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Ašmu-nikal

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Ašmu-Nikkal
Queen of Hittite empire
SpouseArnuwanda I
IssueTudḫaliya III
Ašmi-Šarruma
Mannini
Pariyawatra
Kantuzzili
Tulpi-Teššub
FatherTudḫaliya II
MotherNikkal-mati

Ašmu-nikal or Ašmu-Nikkal was a Queen consort of the Hittite empire.

Biography[edit]

Ašmu-Nikkal was born as a princess, the daughter of the Hittite great king Tudḫaliya II (also called Tudḫaliya I/II) and Queen Nikkal-mati.[1] She married a man called Arnuwanda, who became Tudḫaliya II's heir, co-ruler, and eventual successor.[2] The nature of the relationship between Ašmu-Nikkal and her husband Arnuwanda was long controversial, since both are described as children of Tudḫaliya II on their respective seals,[3] ostensibly implying that they were siblings or at least half-siblings.[4] This, however, was clearly forbidden by Hittite custom and law,[5] and it is now generally agreed that while Ašmu-Nikkal was indeed the daughter of Tudḫaliya II, Arnuwanda was only his son-in-law and possibly adoptive son, as the daughter's antiyant husband, an acceptable heir in the absence of a son.[6]

Ašmu-Nikkal and Arnuwanda I appear to have had several sons: Ašmi-Šarruma, Mannini, Pariyawatra, Kantuzzili, Tulpi-Teššub, and the future king Tudḫaliya III.[7] Through her son Tudḫaliya III, she was the grandmother of Tudhaliya the Younger and of Ḫenti, the wife of Šuppiluliuma I.[8]

Ašmu-Nikkal, great queen of Hatti, seems to have actively participated in the government of her husband Arnuwanda I, and is cited with him in administrative documents and oaths.[9] Together with Arnuwanda, she offered up prayers to the gods to alleviate the Kaška invasion of the northern portions of the Hittite kingdom.[10] Some instructions and decrees, for example those regarding the rights and entitlements of the "mausoleum guardians," were issued in the queen's name alone.[11] It is possible that Ašmu-Nikkal survived her husband.[12]

Gallery[edit]

  • Prayers of Arnuwanda and Asmu-Nikkal, 14th century BC, from Hattusa, Istanbul Archaeological Museum
    Prayers of Arnuwanda and Asmu-Nikkal, 14th century BC, from Hattusa, Istanbul Archaeological Museum
  • Gifts given by Arnuwanda and Asmu-Nikkal, 14th century BC, from Hattusa, Istanbul Archaeological Museum
    Gifts given by Arnuwanda and Asmu-Nikkal, 14th century BC, from Hattusa, Istanbul Archaeological Museum


