| Šauštatar | |
|---|---|
| King ofMitanni | |
| King ofMitanni | |
| Predecessor | Parshatatar |
| Successor | Artatama I |
| Died | c. 1450 BC |
Šauštatar (also spelledShaushtatar) was the King ofMitanni in the fifteenth century BC. He significantly expanded the Mitanni Empire to include Assyria and Nuzi in the east to Alalakh and Kizzuwatna in the west. He was in conflict withThutmose III competing for territory in Syria.
Two tablets of Shaushtatar (AIT 13 and AIT 14), legal decisions, were found atAlalakh. They mentionNiqmepa, the king of Alalakh, providing a synchronism.[1] A tablet of Shaushtatar was found atTall Bazi, granting land.[2]
The Hurrian word šauša means "big, great" and the theonym Šauša referred to the local version of the great goddess Ištar.
Shaushtatar was the son and successor ofParshatatar. By the time he ascended the throne ca. the 15th century BC, his father had installed Hurrian client kings in a number of cities, making it easier for Shaushtatar to make Mittani aMesopotamian power.
Now freed from the constant threat undergone by Mitanni of theEgyptians, Shaushtatar turned his attention towardAssyria.[3] He invaded Assyria and sacked and looted its capital,Assur.[4]
After his invasion of Assyria, Shaushtatar turned his army westward across theEuphrates, along the way gathering beneath his sway all the northernSyrian states as he brought his army to theMediterranean coast. He succeeded in extending the boundaries of Mitanni to include the areas ofAlalakh,Nuzi,Assur, andKizzuwatna.[5][6][7][8] He was looking to extend Mitanni's power further south, perhaps intoPalestine. However, much of southern Syria still lay within the Egyptian sphere of influence, which had long been a threat to Mitanni.
There was a consequence into Shaushtatar's expansion into Palestine: war with Egypt. Despite Mitanni's advantage that Palestine had a significant Hurrian population at the time, the war would be difficult to win.[9] During the planning stages, however, Shaushtatar died, and his sonArtatama I would negotiate with the pharaohAmenhotep II over an alliance.
| Preceded by | Mitanni king 15th century BC | Succeeded by |
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