Ramses II Confronts the Hittite Empire
Kadesh and the Treaty of Friendship in the 19th Dynasty
Feb 12, 2009
With the start of the Egyptian “New Kingdom,” Egypt became an imperial power, establishing an empire beyond its borders and developing a military and bureaucratic framework for administering the conquered lands. This empire period peaked with the reign of Ramses II, whose 67 year reign has been described as the “most glorious” of all the pharaohs. Ramses II’s confrontation with the Hittites at the battle of Kadesh (or Qadesh) and his subsequent treaty with Hattusilis III are often cited as two of the most significant events of his reign.
Ramsses Assumes the Egyptian Throne
Ramses II rose to power upon the death of his father, Sethos I. According to Nicholas Grimal, Ramses would be viewed as, “the best known pharaoh in Egyptian history.” The XIX Dynasty followed the Amarna period and had left Egypt bereft of strong leadership. Under the Ramessid pharaohs, Egypt would reconquer lost lands and consolidate gains as far as northern Syria. Ramses’ father, Sethos I, spent most of his fourteen year reign in this pursuit, battling the Hittites and Assyrians as well as localized groups that switched alliances.
At the time Ramses became pharaoh, Sethos I had reconquered Egyptian territories up to Qadesh, concluding a weak peace with the Hittite king, Muwatallis. But the peace did not last and the first few years of Ramses’ reign were spent pacifying the lands beyond the Sinai up to Syria. It was during this early period, c. 1274 B.C., that Ramses met the Hittites at Kadesh in what has been called “one of the most famous battles in the history of the Ancient Neat East”.
Qadesh and the Eventual Peace with the Hittites
Ramses’ army was almost destroyed as the first divisions of his force forded a river to attack Kadesh from the southwest. Ambushed by units of the Hittite army hidden behind Kadesh, the day seemed lost. According to the many accounts of the battle, Ramses turned to Amun for help. “I know Amun helps me more than a million troops,” the pharaoh prayed. Gaining strength from Amun, Ramses rallied his men, including mercenary troops, and counterattacked.
Although Ramses claimed victory, the battle is viewed as a stalemate, leading to continued border altercations between the Egyptians and the Hittites. By the 9th year of his reign, Ramses II recaptured Kadesh and this would ultimately become the permanent border. The battle of Kadesh, however, was noteworthy for the many recorded versions. The importance of the battle for Ramses is demonstrated by the numerous details documented on the walls of several temples and steles, including the Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak as well as at Luxor. According to Grimal, “this epic was to become a kind of archetype of Egyptian victory over foreign countries, asserting the pharaoh’s control of the universe.”
In the twenty-first year of his reign, Ramses signed a treaty with the new Hittite king, Hattusilis III. It was the first such treaty emphasizing the basis for a lasting peace between the two empires in recorded history. Terms of the treaty were preserved in both capitals and even contained an extradition clause for political opponents. This agreement may have arisen out of the dynastic struggles in the Hittite empire that saw at least one opponent of Hattusilis seeking asylum in Egypt.
The treaty resulted in lasting pace and engendered friendly relations between the two ancient powers. Ramses married two Hittite princesses and would be able to divert military efforts to other areas of the Egyptian imperial frontier.
Sources:
Nicolas Grimal, A History of Ancient Egypt (Barnes and Noble, 1998).
Ian Shaw, The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt (Oxford University Press, 2004).
David Silverman, Ancient Egypt (Oxford University Press, 2003).
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