The Hittite Empire and the Battle of Kadesh | Early Civilizations | World History | Khan Academy

Summary

This educational video delves into the Hittite civilization, which emerged in Anatolia around 2000 BCE. The Hittites, an Indo-European people, are noted for their conquests and the use of iron, setting them apart technologically. A significant historical account is the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE against Egypt, one of the largest chariot battles. The video highlights the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty of 1258 BCE, considered one of the earliest peace treaties, showcasing diplomatic relations in ancient history.

Takeaways

• 🏰 The Hittites were a significant civilization that began settling in Anatolia, modern-day Turkey, around the start of the second millennium BCE.
• 🌐 The term 'Hittite' originates from 'Hatti', the region they conquered, which was originally inhabited by the Hattians.
• 🗣️ The Hittites are classified as Indo-European people, a group that includes many modern languages with a common linguistic root.
• 📚 Linguists have found that languages like Greek, Latin, Germanic languages (including English), Celtic, Persian, Hindi, and Bengali are all derived from the proto-Indo-European language.
• 🗺️ The Hittites' expansion is part of a larger model of Indo-European people's dispersion from the Caucasus region, which is illustrated in a map showing their spread over time.
• 🏺 The Hittites were among the first civilizations to use iron, which required more advanced technology for smelting compared to bronze.
• 🛡️ Known for their military prowess, the Hittites were skilled charioteers and used iron chariots to help establish their empire.
• ⚔️ The Hittites had a series of conflicts with neighboring civilizations, notably with the Egyptians, leading to the famous Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE.
• 📜 The Battle of Kadesh is notable for being one of the earliest battles with detailed accounts of tactics and strategy, and it resulted in a stalemate.
• 🕊️ The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty in 1258 BCE is considered one of the first peace treaties in history, with surviving accounts from both the Hittites and Egyptians.

Q & A

Who were the Hittites and where did they settle?

The Hittites were a group of people who began to settle and eventually conquer much of Anatolia, which is modern-day Turkey, at the beginning of the second millennium BCE. They settled in a region referred to as Hatti, displacing the original inhabitants known as the Hattians.

What is the linguistic significance of the Hittites?

The Hittites are considered to be Indo-European people. Linguists have found that many modern languages, including Greek, Latin, Germanic languages, Celtic, and some eastern languages like Persian, Hindi, and Bengali, seem to have a root in the proto-Indo-European language.

What is the significance of the Hittites in the context of the Bronze Age?

The Hittites were a significant Bronze Age civilization known for being one of the first to use iron, which required more advanced technology for smelting. They were also renowned as great charioteers and had a significant impact on the geopolitics of the region during the mid to late second millennium BCE.

What was the relationship between the Hittites and the Egyptians?

The Hittites and the Egyptians were key rivals during the 14th and 13th centuries BCE, with both being powerful empires of the time. They had a series of conflicts, most notably the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE, which resulted in a stalemate and later led to the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty in 1258 BCE.

What is the importance of the Battle of Kadesh?

The Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE is significant because it is the earliest battle with a significant account of tactics and strategy, involving over 50,000 soldiers and possibly the largest chariot battle in history. It also led to the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty, which is considered one of the first peace treaties in history.

What is unique about the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty?

The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty is unique because it is one of the earliest known peace treaties, with surviving accounts from both the Hittites and the Egyptians. It is written in Akkadian using cuneiform script, which was not the Hittites' language, showing the diplomatic efforts of the time.

How did the Hittites contribute to the technological advancements of their time?

The Hittites contributed to the technological advancements of their time by being one of the first civilizations to use iron, which required higher furnace temperatures for smelting compared to bronze. This advancement gave them a military edge, as iron weapons and tools were stronger and more durable.

What was the geopolitical landscape like during the time of the Hittite Empire?

During the time of the Hittite Empire, the geopolitical landscape was complex with several civilizations at their peak, including the Mitanni Kingdom, Middle Assyrian Empire, and Kassite Babylonia. The Hittites were in conflict with many of these civilizations, particularly the Egyptians, leading to a series of wars and eventually a peace treaty.

How did the Hittites' use of iron impact their military capabilities?

The Hittites' use of iron had a significant impact on their military capabilities, as iron chariots and weapons were stronger and more durable than their bronze counterparts. This technological edge allowed them to establish a formidable empire and maintain their dominance in the region.

What is the Bronze Age Collapse, and how does it relate to the Hittite civilization?