Hittite New Kingdom royal family tree according to Trevor Bryce
  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • Small caps indicates a Great King (LUGAL.GAL) of the Land of Hatti; italic small caps indicates a Great Queen or Tawananna.
  • Dashed lines indicate adoption.
  • Solid lines indicate marriage (if horizontal) or parentage (if vertical).
References:
  • Trevor Bryce (1997). The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
  • Trevor Bryce (2005). The Kingdom of the Hittites (new edition). Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
  • Trevor Bryce (2012). The World of the Neo-Hittite Kingdoms. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
  • Jacques Freu (2007). Les débuts du nouvel empire hittite. Paris, France: L'Harmattan.
  • Volkert Haas (2006). Die hethitische Literatur. Berlin, Germany: de Gruyter.
Notes:
  1. ^ Scholars have suggested that Tudhaliya I/II was possibly a grandson of the Hittite king Huzziya II; the first Tudhaliya is now known to be the son of Kantuzzili (Bryce 1997, p. 131 suggested Himuili, but the new edition, Bryce 2005, p. 122, indicated Kantuzzili).
  2. ^ Bryce (1997) does not consider it clear whether Tudhaliya I/II was one king or two (p. 133); the link points to Tudhaliya II. Among those who identify distinct kings Tudhaliya I and Tudhaliya II, Freu (2007) has Kantuzzili—his son Tudhaliya I—his son Hattusili II—his son Tudhaliya II (p. 311).
  3. ^ a b c Bryce (1997), p. 139.
  4. ^ The existence of Hattusili II is doubted by many scholars (Bryce 1997, pp. 153–154; Bryce 2005, p. 141). Among those who accept the existence of Hattusili II, Freu (2007), p. 311, has Tudhaliya I—his son Hattusili II—his son Tudhaliya II.
  5. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 158.
  6. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 172.
  7. ^ a b c d Bryce (1997), p. 174.
  8. ^ a b Bryce (1997), p. 168.
  9. ^ Also known as Malnigal; daughter of Burnaburias II of Babylonia (Bryce 1997, p. 173).
  10. ^ ‘Great priest’ in Kizzuwadna and king (lugal) of Aleppo (Bryce 1997, p. 174).
  11. ^ a b c d King (lugal) of Carchemish.
  12. ^ Bryce (1997), pp. 174, 203–204.
  13. ^ Zannanza died on his way to Egypt to marry a pharaoh's widow, probably Ankhesenpaaten, the widow of Tutankhamun (Bryce 1997, pp. 196–198).
  14. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 227.
  15. ^ a b c Bryce (1997), p. 230.
  16. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 220.
  17. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 222.
  18. ^ Haas (2006), p. 91.
  19. ^ Massanauzzi married Masturi, king of the Seha River Land (Bryce 1997, p. 313).
  20. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 296.
  21. ^ Puduhepa was the daughter of the Kizzuwadnan priest Pentipsarri (Bryce 1997, p. 273).
  22. ^ Bryce (1997), pp. 346, 363.
  23. ^ King (lugal) of Tarhuntassa (Bryce 1997, p. 296); apparently later Great King of Hatti (Bryce 1997, p. 354).
  24. ^ Nerikkaili married a daughter of Bentesina, king of Amurru (Bryce 1997, p. 294).
  25. ^ 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.
  26. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 332.
  27. ^ 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).
  28. ^ Bryce (1997), p. 363.
  29. ^ a b Bryce (1997), p. 361.
  30. ^ Last documented Great King of the Land of Hatti.
  31. ^ King and then Great King of Carchemish (Bryce 1997, pp. 384–385).

References[edit]

  1. ^ Klengel 1999: 121, n. 165; Bryce 2005: 128-129; Freu 2007b: 98, 102, 117-118; Weeden 2022: 569.
  2. ^ Bryce 2005: 128; Freu 2007b: 98, 102-103, 117; Weeden 2022: 569.
  3. ^ Beal 1983: 116.
  4. ^ Astour 1989: 68.
  5. ^ Beal 1982: 116-117.
  6. ^ Beal 1983: 117-119; Bryce 2005: 128; Freu 2007b: 98, 102-103, 117; Weeden 2022: 569.
  7. ^ Bryce 2005: 145; Freu 2007b: 148-151; De Martino 2010: 132.
  8. ^ Freu 2007b: 198-201; Stavi 2011: 228-230; Taracha 2016: 492-493.
  9. ^ Freu 2007b: 137, 145.
  10. ^ Bryce 2005: 142; Freu 2007b: 138-141 and (Mazoyer) 325-329 with French translation.
  11. ^ Freu 2007b: 118.
  12. ^ Freu 2007b: 118.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Astour, Michael C. (1989), Hittite History and the Absolute Chronology of the Bronze Age, Partille.
  • Beal, Richard R. (1983), "Studies in Hittite History," Journal of Cuneiform Studies 35 (1983) 115-126.
  • Bryce, Trevor (2005), The Kingdom of the Hittites, Oxford.
  • De Martino, Stefano (2010), "Nomi di persona hurriti nella prima età imperiale ittita," Orientalia 79 (2010) 130-139.
  • Freu, Jacques, and Michel Mazoyer (2007b), Les débuts du nouvel empire hittite, Paris.
  • Klengel, Horst (1999), Geschichte des Hethitischen Reiches, Leiden.
  • Stavi, Boaz (2011), "The Genealogy of Suppiluliuma I," Altorientalische Forschungen 38 (2011) 226–239. online
  • Taracha, Piotr (2016), "Tudhaliya III's Queens, Šuppiluliuma's Accession and Related Issues," in Sedat Erkut and Özlem Sir Gavaz (eds.), Studies in Honour of Ahmet Ünal Armağanı, Istanbul: 489-498.
  • Weeden, Mark (2022), "The Hittite Empire," in Karen Radner et al. (eds.), The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East, vol. 3 (From the * Hyksos to the Late Second Millennium BC), Oxford: 529-622.

External links[edit]

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