Shuttarna III was an usurper to the throne of
Mitanni
Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...
who reigned for a short period in the late 14th century BC.
Reign
He was the son of
Artatama II, a usurper to the throne of
Tushratta.
Conquest of Carchemish
In 1345 BC, the conquest of
Carchemish by
Suppiluliuma I led to the assassination of
Tushratta of
Mitanni
Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...
, marking the end of the Mitanni Empire. In a civil war of succession, Shuttarna III usurped the throne, while
Shattiwaza fled to Suppiluliuma I of the
Hittites
The Hittites () were an Anatolian peoples, Anatolian Proto-Indo-Europeans, Indo-European people who formed one of the first major civilizations of the Bronze Age in West Asia. Possibly originating from beyond the Black Sea, they settled in mo ...
in the west.
War of Succession
In the East, Shuttarna III sought the support of
Ashur-uballit I of
Assyria
Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
(r. 1353-1318 BC). However, he was defeated when a Hittite army marched towards the capital and installed Shattiwaza on the throne. The events are described in the Shattiwaza Treaty (CTH 51+52).
[Devecchi, Elena. “Details That Make the Difference: The Akkadian Manuscripts of the ‘Šattiwaza Treaties.’” Die Welt Des Orients, vol. 48, no. 1, 2018, pp. 72–95]
In the south,
Burnaburiash II of
Karduniash (Babylon; 1359-1333 BC) remained neutral in the rivaly between Hatti and Assyria for the remains of Mitanni.
See also
*
Mitanni
Mitanni (–1260 BC), earlier called Ḫabigalbat in old Babylonian texts, ; Hanigalbat or Hani-Rabbat in Assyrian records, or in Ancient Egypt, Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian language, Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria (region), Syria an ...
References
Hurrian kings
14th-century BC people
{{AncientNearEast-bio-stub