The Bronze Age Collapse refers to the period around the 12th century BCE when many of the civilizations in the Levant, including the Hittites, began to decline and fragment. This period marked the end of several major Bronze Age civilizations and the rise of new powers in the region.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 The Hittites and Their Origins

The video script introduces the Hittites, an ancient civilization that settled in Anatolia, modern-day Turkey, around the beginning of the second millennium BCE. The term 'Hittite' is derived from 'Hatti,' the region they conquered, which was originally inhabited by the Hattians. The Hittites are classified as Indo-European people, a group whose languages are believed to have originated from a common proto-Indo-European language. This group includes Greek, Latin, Germanic, Celtic, Persian, Hindi, and Bengali. The script discusses the linguistic evidence that suggests a common origin in the Caucasus region and the subsequent spread of these people across Europe and Asia. The Hittites are noted as a significant civilization of the second millennium BCE, alongside others like Mycenaean Greece and the New Kingdom of Egypt. The script also mentions the Hittites' transition from the Old Hittite Kingdom to the New Hittite Kingdom, also known as the Hittite Empire, around 1400 BCE, which marked their peak of power and influence.

05:02

🛡️ Hittite Military and Technological Advancements

The script highlights the Hittites' military prowess, particularly their use of iron and their reputation as great charioteers. The Hittites were among the first civilizations to utilize iron, which required more advanced smelting techniques due to the higher temperatures needed for its production. Their military strength, combined with the use of iron chariots, contributed to the establishment of their empire. The Hittites are also noted for their conflicts with other civilizations, including the significant conquest of Babylon in 1595 BCE, which ended the Amorite dynasty. The script discusses the broader context of the Middle East during the Bronze Age, where the Hittites and other civilizations like the Mitanni Kingdom and Middle Assyrian Empire were at their peak before the Bronze Age Collapse around the 12th century BCE. The script then focuses on the Hittites' rivalry with the Egyptians, culminating in the famous Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE, which, despite being a stalemate, provided valuable insights into ancient military tactics and the scale of chariot warfare.

10:02

✍️ The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty

The final paragraph of the script discusses the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty, signed in 1258 BCE, which is often considered the first peace treaty in history. The treaty was a result of the long-standing conflict between the Hittite and Egyptian empires and was established 16 years after the Battle of Kadesh. The script describes the treaty as a mutual agreement to end hostilities and establish permanent peace between the two empires. It mentions the survival of accounts from both the Hittites and Egyptians, written in the Akkadian language using cuneiform script, which is significant as it provides a symmetric account from both sides. The script includes an excerpt from the treaty, which emphasizes the establishment of 'good peace and brotherhood' between the two empires, their rulers, and their future generations. The treaty also outlines provisions for mutual aid and the prevention of conflict. The script concludes by suggesting that while the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty is one of the earliest known peace treaties, further discoveries may reveal even earlier examples.

Keywords

💡Hittites

The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who established an empire at the beginning of the second millennium BCE. They are known for their conquests and settlements in modern-day Turkey, an area historically referred to as Hatti. The Hittites are significant to the video's theme as they represent an early civilization that interacted with other notable ancient cultures like the Egyptians. The script mentions the Hittites' origins, their conquests, and their eventual establishment of the Hittite Empire.

💡Indo-European

Indo-European refers to a proposed family of languages that share a common ancestral language, known as Proto-Indo-European. This concept is central to the video as it discusses the linguistic connections between various ancient and modern languages, including those spoken by the Hittites. The script explains that many languages, such as Greek, Latin, Germanic, Celtic, Persian, Hindi, and Bengali, are derived from the Proto-Indo-European language, suggesting a common origin for their speakers.

💡Anatolia

Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in modern-day Turkey. In the context of the video, Anatolia is significant as it was the region where the Hittites settled and later conquered, leading to the formation of their empire. The script describes how the Hittites' settlement in Anatolia was a pivotal event in their history and their interactions with other ancient civilizations.

💡Proto-Indo-European language

The Proto-Indo-European language, often abbreviated as PIE, is the hypothetical common ancestor of the Indo-European languages. The video discusses this language as a way to understand the linguistic roots of various cultures, including the Hittites. The script suggests that the Hittites, along with many other ancient civilizations, spoke languages derived from PIE, indicating a shared linguistic heritage.

💡Hattians

The Hattians were the original inhabitants of the region known as Hatti, which is in modern-day Turkey. The video script mentions the Hattians as the people who were conquered and displaced by the Hittites. This term is important for understanding the historical dynamics of the region and the rise of the Hittite civilization.

💡New Kingdom of Egypt

The New Kingdom of Egypt represents a period of Egyptian history known for its territorial expansion and military power. In the video, the New Kingdom is highlighted as a key rival to the Hittite Empire. The script discusses the geopolitical tensions and conflicts between these two powerful civilizations, particularly during the 14th and 13th centuries BCE.

