The throne is seized by Telipinu (1525–1500), who restores
authority over some of Hatti’s lost territories and lays downfixed
principles for the royal succession. He concludes thefirst attested
peace treaty in Hittite history, with the ruler of the southeastern
Anatolian state Kizzuwatna.
Further periods of weakness are evident in the poorly attested
reigns of Telipinu’s successors (1500–1400).
THENEWKINGDOM
Tudhaliya I/II claims the throne (c.1400 or a bit earlier) and begins
re-establishing Hatti as a major power by conducting successful
campaigns in Syria and western Anatolia. But both he and his
successor Anuwanda I are confronted with further widespread
unrest in their subject-territories and increasing threats to their
core-territory from hostile independent lands.
Anti-Hittite activities culminate, in thefirst half of the fourteenth
century, in the so-called ‘Concentric Invasions’. The Hittite
homeland is subject to onslaughts by enemy forces attacking it
from many directions. These attacks take place particularly during
the reign of Tudhaliya III. Hattusa is sacked after Tudhaliya’s
apparent evacuation of the capital and the shift of his base of
operations to a temporary new location in the east.
Tudhaliya and his comrade-in-arms Suppiluliuma restore
Hittite authority over Hatti’s invaded territories and Suppiluliuma
completes the process of driving the enemy forces back to their own
lands.
Suppiluliuma seizes the throne after Tudhaliya’s death (1350),
destroys Hatti’s arch-rival the Hurrian kingdom of Mittani after a
protracted series of military campaigns, and raises Hatti to the
status of the most powerful kingdom in the Near Eastern world.
On his death probably from plague (1322), he is succeeded
briefly by his son Arnuwanda II whose death leads to the accession
of another son Mursili II (1321–1295). Mursili completes the
restoration of Hatti’s authority over its subject-territories in
Anatolia and northern Syria.
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