Uhha-Ziti was the last independent king ofArzawa, aBronze Age kingdom of westernAnatolia around 1320 BC.
Uhha-Ziti had two recorded children,Piyama-Kurunta and Tapalazunauli, who were of fighting age as of 1322 BC.
In the dominant Hittite Empire, Suppiluliuma I died in 1323 BC and his successor Arnuwanda I also died in the following year 1322 BC. This was a time of epidemics which significantly weakened the major powers. Mursili II came to the trone in 1321 BC facing multiple rebellions.
TheHittite kingMursili II in his second campaign season, 1320 BC, attacked Attarimma, Hu[wa]rsanassa, and Suruda on Arzawa's border. Their leaders fled to Arzawa. When the king demanded their extradition, Uhha-Ziti defied him and called him a "child". He also managed to enlistManapa-Tarhunta of the Seha River Land, but not Maskhuiluwa ofMira.
Mursili put down a Kaskarebellion, and invaded Arzawa. Uhha-Ziti at this time had made his base atApasa. During Mursili's march, ameteorite struck Apasa and wounded Uhha-Ziti, as recorded in the Annals of Mursili II:
"The mighty StormGod, My Lord, showed his divinely righteous power and hurled athunderbolt. All of my troops saw the thunderbolt. All the land of Arzawa saw the thunderbolt. The thunderbolt passed (us) and struck the land of Arzawa. It struck Uḫḫa-Ziti’s (capital) city Apaša. It settled in Uḫḫa-Ziti’s knees, and he became ill."[1]
In his wounded state, Uhha-Ziti could no longer lead the charge; therefore, having allied with the King ofAhhiuwa (most probablyMycenaean Greece)—the first time the "Ahhiya" are recorded with a monarch- he ordered Piyama-Kurunta to take the field at Walma by theAstarpa river. Piyama-Kurunta lost the battle, and Uhha-Ziti and his sons fled to the nearby Ahhiuwa-controlled islands.
Uhha-Ziti died while Mursili II was besieging the men of Attarimma, Hu[wa]rsanassa, and Suruda atPuranda.
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