💡Battle of Kadesh

The Battle of Kadesh, occurring in 1274 BCE, was a significant military engagement between the forces of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II and the Hittite Empire. The video emphasizes this battle as one of the earliest with detailed accounts of tactics and strategy. It is noted for its large scale, involving over 50,000 soldiers and is considered possibly the largest chariot battle in history. The battle ended in a stalemate and led to the later Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty.

💡Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty

The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty, established in 1258 BCE, is often referred to as the first recorded peace treaty in history. The video discusses this treaty as a landmark agreement between two great powers of the time, ending a century of conflict. The treaty is significant as it illustrates early diplomatic practices and the mutual recognition of territorial boundaries and non-aggression.

💡Bronze Age Collapse

The Bronze Age Collapse refers to a period of widespread societal collapse and cultural change that occurred around the 12th century BCE. The video mentions this period as a time when many civilizations, including the Hittite Empire, began to decline. The term is important for understanding the broader historical context in which the Hittites and other ancient civilizations existed and eventually fell.

💡Iron Age

The Iron Age represents a period in human history characterized by the use of iron for tools and weapons. The video script notes that the Hittites were among the first to use iron, which required more advanced technology to smelt. This innovation gave them a military advantage and contributed to their ability to establish an empire. The Iron Age followed the Bronze Age and is significant for understanding the technological advancements of the time.

Highlights

The Hittites began settling and conquering Anatolia, modern-day Turkey, at the start of the second millennium BCE.

The term 'Hittite' originates from 'Hatti', the region they conquered, which had original inhabitants known as the Hattians.

Hittites are categorized as Indo-European people, a group whose languages have a common root in the proto-Indo-European language.

Indo-European languages include Greek, Latin, Germanic languages, Celtic, Persian, Hindi, and Bengali.

The Hittites are one of the civilizations that emerged during the mid to late second millennium BCE.

The Hittites are known for being one of the first civilizations to use iron, requiring advanced smelting techniques.

The Hittites were renowned as great charioteers, which contributed to their military prowess and empire-building.

In 1595 BCE, the Hittites overthrew the Amorite dynasty in Babylon, marking a significant early conquest.

The Hittites' rise to power coincided with the peak of other Bronze Age civilizations such as the Mitanni Kingdom and Middle Assyrian Empire.

The Hittites and Egyptians were key rivals, with a series of conflicts in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE.

The Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BCE was a significant military engagement between the Hittites and Egyptians, possibly the largest chariot battle in history.

The outcome of the Battle of Kadesh was a stalemate, with detailed accounts primarily from Egyptian sources.

The Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty in 1258 BCE is considered one of the first peace treaties in history.

The peace treaty was a mutual agreement to end hostilities and establish permanent peace between the two empires.

Surviving accounts of the treaty exist in both Hittite and Egyptian scripts, providing a unique perspective on ancient diplomacy.

The treaty included provisions for mutual aid and a commitment to peace and brotherhood between the two empires.

Transcripts

- [Instructor] Now going to talk about a people

that began to settle and eventually conquer

much of Anatolia, modern-day Turkey

at the beginning of the second millennium BCE,

and these people are known as the Hittites,

and the word Hittite is referred to

in the Hebrew Bible, in the Old Testament,

and it's worth dissecting that word a little bit

because the word comes from the idea

that this region that they conquer

in modern-day Turkey was referred to as Hatti,

and Hatti had original inhabitants

known as the Hattians, but the Hittites conquer

and displace these Hattians,

but they are referred to as the Hittites

because they settle in Hatti.

Now they're considered to be Indo-European people.

This is a word that you will hear often

in World History, and that's because

what linguists have found is that many modern languages

seem to have a root in what's called

proto-Indo-European language,

and I'll do a whole video on it,

but looking at linguistic structures,

we believe or one model is is that

many of the people who speak these Indo-European languages

or these ones that are derived

from the proto-Indo-European, and that includes

languages related to Greek.

We're talking about Latin,

we're talking about the Germanic languages,

including what I'm speaking right now

which is English, which is fundamentally

a Germanic language with a lot of Latin influence,

we're talking about Celtic, but we're also talking

about more eastern languages like Persian,

and Hindi, and Bengali.

All of these have a lot of commonalities to them

which we believe gives evidence that, at one point,

it was a very closely related group of people

who are coming from this Caucasus region,

and this map that you see here,

this shows one model for how those people spread

and eventually broke off into various tribes

speaking different, but very related, languages.

So the fourth millennium BCE,

they were in this region right over here

which would be southern Russia,

the Caucasus right around there,

and then by 2500 BCE, that's this orange area,

they had spread even further.

