| MUWATALLIS II
Depiction of Muwatalli II on a relief at Sirkeli Höyük Other
names : Muwatallis II / Muwatalli II
Muwatalli II (also Muwatallis, or Muwatallish) was a king of the New Kingdom of the Hittite empire c. 1295–1282 (middle chronology) and 1295–1272 BC in the short chronology.
Biography
:
He is best known for relocating the Hittite capital to Tarhuntassa, appointing his brother Hattusili as governor in Hattusa, and fighting Ramesses II in the Battle of Kadesh.
A copy of a treaty has been recovered between him and Alaksandu, ruler of Wilusa (Troy), one of the Arzawa lands.
Egyptologists [citation needed] suspect that some time prior to Ramesses II's accession to the Egyptian throne, Muwattalli had reached an informal peace treaty or understanding with Seti I over Kadesh to avoid a clash between the two powers over control of Syria. In it, Seti effectively ceded Kadesh to the Hittite king in order to focus on domestic issues in Egypt.
Muwatalli had a wife named Tanu-Hepa and at least two children. One was Urhi-Teshup, who became king as Mursili III until his uncle Hattusili III deposed him. Another was Kurunta who became the vassal ruler of Tarhuntassa during the reign of Hattusili III. Another person named Ulmi-Teshup is suggested to be a third son of Muwatalli II, but it is quite likely that Ulmi-Teshup and Kurunta are the same person.
Tudhaliya IV and Egyptian Queen Maathorneferure were the nephew and niece of Muwatalli.
Muwatalli's namesake, Muwatalli I, was a pre-Empire king of the early 14th century, the predecessor of Tudhaliya I.
Move
to Tarhuntassa :
The first theory is that Muwatlli II moved the capital because of the border skirmishes between the Hittites and the Kaska, and later the rebellion by Piyamaradu. These disputes were on the northern border, and the capital of Hattusa is located near the northern border. After stabilizing the northern border, he moved the capital farther south, to the new location of Tarhuntassa. This new location was not only farther away from the troublesome northern border, but it was also strategically better for the upcoming fight against Egypt over Syria.
The second theory of why Muwatalli II moved his capital south is for religious reasons. Itamar Singer, in his essay “The Failed Reforms of Akhenaten and Muwatalli” states that the reason for the move had deeper roots in a religious reform, although he does acknowledge the political advantages of the move. The main evidence for this is how the depiction of the Storm God on his royal seals changes significantly after the expulsion of Danuhepa. Muwatalli II introduces a new motif for seals that is followed by all the Hittite kings that rule after him: the Umarmungsszene (German) (the protective embrace of the deity). This style is identifiable because it shows the king being embraced by one (or more) gods. In Muwatalli II's seals, he is being embraced by the Storm God of Lightning (Pihassassa) instead of the traditional Storm God of Heaven (Teshub).
Sirkeli relief :
On
the west bank of the Ceyhan river near the village of Sirkeli (Sirkeli
Höyük), a late Hittite rock relief reminds of the presence
of the Hittites in the Çukurova (Cilician Plain). It shows
the Hittite Great King Muwatalli II (1290–1272 BC).
The inscription of the king mentions also the name of his father Mursili II: “Muwattalli, Great King, the Hero, son of Mursili, Great King, the Hero”. He wears a long robe and, in his left hand, he holds the kalmus (lituus). The appearance of King Muwattalli is consistent with the way the Sun God of Heaven (Nepisas Istanu, or Simige) was portrayed in Hittite iconography; so this indicates deification.
A second, very similar relief is a few meters away, but it was partially destroyed in antiquity. The nature of the damage indicates a deliberate destruction, so that the name of this figure could not be read.
This figure is probably Urhi-Teššup, whose throne name was Muršili (III). He became the king of Hatti after the death of his father Muwatalli II, but was overthrown 7 years later by his uncle Hattušili III.
These reliefs were probably directly visible to the people entering the ancient town, and dominated the landscape. But because the course of the river kept changing over the centuries, currently the reliefs are not so easily visible to visitors.
During the Hittite period, Sirkeli Höyük may have been the cult town of Kummanni.
Battle
of Kadesh :
The Aleppo Treaty: treaty between Muwattalli II king of Hatti, and Talmi-Sharruma king of Aleppo, written in Akkadian. Found in Bogazkoy, ancient Hattusa, dated c. 1300 BC. British Museum Muwatalli II is best known as the Hittite ruler who fought Ramesses II to a standstill at the Battle of Kadesh. Among his allies was Talmi-Sharruma, grandson of Suppiluliumas I, who was the king of Aleppo.
Although both sides claimed victory in this war, scholars generally believe that the battle ended badly for both sides, especially Ramesses II. This is because both sides suffered heavy losses and their military strength was reduced. What makes this battle unique is not how it ended, but that out of all the battles that Ramses II fought during his reign, he gave special attention to this battle. This is evident by the fact that he produced two official versions of the battle: the Literary Record, sometimes referred to as the Poem, and the Pictorial Record, which includes the Bulletin, a short record of the battle and carved images. These two depictions of the battle are found inscribed in five different Egyptian temples, including the Ramesseum. The second thing that makes this battle noteworthy is the tactics that Muwatalli II used against the Egyptian Army.
The general outline of the battle is this: Muwatlli II gathered his troops in northern Syria and sent out scouts and spies to ascertain the location of Ramesses II army. The spies reached Ramesses II and the division of Amun, when he was first approaching Kadesh. The spies, pretending to be deserters, gained the ear of Ramses II. They used this to convince him that the Hittite army was over hundred miles away in Aleppo. Sometime later, other Hittite scouts were caught, and Ramesses II discovered the ruse: Muwatalli II was right outside of Kadesh with his forces.
The battle began when the Hittite forces attacked the Egyptian army that was marching towards Kadesh. Ramses II, at his camp in Kadesh, had gone ahead of his other divisions and only had one division of his army with him. While the division to the south of Ramses II was being attacked by one attachment of Hittite charioteers, Muwatalli II had sent a second division of charioteers to attack Ramses II camp. Ramses II forces managed to fend off the Hittite attack and “win” the battle on the following day.
One of the carvings showing Ramesses II at the Battle of Kadesh
Egyptian account :
Despite the enthusiastic depiction of the battle by Ramesses II, scholars have concluded that the battle was a disaster for Ramesses II. This is because after the battle, Muwatalli II continued to expand into Syria and the Egyptian expansion was stopped in the area of Palestine.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muwatalli_II |
