Kassiten

The Kassites were an ancient Near Eastern people who established a long-lived dynasty in Babylonia, known as the Kassite or Karduniaš dynasty, from about the mid-2nd millennium BCE to the early 1st millennium BCE. They ruled over Babylon and surrounding regions for roughly four centuries, maintaining Babylonian institutions, religion, and administration while introducing their own cultural and artistic influences.

Origins and language are subjects of scholarly debate. The Kassites are generally believed to have originated in the Zagros Mountains, in regions of present-day Iran and southeastern Mesopotamia, and gradually gained control of Mesopotamian territory after the decline of the Old Babylonian state. Their language, Kassite, is poorly attested and considered by many researchers to be distinct from Akkadian; scribal and administrative practices, however, used Akkadian cuneiform. The Babylonian rulers styled themselves as kings of Babylon and sometimes used the title Karduniaš, reflecting the native designation for their realm.

Notable features of Kassite rule include stabilization of the economy, temple endowments, and continuance of traditional Babylonian religious cults, especially the cult of Marduk. Architects built and renovated major structures, including the fortress-temple complex at Dur-Kurigalzu. The dynasty included rulers such as Burna-Buriash II and Kurigalzu I and II, who expanded trade networks with Elam, the Levant, and Anatolia, and faced continued Elamite and Assyrian pressures.

The Kassite dynasty endured until roughly the 12th century BCE, when external pressures and internal challenges contributed to its decline. After its end, Babylonian political life passed under the influence of successor powers in the region.