while the god (Varuna) remained in the Zoroastrian religion and his name transformed into (Ahura Mazda). This indicates that members of the Mitannian royal family practiced the Vedic religion and that the influence of Hurrian beliefs had not emerged on the Mitannian royal family until that time, although its members spoke the Hurrian language.
The main festival of the Mitannians was the celebration of the solstice or declination of the sun (vishuva), which was common in most cultures of the ancient world. The Mitannian warriors were called “marya”, which is a term for warrior in the Sanskrit language as well. It is noted that “mišta-nnu” corresponds in Sanskrit to the word (mīḍha) meaning “payment of money to arrest a fugitive” (Source No. 8).
The Sanskrit translation of the names of the kings of the Kingdom of Mitanni is as follows: “Artashumara (Artaššumara)” = (Arta-smara) meaning (he who thinks of Arta or Ṛta) (Source No. 8, page 780), “Biridashva” (Biriiašṷa, Biridašṷa) = “Pritashva” meaning “horse of a dear one” (Source No. 8, page 182), “Priyamazda (Priiyamazda)” = “Priyamedha” meaning “wisdom of a dear one” (Source No. 8, pages 189, 378), “Strata” = “Strataha” meaning “any bright war chariot” (Source No. 9, page 553), “Indaruda or Indaruta” = “Indruta” meaning (helped by Indra) (Source No. 9, page 134), “Shativaza (šattiṷaza)” = (Sātivāja) meaning “winning the price of the race” (Source No. 8, pages 540, 696), (Šubandhu) = (Subandhu) meaning “possessing good relatives” (a name in Palestine, Source No. 8, pages 209, 735), and (Tushratta) (Tyushirata, Tushrat, etc.) = (Tṷaiašaratha, Vedic Tvastr) = (Tvaiasharatha) meaning “war chariot of a violent one” (Source No. 3, pages 689, 736). (āśv-san-ni) corresponds in Sanskrit to (āśva-sana) meaning “master horse trainer”, who is (Kikkuli) himself, and the word (aš-šu-wa) corresponds in Sanskrit to (aśva) meaning (horse) (Source No. 10).
Sources
Kantor, H. J. (1999). Plant Ornament in the Ancient Near East, Chapter XIV: Mitanni. Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, USA.
Kammenhuber, Annelies (1968). Die Arier im vorderen Orient. Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pp 238.
Mayrhofer, M. (1974). Die Arier im Vorderen Orient – ein Mythos? Sitzungsberichte der Oesterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 294,3, Vienna.
Roux, Georges (1966). Ancient Iraq. Penguin Books, pp. 234.
Mallory, James P. (1997) Kuro-Araxes Culture. Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture, Fitzroy Dearborn.
Antonov, Vladimir (2008). Agni Yoga. Translated from Russian by Mikhail Nicolenko, Createspace Independent Publishing, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada.
(Konow, S. (1921). Aryan gods of the Mitani people.
(Mayrhofer, M. (1986-2000). Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, Heidelberg. Vol: II (686, 736).
Mayrhofer, M. (1986–2000). Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen, Heidelberg, vol. IV.
Witzel, Michael (2001): Autochthonous Aryans? The evidence from Old Indian and Iranian texts. Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, Vol. 7(3): 1–115.
