Kingship in Hatti during the 13th Century: Forms of Rule and Struggles for Power before the Fall of the Empire

The 13th century was a crucial period in Hittite history. On the basis of the military and political successes in the previous century, the Hittite kingdom became one of the most powerful empires of the era. At the same time the 13th century, with the well-known internal and external problems and conflicts the Hittite Empire experienced in its late phase, can be considered a precursor to the subsequent period, marked by crises, collapse and the regrouping of some areas of the state. The principle aim of the article is to analyse, on the basis of written sources (both in cuneiform and hieroglyphic script) and archaeological evidence, some aspects of the ideology of kingship in the final phase of the Hittite empire, the political organization of the Hittite empire, the struggles for power and the actors involved, the relationships with the politically important appanage kingdoms of Karkamiš and Tarḫuntassa.