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The Hittites were a northern Indo-European people who called themselves “Aryans” (like the [[Persians]])—a term meaning “noble people”, they established an empire formally known as the Kingdom Of Hatti which stretched from Asia Minor (modern [[Turkey]]), [[Canaan]] ([[Palestine]] and [[Jordan]]) and [[Syria]] to northern [[Mesopotamia]] (northern [[Iraq]]).

The Hittites were a northern Indo-European people who called themselves “Aryans” (like the [[Persians]])—a term meaning “noble people”, they established an empire formally known as the Kingdom Of Hatti which stretched from [[Anatolia]] (modern [[Turkey]]), [[Canaan]] ([[Palestine]] and [[Jordan]]) and [[Syria]] to northern [[Mesopotamia]] (northern [[Iraq]]).

 

 

In 1650 B.C., they were able to gain control of most of Mesopotamia largely because of their advanced warfare, including horse-drawn chariots. Under their rule, life in the Babylonian empire did not flourish artistically or culturally as it did under others’ rule.  

In 1650 B.C., they were able to gain control of most of Mesopotamia largely because of their advanced warfare, including horse-drawn chariots. Under their rule, life in the Babylonian empire did not flourish artistically or culturally as it did under others’ rule.  

For Rameses II, who was in just in his 5th year of his reign, Kadesh was a test that he had to pass to gain the respect of the Egyptian aristocracy.

For Rameses II, who was in just in his 5th year of his reign, Kadesh was a test that he had to pass to gain the respect of the Egyptian aristocracy.

In 1258 B.C. Egypt and Hatti signed the world's first known peace treaty [http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/egyptian-hittite-peace-treaty.htm] (a copy of which hangs on the walls of the [[United Nations]] headquarters), which also established an alliance against Assyria.

In 1258 B.C. Egypt and Hatti signed the world's first known peace treaty <ref>Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty[http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/egyptian-hittite-peace-treaty.htm]</ref> (a copy of which hangs on the walls of the [[United Nations]] headquarters), which also established an alliance against Assyria.

The two states coexisted peacefully for seventy years, but by then Hatti had been weakened by Assyria and was sacked by the "Sea Peoples" a loose coalition of which the [[Philistines]] were a member.

The two states coexisted peacefully for seventy years, but by then Hatti had been weakened by Assyria and was sacked by the "Sea Peoples" a loose coalition of which the [[Philistines]] were a member.

After the kingdom had fallen, most of its former territories were annexed by Assyria, with some Hittite city-states remaining independent until the 8th century B.C.

After the kingdom had fallen, most of its former territories were annexed by Assyria, with some Hittite city-states remaining independent until the 8th century B.C.