Tudhaliya was likely born in his father's court in
Hattusa, after his brother and crown prince
Nerikkaili, but still while their father was governing on his brother
Muwatalli II's behalf. He was a good friend of Muwatalli's son,
Kurunta, and Hattusili ordered that they stay on good terms.
After Hattusili as King wrote up a treaty with "Ulmi-Tessup" which confirmed Kurunta's rule over
Tarhuntassa, Hattusili elevated Tudhaliya over his older brother to be his crown prince. Tudhaliya as king drew up a bronze tablet treaty confirming the links between him and Kurunta.
The Hittite Empire covered large parts of Anatolia and Syria. Climate change set with drier conditions that caused a severe drought. Tudhaliya IV responded by building at least 13 dams to secure water supplies, one of which still survives to this day at
Alacahöyük.
[1]
In the East, Tudhaliya IV faced the rival Assyrians. He suffered a severe defeat at the hands of
Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria in the
Battle of Nihriya,
c. 1237 BC.
Tudḫaliya, king of the
Hittites, was reeling from defeat by the Assyrians at the
Battle of Nihriya, refers to the Babylonian king as his equal, in his treaty with his vassal, Šaušgamuwa of
Amurru, hinting at the possible existence of an alliance or at least a tacit understanding between them.[2] It reads:
The kings who are equal to me (are) the king of Egypt, the king of Karanduniya (Babylon), the king of Assyria <and the king of Aḫḫiyawa>. And if the king of Karanduniya is My Majesty's friend, he shall also be your friend; but if he is My Majesty's enemy, he shall also be your enemy. Since the king of Assyria is My Majesty's enemy he shall also be your enemy. Your merchant shall not enter into Assyria and you shall not allow his merchant into your land. He shall not pass through your land. But if he enters into your land, you should seize him and send him off to My Majesty.[3]
— Treaty between Tudḫaliya and Šaušgamuwa, Tablet A, column IV, lines 1-18 edited
In the Southwest, the empire had been divided with parts of the territory controlled by
Kurunta of Tarhuntassa.
A clay tablet (CTH 121), dating to the reign of Suppiluliuma II, tells that a statue was set ut by Tudhaliya IV to commemorate his conquest of the Land of Alasiya (Cyprus?).
^Trevor Bryce (2005). The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford University Press. pp. 494, 318.
^Itamar Singer (2003). "Treaties". In William W. Hallo (ed.). The Context of Scripture: Volume II: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World. Brill. p. 99.
External links
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^King (lugal) of Tarhuntassa (Bryce 1997, p. 296); apparently later Great King of Hatti (Bryce 1997, p. 354).
^Nerikkaili married a daughter of Bentesina, king of
Amurru (Bryce 1997, p. 294).
^Two daughters of Hattusili III were married to the pharaoh
Ramesses II; one was given the Egyptian name
Ma(hor)nefrure. Another, Gassuwaliya, married into the royal house of Amurru. Kilushepa was married to a king of Isuwa. A daughter married into the royal family of Babylon. A sister of Tudhaliya IV married Sausgamuwa, king of Amurru after his father Bentesina. From Bryce (1997), pp. 294 and 312.
^Bryce (1997), p. 363. Tudhaliya IV probably married a Babylonian princess, known by her title of Great Princess (dumu.sal gal) (Bryce 1997, pp. 294, 331).