Niya (also Niye, Niy, Nii, and Nihe) was a kingdom inSyria near the Orontes River in northern Syria next toNuhasse.
In the Amarna letterscorrespondence of1350-1335 BC,Nii is referenced in two letters. The city ofTunip in the northernLevant had been trying to communicate to the Egyptianpharaoh for two decades, and resorted to another letter, EA 59: entitled:"From the citizens of Tunip", (EA for 'elAmarna'). Thecity-state ofArqa also sent a letter to pharaoh, requesting aid (EA 100).
The other letter referencingNii concerns the individualEtakkama, his collusion with theHittites, and the takeover of territory, 'city-states', and peoples in the northern and western Levant.
In the 15th century BC, the entire region came under the control of the Mitanni Empire.
Amarna Archive,"Nii", 2--letters
[edit]- EA 59, title: "From the citizens ofTunip"
- "To the king of Egypt, our lord: Message of "the citizens of Tunip", your servant. For you may all go well. And wefall at the feet of my lord.
- My lord, thus says "Tunip", your servant: Tunip—whoruled it in the past? Did notManakhpirya-(i.e. "Men-Kheper-Rê-iya"):am-ma-ti-wu-uš (your ancestor)rule it?
- The gods and the ...:na-ab-ri-il-la-an (=?) of the king of Egypt, our lord, dwell in Tunip, and he should inquire of his ancients:am-ma-ti (ancient) when we did not belong to our lord, the king of Egypt-(named:Mizri).
- And now, for 20–years, we have gone on writing to the king, our lord, but ourmessengers have stayed on with the king, our lord. And now, our lord, we ask for the son of'Aki-Teššup' from the king, our lord. May our lord give him.
- My lord,if the king of Egypt has given the son ofAki-Teššup, why does the king, our lord, call him back from the journey?
- And nowAziru is going to hear that inHittite territory a hostile fate has overtaken your servant,a ruler (and) your gardener.
- Should his (the king's) troops and hischariots be delayed, Aziru will do to us just as he did toNii.
- If we ourselves are negligent and the king of Egypt does nothing about these things that Aziru is doing, then he willsurely direct his hand against our lord.
- When Aziru enteredSumur, he did to them as he pleased, in the house of the king, our lord. But our lord did nothing about the(s)e things.
- And nowTunip, your city, weeps, and its tears flow, and there is no grasping of our hand.
- We have gone on writing to the king, our lord, the king of Egypt, for 20–years, and not a single word of our lord has reached us." -EA 59, lines 1-46 (complete)
EA 53 is a 70–line letter of area intrigues, -(written by "PrinceAkizzi" ofQatna). The letter starting at line 35:
- "....
- "My [l]ord,Teu[w]atti ofL[apa]na and[A]rsawuya ofRuhizzi place themselves at the disposition ofAitukama, and he sends[U]pu, the land of my lord, up in flames.
- My lord, just as I love the king, m[y] lord, so too the king ofNuhašše, theking of Nii, the king ofZinzar-(Shaizar), and the king ofTunanab; all of these kings are my lord's servants.
- As far as the king, my lord, can, he co[mes forth. But] it is being said, "The king, my lord, will not come forth." [And so] may the king, my lord, sendarchers [that] they may co[me] to this country. [Si]nce, my lord, these kings are ones whol[ov]e him, let amagnate of the king, my lord, (come(?), just name their gifts so they can give them, (to them(?)).
- My lord, if he makes this land a matter of concern to my lord, then may my lord send archers that they may come here. (Only)messengers of my lord have arrived here.
- My lord, if Arsawuya of Ruhizzi, and Teuwatti of Lapana remain in Upu, andTašša-(the city), remains in theAm[qu], my lord should also know about them that Upu wil not belong to my lord. Daily they write to Aitukama and say as follows: "Come, tak[e] Upu in its entirety."
- My lord, justDimaški in Upu:ka4-di-hi (falls) at your feet, somayQatna:ka4-di-hu-li-eš (fall) at your feet. My lord, one asks for life before my messenger. I do not fear [at al]l in the presence of the archers of my lord,since the archers belong to my lord. If he sends (them) to me, they will en[ter] Qatna." -EA 53 (complete:only lines 35-70 (End)).
The region ofUpu is centered at Damascus, and theAmqu is theBeqaa Valley region to the west and northwest. Nii, andNuhašše are north and northeast(?).[citation needed]
It is also mentioned in the Hittite Sources underSuppiluliuma I who conquered the region.
