MURSILISH
III
Other
names : Mursilish III / Urhi-Teshub / Uhi-Tehub
Preceded by : Muwatalli
II
Succeeded by : Hattusili
III
Parent King : Muwatalli II
Relatives : Tudhaliya IV (cousin)
Regnal
titles of Mursilish III : King of the Hittites
Mursili
III, also known as Urhi-Teshub, was a king of the Hittites who assumed
the throne of the Hittite empire (New Kingdom) at Tarhuntassa upon
his father's death. He was a cousin of Tudhaliya IV and Queen Maathorneferure.
He ruled ca. 1282–1275 BC (middle chronology) or 1272–1265
BC (short chronology).
Biography
:
He was the eldest surviving son of Muwatalli II. He was a grandson
of Mursili II.
During
his reign, Mursili III reverted the capital from Tarhuntassa (as
it had been under Muwatalli) back to Hattusa (KBo 21.15 i 11-12).
However, the Assyrians captured Hanigalbat, which severely weakened
his legitimacy to rule over the Hittite Empire. In his seventh year,
Mursili III attacked and seized control of his uncle Hattusili's
regional strongholds of Hakpissa and Nerik within the Hittite Empire
in order to remove Hattusili as a threat to the throne. Hakpissa
served as the centre of Hattusili's power while Nerik was under
Hattusilis's sway from the latter's position as high priest there.
Hattusili then states in a well-known text:
"For
seven years I submitted [to the king]. But at a divine command and
with human urging, Urhi-Tesub sought to destroy me. He took Hakpissa
and Nerik from me. Now I submitted to him no longer. I made war
against him. But I committed no crime in doing so, by rising up
against him with chariots or in the palace. In civilised manner
I communicated thus with him: 'You have begun hostilities with me.
Now you are Great King, but I am king of only one fortress. That
is all you have left me. Come! Istar of Samuha and the Storm God
of Nerik shall decide the case for us!' Since I wrote to Urhi-Tesub
in this manner, if anyone now says: 'Why after previously making
him king do you now write to him about war?' (my reply would be);
'If he had not begun fighting with me, would Istar and the Storm
God have now subjected him to a small king?' Because he began fighting
with me, the gods have subjected him to me by their judgement."
(Apol. §10C, III 63-79).
Consequently,
Mursili III's reign was seven years. In the subsequent revolt, Hatusilli
gathered a considerable force. This included natural allies from
his local strongholds of Nerik and Hakpissa, as well as many non-aligned
Hittites who were impressed with his record of service to the Hittite
Empire. His strategic military victory over Ramesses II of Egypt
in the 1274 BC Battle of Kadesh was favourably contrasted with the
rather "undistinguished and largely unproven occupant of the
throne of Hattusa" – Urhi-Teshub/Mursilis III –
who had lost Hanigalbat to Assyria in his reign. Hattusili's forces
even included elements of the Kaska peoples who were sworn enemies
of the Hittites. Hatusilli quickly defeated Mursili III and seized
the throne from his nephew; he then succeeded to power as King Hattusili
III. After his victory, Hattusili appointed Mursili's brother or
brother-in-law, Kurunta, as the vassal king over Tarhuntassa in
order to win the latter's loyalty.
Mursili
fled to Egypt, the land of his country's enemy, after the failure
of his plots to oust his uncle from the throne. Hattusili III responded
to this event by demanding that Ramesses II extradite his nephew
back to Hatti.
This
letter precipitated a crisis in relations between Egypt and Hatti
when Ramesses denied any knowledge of Mursili's whereabouts in his
country and the two empires came dangerously close to war. However,
both kings eventually decided to resolve the issue by making peace
in Year 21 of Ramesses II. An extradition clause was also included
in the treaty. Mursili III soon thereafter disappears from history
after his sojourn in Egypt.
Mursili
III seemingly had a son. A certain Hartapu calls himself a great
king and son of the great king Mursili, who normally is identified
with Mursili III. Hartapu likely has ruled Tarhuntassa in the 2nd
half of the 13th century BC.
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mursili_III