Taḫurwaili

Taḫurwaili was a great Hittite king of the 15th century BC. BC, whose exact classification in the ruler's chronology is still uncertain.

Taḫurwaili is possibly identical with a gold lance bearer of the same name, who killed a large part of the Ammunas family (especially his son Titti and his sons) to help eluzziya I on the throne. In this case his father would be Zuru , the chief of the bodyguard.

Taḫurwaili probably became king after Telipinu , whereby he would either have forestalled the son-in-law Alluwamna , who was appointed by Telipinu as his successor, with a succession to the throne or would (initially) have expelled him. On the other hand, there is a possibility that Taḫurwaili was overthrown by Alluwamna. Other interpretations rank Taḫurwaili without direct reference to Alluwamna or even much later in the line of kings.

Taḫurwaili's reign was only known through a clay tablet fragment and a seal impression, because his name is not found in the lists of victims of subsequent rulers. He may have been wiped out of them as a usurper. The only traditional act of government of his rule is a contract with Eḫeya, the ruler of Kizzuwatna , as an equal partner. However, since his reign is also not known more precisely, this source does not help to classify Taḫurwaili in royal chronology.

literature

Birgit Brandau, Hartmut Schickert: Hittites. The unknown world power. Piper, Munich / Zurich n.d., pp. 83, 99, 109 ff.
Trevor Bryce: The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2005, pp. 106 ff.
Horst Klengel : History of the Hittite Empire (= Handbook of Oriental Studies , I, 34). Brill, Leiden / Boston 1998, pp. 87 f. (Summary of the sources and historical classification).
Massimo Forlanini: The Branches of the Hittite Royal Family of the Early Kingdom Period. In: Yoram Cohen et al. (Ed.): Pax Hethitica. Studies on the Hittites and Their Neighbors in Honor of Itamar Singer (= Studies on the Boğazköy Texts, Vol. 51). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2010, pp. 115-135, here pp. 128 f. ( online )

Individual evidence

↑ Mauro Giorgieri: conspiracies and intrigues at the Hittite court. On the conflicts within the Hittite elite based on historical and legal sources. In: Gernot Wilhelm (ed.): Ḫattuša-Boğazköy. The Hittite Empire in the field of tension of the ancient Orient (= Colloquia of the German Orient Society, vol. 6). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2008, p. 373 ( online ).
^ Mario Liverani: The Ancient Near East. History, Society and Economy. Routledge, Abingdon 2013, p. 301.
↑ Noel Weeks: Admonition and Curse. The Ancient Near Eastern Treaty / Covenant Form as a Problem in Inter-Cultural Relationships. A&C Black, 2004, p. 62 f.

predecessor	Office	successor
Telipinu	King of Ḫatti 15th century BC Chr.	Alluwamna

personal data
SURNAME	Taḫurwaili
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Hittite great king
DATE OF BIRTH	15th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	15th century BC Chr.

[1] Mauro Giorgieri: conspiracies and intrigues at the Hittite court. On the conflicts within the Hittite elite based on historical and legal sources. In: Gernot Wilhelm (ed.): Ḫattuša-Boğazköy. The Hittite Empire in the field of tension of the ancient Orient (= Colloquia of the German Orient Society, vol. 6). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2008, p. 373 ( online ).

[2] Mario Liverani: The Ancient Near East. History, Society and Economy. Routledge, Abingdon 2013, p. 301.

[3] Noel Weeks: Admonition and Curse. The Ancient Near Eastern Treaty / Covenant Form as a Problem in Inter-Cultural Relationships. A&C Black, 2004, p. 62 f.