Shuttarna II
Encyclopedia
Shuttarna II was a king of the Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni
in the early 14th century BC
.
Shuttarna was a descendant and probably a son of the great Mitannian king Artatama I
. He was an ally of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III
and the diplomatic dealings of the kings are briefly recorded in the Amarna letters
. Shuttarna's daughter Kilu-Hepa (sometimes spelled Gilukhepa) was given to Amenhotep III in marriage to seal the alliance between the two royal houses in the Pharaoh's 10th regnal year, taking with her a great dowry.
During the reign of Shuttarna the kingdom of Mitanni reached its height of power and prosperity. From Alalakh
in the west Mitanni shared its border with Egypt in northern Syria approximately by the river Orontes. The heart of the kingdom was in the Khabur River
basin where the capital Washshukanni was situated. Assyria
as well as Arrapha
in the east were vassal kingdoms of Mitanni. The Hittites
attempted to invade the northern border lands of Mitanni but were defeated by Shuttarna.
He was succeeded by his son Tushratta
or possibly Artashumara
under dubious circumstances.
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
in the early 14th century BC
14th century BC
The 14th century BC is a century which lasted from the year 1400 BC until 1301 BC.-Events:* 1397 BC: Pandion I, legendary King of Athens, dies after a reign of 40 years and is succeeded by his son Erechtheus II of Athens....
.
Shuttarna was a descendant and probably a son of the great Mitannian king Artatama I
Artatama I
Artatama I was a king of the Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni in the late fifteenth century BC. His reign coincided with the reigns of Egyptian pharaohs Amenhotep II and Thutmose IV....
. He was an ally of the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III
Amenhotep III also known as Amenhotep the Magnificent was the ninth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. According to different authors, he ruled Egypt from June 1386 to 1349 BC or June 1388 BC to December 1351 BC/1350 BC after his father Thutmose IV died...
and the diplomatic dealings of the kings are briefly recorded in the Amarna letters
Amarna letters
The Amarna letters are an archive of correspondence on clay tablets, mostly diplomatic, between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the New Kingdom...
. Shuttarna's daughter Kilu-Hepa (sometimes spelled Gilukhepa) was given to Amenhotep III in marriage to seal the alliance between the two royal houses in the Pharaoh's 10th regnal year, taking with her a great dowry.
During the reign of Shuttarna the kingdom of Mitanni reached its height of power and prosperity. From Alalakh
Alalakh
Alalakh is the name of an ancient city-state near modern Antakya in the Amuq River valley of Turkey's Hatay Province.Now represented by an extensive mound, the name of the modern archaeological site is Tell Atchana.-History:...
in the west Mitanni shared its border with Egypt in northern Syria approximately by the river Orontes. The heart of the kingdom was in the Khabur River
Khabur River
The Khabur River , , , ) is the largest perennial tributary to the Euphrates in Syrian territory. Although the Khabur originates in Turkey, the karstic springs around Ra's al-'Ayn are the river's main source of water. Several important wadis join the Khabur north of Al-Hasakah, together creating...
basin where the capital Washshukanni was situated. Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
as well as Arrapha
Arrapha
Arrapha was an ancient Assyrian city that existed in what is today the city of Kirkuk, Iraq. The city was founded around 2000 BC and derived its name from the old Assyrian word Arabkha which was later changed to Arrapha...
in the east were vassal kingdoms of Mitanni. The Hittites
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
attempted to invade the northern border lands of Mitanni but were defeated by Shuttarna.
He was succeeded by his son Tushratta
Tushratta
Tushratta was a king of Mitanni at the end of the reign of Amenhotep III and throughout the reign of Akhenaten -- approximately the late 14th century BC. He was the son of Shuttarna II...
or possibly Artashumara
Artashumara
Artashumara was a Hurrian pretender to the throne of Mitanni in the fourteenth century BC. His reign was very short, or non-existent, before he was murdered. He was the brother of Tushratta, who succeeded him.-See also:*Mitanni...
under dubious circumstances.
See also
- MitanniMitanniMitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...