Kurunta

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kurunta (also Kunruntiya) was the younger son of the Hittite great king Muwatalli II (approx. 1290-1272 BC), brother of his older son and successor Muršili III. and thus nephew of Ḫattušili III. and cousin of Tudḫaliya IV.

Life

Bronze plaque found in 1986 with the treaty between Tudḫaliya IV and Kurunta

Muwatallis II eldest son Muršili III. (approx. 1272-1265 BC) was by his uncle Ḫattušili III. (approx. 1265–1236 BC) toppled. As a result, Kurunta was also able to claim the Hittite throne.

The bronze plaque from Bogazköy discovered in 1986 in Ḫattuša provided new information about Kurunta. It is a copy of a state treaty between Tudḫaliya IV and Kurunta, which guaranteed Kurunta rule over the Tarḫuntašša region in the south of Asia Minor and his status as viceroy, a rank otherwise only held by the kings of Karkemiš . The State Treaty refers to a treaty in which Ḫattušili III. Kurunta had transferred the rule of Tarḫuntašša. The regulations on the bronze plaque precisely define Kurunta's territory again and contain some deviating provisions that are more favorable for Kurunta than those in the earlier treaty. Apparently Tudḫaliya wanted to appease his rival in this way.

Kurunta may not be satisfied with that. Some of the royal seal impressions discovered in Ḫattuša at the end of the 1980s come from Kurunta, who bears the title “Great King” on them. This, as well as the titulature of Kurunta as Great King on the Hatip rock relief , gave rise to the conclusion that Kurunta had at least temporarily taken power in the Hittite Empire through a coup d'état, the exact point in time - during the reign of Tudḫaliya IV. Or during the apparently short reign of his older son Arnuwanda III. - is unclear. However, it is now considered uncertain whether such a coup d'etat even came about.

At the southern castle of Ḫattušas an inscription in hieroglyphic Luwish was found, which describes an attack by Šuppiluliuma II (younger son of Tudḫaliyas IV. , Approx. 1215 / 10–1190 BC) on Tarḫuntašša. Possibly this came in response to Kurunta's possible coup a few years earlier. There is talk of deportations of the population of Tarḫuntašša, but it is disputed whether Šuppiluliuma II. Could conquer Tarḫuntašša completely. It is unknown whether Kurunta was still alive at the time of this action.

Kurunta is depicted on the rock relief of Hatip near Konya , he is referred to as the great king in the inscription. There the border ran between the Hittite heartland and Tarḫuntašša.

family tree

The following family tree was created after publications by Volkert Haas and Jörg Klinger .

 
 
 
 
 
Tudḫaliya I.
 
Nikkalmati
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Arnuwanda I.
 
Ašmunikal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tudḫaliya II
 
Daduḫepa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tudḫaliya III.
 
 
 
Šuppiluliuma I.
 
1. Ḫinti
 
2. Tawananna
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Zida
 
Telipinu
 
Piyaššili
 
Zannanza
 
Arnuwanda II
 
Muršili II.
 
1./2. Gaššulawiya
 
2nd / 3rd Danuḫepa
 
Mrs. Šattiwazzas
 
Šattiwazza
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ḫalpa-šulupi
 
 
 
Muwattalli II.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maššana-uzzi
 
Mašturi
 
 
 
Ḫattušili III.
 
Puduḫepa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Muršili III.
 
Kurunta
 
Gaššuliyawiya
 
Bentesina
 
Tudḫaliya IV.
 
Nerikkaili
 
Šauškanu
 
Ramses ii
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Mrs. Ammistamrus II.
 
Arnuwanda III.
 
Šuppiluliuma II.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ In summary, Trevor R. Bryce: The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford University Press (1998), Revised 2005, pp. 319–321.
  2. Volkert Haas: The Hittite literature. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2006, ISBN 978-3-11-018877-6 , page 91.
  3. Jörg Klinger: The Hittites. CH Beck, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-406-53625-0

literature

See also