Hortensia de los Santos
Author, Researcher, Theorist

A Reassessment of Civilization's Origins

The Mitanni: An Ancient Near Eastern Kingdom with Sanskritic Influence

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Abstract

The Mitanni were a powerful kingdom that thrived between 1600–1300 BCE in what is now northern Syria and southeastern Turkey. Their ruling class shows clear linguistic and religious connections to Sanskritic traditions, particularly through their names, deities, and horse-training practices. This suggests an early exchange of religious, linguistic, and technological knowledge between South Asia and the Near East, rather than a migration of a specific group of people.

1. Sanskritic Elements in the Mitanni Kingdom

The most striking evidence of Sanskrit-related influence in the Mitanni kingdom comes from royal names, religious references, and chariot warfare manuals.
• A. Royal Names with Sanskrit Parallels Several Mitanni rulers had names that resemble Sanskrit words, indicating a cultural or linguistic connection:
  • Tushratta → Resembles Tvesharatha, meaning "one whose chariot is glorious" in Sanskrit.
  • Shuttarna → Similar to Sutrāṇa, meaning protector
  • Artashumara → Resembles Rta-Smara, meaning "one who remembers cosmic order (Rta)".
  • Paratarna → Similar to Paratra, meaning "beyond".
  These names indicate Sanskritic linguistic roots embedded within the ruling class, suggesting cultural exchange rather than an ethnic migration.
• B. Vedic Deities in Mitanni Texts A key diplomatic treaty between King Tushratta of Mitanni and the Hittite King Suppiluliuma I (c. 1380 BCE)invokes deities that are also found in the Vedas:
  • Indra (god of storms and war)
  • Mitra (god of contracts and alliances)
  • Varuna (god of cosmic order and justice)
  • Nasatyas (Ashvins) (divine twin horsemen, associated with healing and speed)
  This suggests that Vedic religious concepts were already present in the Near East long before they were recorded in later Sanskrit texts. Rather than indicating a migration, this points to shared religious and cultural exchanges between early civilizations.
• C. Sanskrit-Related Terms in Mitanni Horse Training Manuals The Kikkuli Texts, a Hittite horse-training manual from the 14th century BCE, contains numerous Sanskrit-like terms related to horse numbers and movements:
  • Aika (Sanskrit eka, "one")
  • Tera (Sanskrit tri, "three")
  • Panza (Sanskrit panca, "five")
  • Satta (Sanskrit sapta, "seven")
  • Nava (Sanskrit nava, "nine")
  This is significant because Sanskrit numbers are nearly identical to those in these ancient Near Eastern texts, suggesting that knowledge of horse training and chariot warfare was exchanged across regions.

  Rather than attributing this to an "Aryan migration," it's more reasonable to see it as early cross-civilizational knowledge-sharing between South Asia and the Near East.

2. How Did These Sanskritic Elements Reach the Near East?

Instead of assuming that a migrating "Aryan" group brought these ideas westward, a more likely explanation is ancient trade, diplomacy, and intellectual exchange.
• A. Trade and Cultural Interactions
  • The Indus Valley Civilization (Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro) had active trade routes connecting it to Mesopotamia, Persia, and the Near East.
  • Goods, texts, and religious ideas could have been exchanged, allowing for Sanskritic and Vedic elements to be adopted by ruling elites in places like Mitanni.
  • The Mitanni, being a military power, may have adopted Sanskritic terminology for their elite warrior classdue to South Asia's advanced knowledge in horse and chariot warfare.
  B. Chariot Warfare and Knowledge Transfer
  • The earliest evidence of advanced chariot warfare is found in South Asia and the Near East simultaneously, which suggests a shared technological development rather than a unidirectional movement.
  • The use of Sanskrit-related horse-training terms in the Kikkuli Texts hints that knowledge of horse breeding and chariot training circulated freely across ancient civilizations.

3. Religious and Philosophical Parallels

Since the Mitanni royal families revered Indra, Mitra, and Varuna, it raises interesting questions about the early spread of Vedic-like ideas:
• Rta (cosmic law), a central concept in Vedic religion, has parallels in Zoroastrian and Mesopotamian beliefs.
• Fire worship (Agni in Vedic tradition) has equivalents in Zoroastrianism (Atar) and Mesopotamian rituals.
• Kingship rituals in Mitanni and the Vedic world share similarities, such as sacred contracts, divine legitimacy, and chariot symbolism.

Rather than this being the result of an "Aryan migration," it makes more sense to see it as an intellectual and religious exchange between civilizations that were already in contact through trade and diplomacy.

Conclusion The presence of Sanskritic elements in Mitanni culture is best understood as part of a broader network of ancient knowledge exchange rather than the movement of a specific "Aryan" group. Key Takeaways: 1. Mitanni rulers had names linked to Sanskritic words, indicating linguistic and cultural connections. 2. Vedic deities (Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Nasatyas) appear in Mitanni religious texts, suggesting shared religious ideas. 3. Horse-training manuals in Mitanni used Sanskrit-like words, implying technical knowledge transfer rather than ethnic movement. 4. The Indus Valley Civilization already had trade links with Mesopotamia and surrounding regions, making cultural exchange the most logical explanation. 5. Rather than assuming a migration of "Aryans," it’s more accurate to recognize the Mitanni as part of a larger, interconnected world where knowledge flowed between civilizations. This perspective respects the indigenous nature of South Asian civilizations while acknowledging the ancient cross-cultural exchanges that shaped early societies.

If proven, this theory reshapes the history of human civilization, placing its origins in the Indian subcontinent long before Mesopotamia.