Kadašman-Turgu, meaning he believes in Turgu, a Kassite deity,[1] (1281–1264 BC short chronology) was the twenty-fourth king of the Kassite dynasty of Babylon. He succeeded his father, Nazi-Maruttaš, continuing the tradition of proclaiming himself lugal ki-šár-ra or “king of the world”[2] and went on to reign for eighteen years.[3] He was a contemporary of the Hittite king Ḫattušili III, with whom he concluded a formal treaty of friendship and mutual assistance and Ramesses II with whom he consequently severed diplomatic relations.
Kadašman-Turgu reigned during momentous times, but seems to have played only a supporting role. Ḫattušili III, in a letter to his son and successor Kadašman-Enlil II, said of him, “they used to call [your father] a king who prepares for war but then stays at home”.[4][5]
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Early in his reign, he brokered a treaty with the Assyrian king Adad-Nīrāri, preserved on a fragmentary clay tablet where the phrase “he pardoned his son of the crime” appears twice.[6][7] Kadašman-Enlil’s father, Nazi-Maruttaš had been engaged in a protracted war with both Adad-Nīrāri and his father Arik-den-ili which had reached its dénouement in a battle at "Kār-Ištar of Ugarsallu".[8] This settlement perhaps explains why there were no reports of any conflict between the Babylonians and Assyrians during this time.[9] It also freed the Assyrians to turn their attention to conquering their westerly neighbor and former overlord the Mitanni.[4]
He would no doubt have been aware of the Battle of Kadesh, in 1274, the dramatic climax of the Hittite conflict with Egypt and probably the largest chariot battle ever fought. The Hittite king Muwatalli II died around 1272 and was succeeded by his son, Urḫi-Teššup, who took the name Mursili III, and reigned for seven years.[10] But he found himself increasingly at odds with his uncle, Ḫattušili III, the heroic general of Kadesh, who eventually overthrew him. In the first instance, Urḫi-Teššup seems to have appealed to Kadašman-Turgu for support,[10] before turning to the Assyrians and finally seeking asylum at the court of Ramesses.
First, Ḫattušili demanded the handover of the fugitive. Then he sought support from Kadašman-Turgu complaining of the pharaoh's lack of complicity. Kadašman-Turgu was apparently sympathetic and willing to recognize the usurper as Hatti's legitimate king, motivated perhaps more by the need for a strong alliance with the Hittites to counter the threat of the Assyrians and maintain the uneasy peace. He promised to provide Ḫattušili with military support in any conflict with Egypt and “kept the messenger of the king of Egypt at bay”, i.e. terminated diplomatic links.[11] According to Ḫattušili, they agreed that “the survivor shall protect the children of the one who goes first to his fate”.[11]
Relations must have warmed for at least a short time, before Kadašman-Turgu died, because Ḫattušili records in a letter to Kadašman-Enlil that his father loaned to the Hittite the services of a sculptor, who was subsequently returned.[11] He had earlier loaned a physician named Rabâ-ša-Marduk and an incantation priest to Ḫattušili’s brother Muwatalli II but these experts were never returned.
His construction efforts are witnessed at the E’igi-kalama ziggurat of the tutelary diety Lugalmarada, in the city of Marad[12] and also in the ziggurat area at Nippur.[2]
The eighteen year reign is confirmed by progression of date formulae appearing on more than a hundred economic texts, such as those of Irîmshu-Ninib, a prominent official in Nippur, who recorded ten storehouse transactions from Kadašman-Turgu’s reign through to that of his successor, his son Kadašman-Enlil II, in which he receives incoming taxes, grants loans, and pays salaries to other officers.[13]