Mursili I
| Mursili I | |
|---|---|
| Title | King of the Hittites |
| Successor | Hantili I |
| Spouse(s) | Kali[1][2] |
| Parent(s) | Ḫaštayara |
| Relatives | Ḫarapšili (sister) |
Mursili (or Murshili) I was a king of the Hittites ca. 1556–1526 BC (short chronology), and was likely a grandson of his predecessor, Hattusili I. His sister was Ḫarapšili and his wife was queen Kali.[3][4]
Biography
Mursili is credited with the conquest of the kingdom of Yamhad and its capital, Aleppo, in northern Syria. Ca. 1531 BC, Mursili led an unprecedented march of 2000 km south into the heart of Mesopotamia where he sacked the city of Babylon, bringing an end to the Amorite dynasty of Hammurabi. This raid did not result in any Hittite control over Babylonia, but did result in the emergence of the Kassites as the rulers there. He attacked these two cities for grains and cereals because the clouds from the Thera eruption decreased the amount of wheat the Hittites could produce. [5]
When Mursili returned to his kingdom, he was assassinated in a conspiracy led by his brother-in-law, Hantili I (who took the throne), and Hantili's son-in-law, Zidanta I. His death inaugurated a period of social unrest and decay of central rule, followed by the loss of the conquests made in Syria.
See also
- History of the Hittites
References
- ↑ A Historical Geography of Anatolia in the Old Assyrian Colony Period by Gojko Barjamović
- ↑ Pax Hethitica: Studies on the Hittites and Their Neighbours in Honour of Itamar Singer by Yoram Cohen, Amir Gilan and Jared L. Miller
- ↑ The Tawananna in the Hittite kingdom by Shoshana R. Bin-Nun. Online version.
- ↑ Greeks And Pre-Greeks: Aegean Prehistory And Greek Heroic Tradition by Margalit Finkelberg
- ↑ Broad, William J. "It Swallowed a Civilization. " New York Times, D1. 21 October 2003.
| Preceded by Hattusili I |
Hittite king ca. 1556–1526 BC |
Succeeded by Hantili I |
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