Kantuzzili: A Regent for Tuthaliya the Younger ?

Abstract

Two Middle Hittite persons named "Kantuzzili" are highly important individuals in Hittite History. By coincidence, both Kantuzzili had similar historical features: they were in close relationship with certain Middle Hittite rulers known as "Tuthaliya", and they were even superior to these kings in the course of the political events in the 15th and 14th Centuries BC. It is a serious problem and controversial case for Hittite studies to distinguish and number the Middle Hittite kings "Tuthaliya", and this issue makes more difficult a precise identification of both "Kantuzzili" who appear in connection with those rulers. An earlier Kantuzzili under the usurper king Muwattalli I. (early 15th Century BC), a high-ranking military person (overseer of the golden chariot-fighters), paved the way for Tuthaliya I./II. to take power over Hatti-Land, once he and his accomplice Himuili eliminated Muwattalli I., murdering him in unknown circumstances. This affair enabled Tuthaliya I./II. (with his queen Nikalmati) to establish a new dynasty which was the longest lived of the Middle Kingdom period. Thus, the role of the commanding officer Kantuzzili in the Hittite History is epoch-making, although he was obviously not an immediate member of the royal family. A later prince Kantuzzili, the son of Arnuwanda I. (late 15lh Century BC), seems to be of even more importance: He was originally a priest from his youth on during the time of Arnuwanda I., but within his brilliant career under his brother Tutljaliya II./ III. he executed several critical posts including army commandership, a governmental position in Kizzuwatna, and the office of the chief of the royal bodyguards. The Hittites witnessed the most disastrous period of their history, losing almost their entire national territory under the reign of Tuthaliya II./III. who was then forced for security reasons to abandon the Hittite capital and to take temporary residences in Sapinuwa (modern Ortaköy) and Samuha (probably modern Kayalıpınar). As we learn from the fragments of the historical composition of the Deeds of Suppiluliuma /. composed by Mursili II. (CTH 40), in these troubled years, his son Suppiluliuma and his brother Kantuzzili supported the king by their military activities against the Lands of Arzawa, Hayasa, and Kaskan tribes. The co-operation between the members of the royal family obviously helped the Hittite military forces to recover from the adverse situation and saved the state from a definitive collapse. The Arzawan coalition under the leadership of Tarlıuntaradu from Land of the §eha-River had been defeated and Tarlıuntaradu was captured by the Hittites. The conflict with Hayasa also was temporarily terminated with a treaty. After these events, Tuthaliya II./III. may not have reigned for a long time. The final years of his life are not known, but the end came unexpectedly when he was seemingly succeeded by a certain Tuthaliya "the Younger", and not by §uppiluliuma, as a brief and enigmatic piece of information from the First Plague Prayer of Mursili II. (CTH 378) may indicate. The study presented here intends to show that Tuthaliya "the Younger" was actually the son of Kantuzzili, and was adopted by his uncle king Tuthaliya II./III. and designated as crown prince. One would suspect that all these developments resulted from the personal involvement of his father Kantuzzili in home affairs, passing over Suppiluliuma who thus appeared to be out of the royal succession. Due to his immaturity, Tuthaliya "the Younger" was not eligible to fully execute royal authority and therefore must have been supported by his birth father Kantuzzili after the death of his adoptive father Tuthaliya II./III. and his accession to the Hittite throne. There is strong evidence for Kantuzzili in a dominant position over Land of Hatti, but one may not consider him a Hittite king. More probably, he was a regent for his son. Regardless of the length of Tuthaliya "the Younger" reign, Suppiluliuma was able to eliminate him immediately after the death of Kantuzzili who must have been quite an old man when he passed away. A power struggle between Kantuzzili and Suppiluliuma in this period must have been unavoidable, but is not documented in any available written record. The death of Tuthaliya II./III. and its aftermath, covering also relationship between Kantuzzili and Suppiluliuma, may have been described in the missing parts of the Deeds of Suppiluliuma which has indeed a gap between the final years of Tuthaliya II./III. and the accession to the throne of Suppiluliuma I. According to a newly discovered fragment of the First Plague Prayer of Mursili //., Suppiluliuma I. exiled to Alaâiya two brothers of Tuthaliya "the Younger" who were eventually supporters of the dethroned king as well. These persons must have been sons of Kantuzzili, and not of Tuthaliya II./III. The office of the chief of the royal bodyguards had been taken over by Zida, the brother of Suppiluliuma I., so that the last traces of the Kantuzzili's family are removed from the royal dynasty and administration. Kantuzzili is attested in some other Hittite documents (e. g., letters, rituals, prayers) unnamed and simply with his title "priest(-prince)", but more importantly, his name and personality are also connected to numerous religious works under his authorship, including rituals, invocations and one famous prayer addressed to the Sun God. It seems that Kantuzzili had composed ihis prayer twice for different occasions. The earlier "anonymous" copy may have been written on behalf of his king brother (Tuthaliya II./III.), expressing the worries and troubles of the Hittite ruler (CTH 374). Later, Kantuzzili was able to convert the same composition into his personal one; he even included his name in this "royal" prayer (CTH 373). Since he did not bear the title of king one may assume that this occurred during the time of his regency for his son Tuthaliya "the Younger", immediately after the death of Tut