Artashumara[1] (Mittani Aryan: Artasmara;[2][3] Akkadian: Artašumara[4]) was a Hurrian ruler who briefly succeeded his father Shuttarna II as the king of Mitanni in the fourteenth century BC. He was a brother of Tushratta and Artatama II. He was later assassinated by a pro-hittite group led by Tuhi who declared himself as a regent after placing Tushratta on the throne. [5] Tuhi was later executed by Tushratta.

Artashumara
King of Mitanni
Reignc. 1380 BC
PredecessorShuttarna II (father)
SuccessorTushratta (brother)
FatherShuttarna II

Name

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The name Artašumara is the Akkadian form of the Mittani Aryan name Artasmara, which is a cognate of the Vedic Sanskrit term ऋतस्मर (Ṛta-smara), meaning "he remembers Ṛta".[2][3]

Reign

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He is known only from a single mention in a tablet found in Tell Brak "Artassumara the king, son of Shuttarna the king" and a mention in Amarna letter 17.[6][7] According to the letter, after the death of Shuttarna II, he briefly took power but was later assassinated.[8][9]

See also

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Preceded by Mitanni king
14th century BC
Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ Mario Liverani (2014). The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Routledge. Text 16.1
  2. ^ a b Witzel, Michael (2001). "Autochthonous Aryans? The Evidence from Old Indian and Iranian Texts". Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies. 7 (3): 1–118. doi:10.11588/EJVS.2001.3.830. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b Liverani, Mario (2014). "16.1. The 'mountain people' and the 'dark age'". The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Routledge. p. 273.
  4. ^ ar-ta-aš-šu-ma-ra in "CDLI-Archival View". cdli.ucla.edu.
  5. ^ Van De Mieroop, M. (2009). The Eastern Mediterranean in the Age of Ramesses II. Wiley. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4443-3220-9. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  6. ^ Finkel, Irving L. “Inscriptions from Tell Brak 1984.” Iraq, vol. 47, 1985, pp. 187–201
  7. ^ Moran, William L. (1992). The Amarna Letters. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-8018-4251-4.
  8. ^ Artzi, P., "The Diplomatic Service in Action: The Mitanni File”, in: R. Cohen and R. Westbrook (eds.): Amarna Diplomacy: The Beginnings of International Relations, Baltimore, London: 205–211, 2000
  9. ^ Podany, Amanda (2010). Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East. Oxford University Press. p. 198–. ISBN 9780199718290.