Muwatalli II
Muwatalli II was a king of the New kingdom of the
Hittite empire (
1295–
1272 BC). The eldest surviving son of
Mursili II, he is best known as the Hittite ruler who fought
Ramesses II to a standstill at the
Battle of Kadesh around
1274 BC. After becoming king, he relocated the capitol to
Tarhuntassa when the
Kaskas invaded; appointing his brother
Hattusili as governor in
Hattusa.
A copy of a treaty between him and
Alaksandu, ruler of
Wilusa, one of the
Arzawa lands has been recovered. Egyptologists also believe that Muwattalli reached an informal peace treaty or understanding with
Seti I over
Kadesh to avoid a clash between the two superpowers over control of Syria. In it, Seti I effectively ceded Kadesh to the Hittite king in order to focus on domestic issues in Egypt.
Muwatalli had at least two children, both given
Hurrian names in honor of the Hurrian storm god
Teshup. One was a son, Urhi-Teshup, who became king
Mursili III until Hattusili III deposed him. Another was possibly a daughter, Ulmi-Teshup ("female-slave of Teshup"); whom Hattusili III either married to king
Kurunta in
Tarhuntassa, or else (if male) was renamed Kurunta and appointed.
Muwatalli's namesake,
Muwatalli I, was a pre-Empire king of the early 14th century, the predecessor of
Tudhaliya I.
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Reign of Muwatalli II
