Illustration
This map illustrates the rise and fall of the Mitanni Empire, an influential Indo-Iranian state that emerged in northern Mesopotamia during the Late Bronze Age. At its height around 1500 BCE, Mitanni controlled a vast territory stretching from the Zagros Mountains in the east to the Levantine coast in the west, acting as a powerful buffer between the Hittites, Egyptians, and Kassites.
The empire’s heartland lay in the Khabur River region (in modern-day northeastern Syria), where it developed a unique blend of Hurrian culture and Indo-Aryan elite influence, evident in royal names and religious terminology. Mitanni’s influence extended over parts of Assyria, northern Syria, and western Iran, but by the 14th century BCE, it faced increasing pressure from rising powers like the Hittites and Assyrians, eventually leading to its fragmentation and absorption into surrounding empires.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2021, December 06). Mitanni Empire, c.1500-1300 BCE. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14946/mitanni-empire-c1500-1300-bce/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Mitanni Empire, c.1500-1300 BCE." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified December 06, 2021. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14946/mitanni-empire-c1500-1300-bce/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Mitanni Empire, c.1500-1300 BCE." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 06 Dec 2021, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/14946/mitanni-empire-c1500-1300-bce/. Web. 24 Apr 2025.
