Tushratta

Mitanni king

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July 14, 2026

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Tushratta was the last independent king of the Indo-Iranian empire of Mitanni, which flourished in northern Mesopotamia from approximately 1500 to 1360 BCE. At its peak, Mitanni extended from the Zagros Mountains to the Mediterranean Sea, with its heartland along the Khabur River. The ruling class, known as maryannu, were Indo-Iranians who settled among the Hurrian people. Tushratta's reign saw the capital city of Wassukkani sacked by the Hittite king Suppiluliumas I. Following Tushratta's assassination, dynastic struggles led to Mitanni becoming part of the Hittite empire and later falling under Assyrian control.1

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history of Mesopotamia
The Hurrian and Mitanni kingdoms
Tushratta (c. 1365–c. 1330), the son of Shuttarna, was able to maintain the kingdom he had inherited for many years. In his sometimes very long letters—one of them written in Hurrian—to Amenhotep III and Akhenaton (1353–1336), he wrote about commerce, his desire for gold, and…
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Tushratta (c. 1365–c. 1330), the son of Shuttarna, was able to maintain the kingdom he had inherited for many years. In his sometimes very long letters—one of them written in Hurrian—to Amenhotep III and Akhenaton (1353–1336), he wrote about commerce, his desire for gold, and…
Read More

Mitanni
…independent king of Mitanni was Tushratta (died c. 1360 bce), under whose reign Wassukkani was sacked by the Hittite king Suppiluliumas I. Tushratta was later assassinated, and dynastic struggles ensued until Mattiwaza, a son of Tushratta, was aided by Suppiluliumas against Shuttarna of Hurri; thereafter Mitanni became part of the…
Read More
…independent king of Mitanni was Tushratta (died c. 1360 bce), under whose reign Wassukkani was sacked by the Hittite king Suppiluliumas I. Tushratta was later assassinated, and dynastic struggles ensued until Mattiwaza, a son of Tushratta, was aided by Suppiluliumas against Shuttarna of Hurri; thereafter Mitanni became part of the…
Read More