The hittites civilization

In what is now Turkey, a long time ago, around the 17th century BC, a mysterious civilization was funded. Forgotten for a long time, we recently know a part of the history of this empire. Called the Hittites because of the name of the initial empire, Hatti. Their Capital was Hattusa, and now the excavation of this ancient city is situated near the current city Bogazkoy, about 95 miles east of Ankara. This civilization was finally recovered by the translation of ancient Egyptians text in 1880. It’s just after, that the writing of the Hittites interested some searcher, but it was only translated in 1914, and with that, their story finally emerged from the dark. Our question is, how a civilization of such an importance during the bronze age can be so easily forgotten?   I will explain you the story of the Hittites and the answer of this question through 3 different part. To begin, we will see the creation of the empire and the origin of the population, then we will see the Hittites empire when they were one of the most important civilization, and when they were at their greatest point. And finally, we will explain the fall of this empire.

Let’s start with part one: The Birth of a mysterious civilization

The Hittites is now known for having the oldest Indo-European language, the Luwian language, and they were using the cuneiform writing. The discovery of many treaty, letter written on argil tablets explain how the Hittites culture was. Knowing their myth and their exchanges with other country. It is generally assumed that the Hittites weren’t a population who lived at first in Anatolia, some supposed that they arrived around the 20th century BC. Again, scholars think that the population came in part by a migration of the Kurgan Cultures, which was based in the actual Ukraine.

During the 18th century BC, Anatolia was in constant chaos, to survive, tribes had to become conquerors. The groups of Indo-European who had immigrated then conquered other territories to protected them self. They were at first surrounded by opposite tribes, and in a short time they conquered a lot of them. In the early period, before the founding of the kingdom, in the 17th century, rivalry existed between branches of the royal family. One was based in Kalpa and the second was based in Hattusa, and one other in Kussara, Kussara is a city only revealed on the treaty found, but the localization is still unknown. At this time, propaganda was used massively to gain people, some part of the propaganda was discovered through the tablet of Anitta, revealing how he used the victory of his father which had conquered Hattusa back then, to make is side look’s better. Making his opponent, which was based in Hattusa, weaker than him. Lot of plot twist happened and murder was quotidian to gain power. The real founding of the Hittites kingdom is attributed to Labarna I or Hattusili I. Larbana existence is questioned that’s why some doubt stay on the creation of the kingdom. But Hattusili I is known for conquering the area to the north and south of Hattusa and reuniting the kingdom as one. He also put the kingdom to the international scene while conquering even far away from the border of the initial kingdom. When he is back from is campaign, trouble happen again at the royal court with the corruption of his sons, in his deathbed he chooses his grandson as heirs, Mursili I.

And then, let’s continue with part two: The Hittites Empire at his best

The reign of Mursili I is one of the culminant point of the Hittites empire with two of the best military success of the kingdom existence. He took the kingdom of Yamkhad, but only a few documents talk about this battle. He then takes over Babylon and mark the end of the first dynasty Babylonian. In two year he shut down two of the most powerful kingdom of middle Est. The Hittites are also the first group who melt iron and invented chariots that help them to win war.

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