And then by 1000 BCE, they had spread even further

and the Hittites would have been one of those people

because they settle in Anatolia right over here.

Now we don't know as much about the Hittites

as we know about, say, the ancient Egyptians

or the Mesopotamians, but we know that

they were a significant civilization.

Now if you look at this timeline here,

it shows the various civilizations

that were emerging around this time.

We're now talking about the mid

to late second millennium, so this is 1700 BCE,

let me write that down just to make sure,

we know that's BCE, 1600 BCE, so on and so forth,

and I show these various civilizations

that existed around that time,

and they correspond to this map here.

So you have Mycenaean Greece which emerges around 1600 BCE

all the way to about 1100 BCE.

You have the New kingdom of Egypt,

which is from about 1550 BCE

to a little bit after 1100 BCE,

and we do a whole series of videos

on ancient Egypt, and then we talk about

the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom,

and of course, the New Kingdom.

And the New Kingdom of Egypt is important

because they're going to be one of the key rivals

for the Hittites in this period.

The New Kingdom of Egypt is often referred to

as the Egyptian Empire because it was

the most powerful time of ancient Egypt,

and you see that right over here in this brown color.

Now in this purplish-blue color,

that is the Hittite civilization,

and this map right over here,

you can see that they started to

really settle and conquer that area

at the beginning of the second millennium,

and by 1600, you have the Old Hittite kingdom,

and then as we get to about 1400 BCE,

you have the New Hittite Kingdom,

often known as the Hittite Empire,

and this is where they really start to flex their muscle.

And notice, they're flexing their muscles

at roughly the same time as the Egyptians,

and so this map right over here,

this is in roughly the 14th century,

what this area looked like.

So we're talking roughly this zone,

and you can see there are several civilizations,

many of them that were in their peak.

You see the Mitanni Kingdom right over here.

You see the Middle Assyrian Empire.

We talk about them when we talk about Mesopotamia,

and you see Kassite Babylonia right over here.

The Kassites took over after the Amorites

under Hammurabi and his dynasty,

and we'll see that they also have a connection

to the Hittites.

So this will hopefully acquaint you with time.

These are Bronze Age civilizations.

The state of the art technology for most of them

was bronze, which is combining copper and tin,

and you can make weapons, and tools,

and jewelry with it.

Now what's interesting about the Hittites

is that they were one of the first

to start to use iron.

Iron required a little bit more technology.

In order to smelt iron, you have to get the furnace

to be even hotter, and the Hittites, we know,

did make use of iron.

Now they are also known as great charioteers.

This is an image of what a Hittite chariot would look like,

and so with a combination of iron chariots,

that's one of the things that helped them

establish something of an empire.

Now I mentioned that they come into conflict

with many other peoples.

In fact, they come into conflict with most of

the folks that you see on this picture over here.

The first time that you really see them

in a significant way conquering things

is in 1595 BCE, and this would be

the Old Hittite Kingdom, but this is

what famously ends Hammurabi's dynasty,

the Amorite dynasty in Babylon right over here.

They go to Babylon in 1595 BCE

and they overthrow it.

They're not able to maintain rule,

they have to go back.

There start to be fragmentation dissension at home,

but it's the end of the Amorites, and then eventually,

another group, the Kassites, take over this region,

and you can see them in gray right over here.

Now what's also interesting in this timeline

that we have, and we're talking about

hundreds of years, it's important to keep

things in perspective, is that you see

that a lot of these civilizations in the Middle East

and Mesopotamia, this area's often referred to

as the Levant.

It's related to the word levante

from Italian for "to rise,"

because for the Romans, for the Europeans,

for those in the West, this was where the sun rose,

this was the East, it was the Eastern Mediterranean.

And so you have all of these civilizations

that are in the Levant in the 14th century BCE,

in the 13th century BCE, but then they start to decline,

and that general period after or around

the 12th century BCE is known as the Bronze Age Collapse

when a lot of these civilizations become

a lot more fragmented.

Now I've already alluded to the fact,

and I talk about this in a lot of detail

in the Ancient Egypt video, that the chief rivals

of the Hittites were the Egyptians,

and vice versa, and it's particularly the case

in the 14th and 13th centuries where both of them

were quite powerful empires.

You have the Egyptians moving up into this area

right over here, modern-day Israel and Lebanon,

and you have the Hittites moving down

from the north, from Anatolia into modern-day Syria.

And there's a whole series of conflicts

that emerge in this area, and one of the most famous

and one of the most significant happens in 1274 BCE,

and that is the Battle of Kadesh.

