Tudhaliya III

Tudḫaliya III (sometimes designated Tudḫaliya II), with the additional Hurrian name Tašmi-Šarri, was a Hittite great king in Anatolia during the Late Bronze in the 14th century BC, in c. 1380–1350 BC. He was the son and successor of Arnuwanda I and the predecessor, father-in-law, and adoptive father of Šuppiluliuma I.

The numbering of Hittite kings named Tudḫaliya varies between scholars because of debate over the identity (or not) between the first two bearers of the name. Accordingly, some scholars designate Tudḫaliya III as "Tudḫaliya II" and apply the designation "Tudḫaliya III" to his son Tudḫaliya the Younger instead. While Tudḫaliya the Younger appears to have been the designated heir of Tudḫaliya III, it is not clear if he ever reigned before being eliminated by his brother-in-law Šuppiluliuma I.

Texts from the reign of Tudḫaliya III's grandson Muršili II and great-grandson Ḫattušili III portray the Hittite Kingdom on the brink of collapse under concentric attacks from the outside during his reign, and there is some evidence for such setbacks, although the dire situation might have been exaggerated for rhetorical purposes.

Family
Tudḫaliya III, originally or additionally named Tašmi-Šarri, was the son of Arnuwanda I and his wife Ašmu-Nikkal. Tudḫaliya III married twice, first to Šatandu-Ḫeba, and then to Tadu-Ḫeba. Perhaps by Tadu-Ḫeba or lower-ranking consorts, Tudḫaliya III had several sons, including Tudḫaliya the Younger, who might have been young or underage when their father died, and were killed or exiled by the supporters of Šuppiluliuma. Additionally, Tudḫaliya III had at least one daughter, Ḫenti, who was the first queen of Tudḫaliya III's successor Šuppiluliuma I. Šuppiluliuma, long considered the son of Tudḫaliya III, was therefore his son-in-law and possibly adopted son.

Reign
While still at Hattusa, Tudḫaliya III wrote some letters to Tapikka. Tapikka was later destroyed during Tudḫaliya III's reign, but it was subsequently rebuilt under Šuppiluliuma I. Two documents were found there that bear his seal together with the name of Great Queen Šatandu-Ḫeba, his first wife (it:Satanduhepa). His second wife Tadu-Ḫeba is better known, and she survived as Great Queen into the reign of Suppiluliuma I. It seems that it was at some point during Tudḫaliya's reign that the capital was burnt down by the enemies of Kaska, and he had to move the capital elsewhere. This was the time known in literature as the ‘concentric invasions’ of Hatti.

Tudḫaliya III chose to make the city of Šamuḫa, "an important cult centre located on the upper course of the Marassantiya river" his residence, as a temporary home for the Hittite royal court sometime after his abandonment of Hattusa in the face of attacks against his kingdom by the Kaška, Hayasa-Azzi and other enemies of his state.

Nevertheless, Šamuḫa too was, in its turn, seized by the forces from the country of Azzi, so the capital had to be moved to Šapinuwa.

At this time, the kingdom of Hatti was so besieged by fierce attacks from its enemies that many neighbouring powers expected it to soon collapse. The Egyptian pharaoh, Amenhotep III, even wrote to Tarhundaradu, king of Arzawa: "I have heard that everything is finished and that the land of Hattusa is paralysed." (EA 31, 26–27)

However, Tudḫaliya managed to rally his forces; indeed, the speed and determination of the Hittite king may have surprised Hatti's enemies including the Kaska and Hayasa-Azzi.

Defeat of Hayasa-Azzi
Tudḫaliya III sent his general Šuppiluliuma, who would later become king, to Hatti's northeastern frontiers, to defeat Hayasa-Azzi. The Hayasans initially retreated from a direct battle with the Hittite commander. The Hittitologist Trevor R. Bryce notes, however, that Tudḫaliya and Šuppiluliuma eventually:


 * ... invaded Hayasa-Azzi and forced a showdown with its king Karanni (or Lanni) near the city of Kumaha. The passage (in the 'Deeds of Suppiluliuma') recording the outcome of this battle is missing. But almost certainly, the Hittite campaign resulted in the conquest of Hayasa-Azzi, for subsequently Suppiluliuma established it as a Hittite vassal state, drawing up a treaty with Hakkana, its current ruler.

The Hayasans were now obliged to repatriate all captured Hittite subjects and cede "the border [territory] which Šuppiluliuma claimed belonged to the Land of Hatti."