| Kara-ḫardaš | |
|---|---|
| King of Babylon | |
 The name of Kara-hardash in Akkadian (Babylonian) cuneiform | |
| Reign | c.1333–c.1333 BC |
| Predecessor | Burna-Buriash II |
| Successor | Kurigalzu II |
| Issue | Kurigalzu II (?) |
| House | Kassite |
| Father | Burna-Buriash II |
| Mother | Muballitat-Sherua |
Kara-hardash (Kara-ḫardaš), also renderedKadashman-Harbe and possiblyKaraindash, was a king ofBabylon. He became king of Babylon around 1333 BC. He was the son of the Assyrian princessMuballitat-Sherua and the Babylonian king who preceded him. His rule was short, as shortly after his appointment as king, he was killed in an anti-Assyrian revolt. His death was avenged by his grandfather, the Assyrian kingAshur-uballit I. After suppressing the revolt and removing the usurper appointed by the Kassites, the Assyrians appointedKurigalzu as king. The latter's connection to the Assyrians is unclear. It is not excluded that he was Kara-hardash's son.
He was the son of the Assyrian princessMuballitat-Sherua, daughter of the Assyrian kingAshur-uballit I and sister of the future kingEnlil-nirari.[1] His maternal grandfather was the first to use the titleking of Assyria.[2] In theSynchronistic History, his name is spelled both Karahardash and Karaindash, perhaps due to different phonetic readings. Alternatively, these are two different persons, with Karahardash (i.e. Kadashman-Harbe) being the son of Karaindash, husband of Muballitat-Sherua.[3] Another ancient source, theChronicle P, gives a biography of the life of Muballitat-Sherua's son that is almost identical to theSynchronistic History's, but records that his name was Kadashman-Harbe, and that his father was Karaindash. Kadašman-Ḫarbe is likely a scribal error for Kara-ḫardaš.[4][3] Neither of the ancient sources explicitly names who the husband of Muballitat-Sherua was.[5]
Upon the death of his father, Kara-hardash was appointedking of Babylon. During his short reign, he went to war against theSuteans, and was also able to carry off a number of public works, including the digging ofwells and building of afortress.[6]
His reign was short-lived, however. An anti-Assyrian rebellion broke out, in which he was murdered. The army then appointed Nazi-Bugaš, or Šuzigaš, a pure Kassite, as king.[6][7] His Assyrian grandfather, Ashur-uballit I, suppressed the rebellion, deposed the usurper, and appointed a certainKurigalzu as king. It is unclear how this Kurigalzu was connected to the Assyrians, but he might have been Kara-Hardash's (i.e. Kadashman-Harbe's) son.[3][6]