Kadesh is an area that has switched hands

multiple times between the Egyptians and the Hittites.

At this time, you have Ramses II,

considered the greatest Egyptian Pharaoh,

he is the Pharaoh, he is the ruler of Egypt,

and he wants to recapture Kadesh.

And what's significant about the Battle of Kadesh,

it's the earliest battle where we have

a significant account of the tactics,

of the strategy, of the formation of the troops.

We know that there were over 50,000 soldiers involved.

It's currently believed it might be

the largest chariot battle in all of world history

that we at least know about, and the actual outcome

of the Battle of Kadesh seems to be a stalemate.

Our accounts of it come primarily from the Egyptians.

We don't have any significant Hittite

surviving accounts of the Battle of Kadesh,

but it gave us a lot of information.

But beyond just the battle itself being significant,

because we have this detail about

what battles were like at that time period

with chariots and the type of tactics that were used,

what's also significant is 16 years after

the Battle of Kadesh,

you have the Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty in 1258 BCE.

And the reason why this is significant

is this is sometimes referred to as

the first peace treaty in history.

I would qualify a little bit as saying

it's the first peace treaty that we know about

in this part of the world, and this right over here

is the Hittite version of it,

and what's especially cool about this peace treaty,

and just so you know what these other pictures are,

this is a Hittite ramp discovered at

the Hittite capital of Hattusa.

This is some pictures of the Hittite

gods of the underworld.

But once again, we don't have as complete

of a picture of the Hittite versus, say,

the Egyptians, but what's also neat

about this treaty, it's sometimes called

the Treaty of Kadesh, but it doesn't refer

directly to Kadesh.

These folks have been in conflict with each other

for nearly over 100 years right over here,

so this treaty is really to talk about

not just Kadesh, and this treaty happened

16 years after the Battle of Kadesh,

but to talk about, "Let's just have a permanent peace

"between our two great empires,"

and what's cool about it is we have surviving accounts

from the Hittites that were discovered in Hattusa,

and we also have a symmetric account

that we get from the Egyptians,

and so this is the one from the Hittites

and this is from the Egyptians.

It's written in Acadian, which wasn't their language.

Acadian, we talked about, was a Semitic language,

and they used cuneiform script, which remember,

we get from the Sumerians, but it's cool to get

the same treaty written in different scripts

from both sides of the conflict.

And I'll just read a little bit of it

because it's neat to just think about it,

and of course they didn't write it in this language,

modern English wouldn't show up for many,

actually thousands of years from this point,

but this is a translation.

"Now from the beginning of the limits of eternity,

"as for the situation of the Great ruler of Egypt

"with the Great Prince of Hatti, the god did not

"permit hostility to occur between them,

"through a regulation.

"But in the time of Muwatallis, the Great Prince of Hatti,

"my brother," so this is from the point of view

of Hattusilis, who is the Hittite king

at the time of the treaty, "he fought with

"Ramses Meri-Amon," the Pharaoh Ramses,

"the great ruler of Egypt.

"But hereafter, from this day, behold Hattusilis,

"the Great Prince of Hatti, is under a regulation

"in order not to permit hostility to occur

"between them forever."

Those are big words.

"Behold, Hattusilis," sometimes it's spelled Hattusili,

"the Great Prince of Hatti, has set himself

"in a regulation with User-maat-Re Setep-en-Re,"

that's sometimes how Ramses is referred to,

"the Great ruler of Egypt, beginning from this day,

"to cause that good peace and brotherhood

"occur between us forever, while he is

"in brotherhood with me and he is at peace with me,

"and I am in brotherhood with him

"and I am in peace with him forever.

"Behold, I, as the Great Prince of Hatti,

"am with Ramses Meri-Amon, in good peace

"and in good brotherhood.

"The children of the children of the Great Prince

"of Hatti are in brotherhood and peace

"with the children of the children of Ramses Meri-Amon,

"the Great ruler of Egypt, for they are

"in our situation of brotherhood

"and our situation of peace.

"The land of Egypt, with the land of Hatti,

"shall be at peace and in brotherhood

"like unto us forever.

"Hostilities shall not occur between them forever."

So not only are they, and this is just part of the text,

it's actually quite interesting,

do a web search for the Egyptian-Hittite Treaty text,

and you can actually get the whole text,

this is just part of an excerpt of it,

but they go into much more details

about how they might provide aid for each other,

how they're not going to have conflict,

et cetera, et cetera.

So I'll leave you there, but the important thing

to take away is some of these modern notions

of peace treaties and military tactics,

they go deep into history, and this is

some of the earliest evidence we find,

but I would suspect as we discover more things,

we might find even earlier evidence.