Hittites

1. Hittites By: Alli Pritchard Robert Schorr Jessica Hamilton Nick dehr Nolan Mullikin Chad Rallo

3. Rise to Power • Around 2000 BC Hittites entered Asia Minor which was populated by small sophisticated kingdoms • They were established in 18th century and began to expand around 1900 BC when a series of great kings came about • The expansion went into Syria and past the Euphrates River • Egypt also wanted the control over Syria, therefore there was conflict • After decades of conflict they signed a treaty and a mutual defense pact

4. Government • Capital was Hattusas • They had the first constitutional monarchy • The leader was called “Great King” or “Great Sun” • The king was in charge of the military and was also the religious leader • Their Primary cities were along the Halys River • Everyone had rights, even slaves.

5. Leaders • King Mursuli ransacked Babylon in 1595 B.C. • They were originally city-states until king Labarnas leader of Kassara united them • He changed his name to Hattusilis • Expansion was blocked by the Yamkhad whose capital was Aleppo • Mursilis was able to, after his grandfather died, drive out the Hurrians and conquer Aleppo • He was killed by a jealous relation

6. Leaders cont. • King Telipinus marks the end of the Old Kingdom set up • instituted political reforms which helped maintain the state until the Hittite Empire could be established • Rules for the succession to the throne • insisted on the loyalty of the nobility • established a court (made up of all of the soldiers and nobles, called a pankus) to handle grievances against the king • the earliest known instance of anything resembling a "democratic" body in an Indo-European culture

7. Leaders Galore • Tudhaliyas II conquered several regions to the west and then turned his sights on Aleppo • a new tribe was moving in, the Kaska • began to develop iron-working which would revolutionize both warfare and domestic life • The Hittites were fortunate to have another able king, Suppiluliumas I

8. King Ashurbanipal • On an account of actions taken against the cities who revolted and calling upon the gods to destroy all who opposed him, overthrowing their kingdom and blotting out their names from the land said “With the fury of my weapons I stormed the city. I flayed all the chief men who had revolted and I covered a pillar with their skins. Some I impaled on the pillar on stakes… I fashioned a heroic image of my royal self, my power, and my glory I inscribed there on…”

9. Military • Hittite foot troops made extensive use of the powerful recurved bow and bronze-tipped arrows • The Hittite army was the formation, which for the first time in history armed its soldiers in iron and produced large amounts. • The main strength of the army was the chariot

10. Military continued… • The collapse of the state happened about 1200 BC. • Historians link it with military pressure of so-called The Sea Peoples. • Some Hittites managed to withdrew to northern Syria, where they founded several cities- states.

11. Hittite Warfare • They also use chariots able to hold 3 people; 2 soldiers and a driver. • The Battle of Kadesh was lost by the Hittites against Egypt. • Kings are considered chief rulers, military leaders, and supreme judges. They also become Gods after they die.

12. Language • The Hittites speak an Indo-European language. • They call this language Nesite, after the city of Nesa. • The language is also called Hattian, Khattian, Hattic, or Khattic. • They also speak Luwian and Palaic. • Their writing is similar to Mesopotamian cuneiform.

13. Religion & Culture • They were polytheistic • The king of the hittites was the high priest • The storm god who’s name was Teshub, was the most important god • They used seal impressions • They had a writing system using cuneiform • They also used hieroglyphics

14. Religion & Culture continued.. • The local gods mainly dealt with controlling the weather • Hattia as the oldest god of the hittites • Hattia would lead the king to win a war • They did cremation when the king died • Used 9 different languages in their territories

15. Economy • Was largely based on agriculture and raising sheep • They had a large amount of lead, silver, and copper • They were very good metal workers, and one of the earliest iron makers • Controlled trade with Mesopotamia • As their empire expanded and they began to have more control over trade they ran into problems with Eygpt • Agriculture included grapes, apple, pomegranate, trigo and barley

16. Decline and Fall • The Empire was suddenly destroyed in 1700 B.C. • The capital Hattusas was burned • It is believed that the Kaskans, barbarians from the Russian Steppes

17. Works Cited • http://history-world.org/hittites.htm • http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/htit/hd_htit.htm • http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/cultures/middle_east/hittites.aspx • World History The Human Experience • http://www.angelfire.com/ • http://sugargraphic.com/ • http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/ • http://forums.civfanatics.com/ • http://www.oztorah.com/ • http://www.alternatehistory.com/ • http://home.earthlink.net/ • http://commons.wikimedia.org/ • http://www.citybirds.com/

18. Citations Continued • http://www.allaboutturkey.com/ • http://indepthinfo.com/ • http://mapsoftheworld.com/ • http://hitties.info/history/ • http://shamah-elm.info/hittites/ • http://youtube.com/ • http://www.warfactory.co.uk/gallery/alan15/alan15gallery.php/ • http://www.armenian-history.com/ • http://predatorpress.blogspot.com/ • http://everyhistory.org/ • http://zagros-mesopotamia-anatolia-kurds.blogspot.com/