Tudhaliya IV

Life and Reign

Tudhaliya IV was a Hittite king who ruled from 1238 to an unknown date. He was the son of Hattusili III, and his mother is believed to be Puduhepa, the queen mother and great wife of Hattusili.

### Succession

Tudhaliya succeeded his father without any dispute, possibly due to his being chosen before his brothers for the throne. The reasons for this are unclear. It is possible that he was already designated as successor during the last years of Hattusili's reign.

### Reign

During Tudhaliya's reign, he dealt with several issues, including:

* Conquest of Alashiya: Tudhaliya conquered the kingdom of Alashiya, which is believed to be located on the island of Cyprus.
* Relations with Assyria: Tudhaliya experienced difficulties in his relations with Assyria, particularly under Tukulti-Ninurta I, who greatly expanded the Assyrian Empire. The king of Assyria inflicted several setbacks on Tudhaliya.
* Rebellion in Arzawa: Tudhaliya's first problems were related to rebellions in Arzawa, which he eventually had to deal with.

### Conflict with Kurunta

There was a brief interruption in Tudhaliya's reign when his cousin Kurunta took power. However, this was likely a temporary situation, and Tudhaliya was able to regain control.

Family and Politics

Tudhaliya's family played an important role during his reign. His mother, Puduhepa, remained politically active as the grand queen at the beginning of his reign. Various civil servant groups had to take a special oath on Tudhaliya, indicating that he was seen as a legitimate ruler.

External Conflicts

Tudhaliya's reign was marked by several external conflicts, including:

* Piyamaradu: Tudhaliya dealt with the raids of Piyamaradu, possibly a grandson of the last Arzavian king Uḫḫaziti, who attacked Hittite vassals in western Asia Minor.
* Assyria: As mentioned earlier, Tudhaliya experienced difficulties in his relations with Assyria under Tukulti-Ninurta I.

Notes

Tudhaliya IV's birth name was Ḫišmi-Šarruma. His reign is believed to have taken place in the second half of the 13th century BC.