Urartu was one of the most powerful states of the Ancient World. In the VI century BC, it ceased to exist. However, some Armenians still consider themselves to be the descendants of the Urarts.
On the Armenian Highlands
Urartu is an ancient state in South-West Asia, located on the territory of the Armenian Highlands. Urartu as a tribal union took shape already in the XIII century BC, mention of Urartu as a state is found in sources since the VIII century. For a whole quarter of the 1st millennium, Urartu was a significant force on the geopolitical map of the Ancient World. But, having experienced its heyday in the 9th - middle of the 8th century BC, by the 6th century BC, the state fell into decay. It was caused by both external and internal factors.
Who are the Urarts
There was no such people as the Urarts. Throughout its history, the population of Urartu has been an inter-tribal community. The fragmentation of the Urartian society was one of the reasons for the decline of Urartu as a state.
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Currently, there is a debate in scientific circles about the succession of Armenia from Urartu. Urartu as a state, as we have already written, came to an end in the 6th century BC, at that time the ethnogenesis of Armenians was only at the final stage of development.
Back in the 5th century BC, the population of the Armenian Highlands was heterogeneous and consisted of the remnants of the Urarts, Proto-Armenians, Hurrians, Semites, Hittites and Luwians. Note that there are Urarts in this list, but there are other peoples in it.
Undoubtedly, the genetic component of the Urarts is still present in the genetic code of the Armenians, but no more than the genetic component of the same Hurrians and Luwians, not to mention the proto-Armenians. The connection between the Armenians and the Urarts is evidenced by borrowings taken in the Armenian language from the Urartian and Hurrian dialects. It must also be admitted that the Armenians experienced the cultural influence of the once powerful state.
Urartu language
The Urartu language was not homogeneous and was used by the ruling dynasty. All found sources of Urartian writing tell about the kings and their glorious deeds. Linguists see a connection between both the Urartian and Hurrian languages and also speak of the influence of the Assyrian language on Urartian. Many ideograms of Urartu repeat the Assyrian ones, but have retained fewer interpretations of each symbol. Also, the Urartian language differs from the Assyrian language in some vocalizations, which indicates the originality of the articulation of the Urartian language.
Religion
The religion of Urartu was a polytheistic religion with a developed pantheon of gods, typical of the Middle Eastern despotic states of the Ancient World. The list of gods consists of 70 positions.
The supreme god in the pantheon was the god Khaldi. This was the only god of Urartian origin. The etymology of his name is not fully understood. There are versions that the name Khaldi is associated with the word "-hal" (sky) that still exists in some Caucasian languages, thus "Khaldi" can be translated as "heavenly".
The second god of the pantheon - Teisheba - was the god of thunder and war, the god Shivini was the god of the sun.
The gods of Urartu, like the gods of any ancient pantheistic pantheon, can hardly be called merciful and tolerant. In Urartu, sacrifices were widespread, including human ones. However, researchers note the relative tolerance of the Urartian religion associated with the multi-tribal nature of the Urartian population.
Urartu and its enemies
Assyria was the main enemy of Urartu. The struggle for hegemony in the Middle East has been going on throughout the history of Urartu. From the Assyrians, Urartu borrowed a lot, including elements of military uniform and weapons characteristic of the Assyrians. In open clashes, the Urartu army lost to the Assyrians, which is partly due to the widespread development of defensive architecture in the state.
The Urartu army was regular, wars, both defensive and expansionary, were ongoing. At the same time, the rulers of Urartu took a direct part not only in battles, but also in military tournaments held in Urartu. The Urartu army was large enough to ensure its interests (in the best years). So, the army of the king Ishpuini consisted of 100 chariots, 10 thousand horse soldiers and 3 thousand foot soldiers.
The 6th century BC was a crisis for both Assyria and Urartu. Urartu was attacked by the Scythians and Cimmerians from the north, from the southeast - by the Medes. Under their onslaught, the state began to disintegrate, its capital moved to the Transcaucasian city of Teishebaini. Since the destruction of Teishebaina, the history of Urartu as a state can be considered complete. Historians still do not have an accurate idea of who destroyed this city. The honor of burying the glory of Urartu is shared by the Scythians, Cimmerians, Medes and Babylonians.