Kadesh, Battle of, was fought in 1274 B.C. between ancient Egyptian forces and a people known as the Hittites . King Ramses II ruled Egypt at that time, and King Muwatalli led the Hittites. The battle took place at Kadesh (also spelled Qadesh), on the Orontes River in what is now Syria . The huge battle proved indecisive, but it stopped Egypt’s advance into Syria. The battle is famous for the thousands of war chariots involved.
Background.
During the 1400’s B.C., King Thutmose III expanded Egypt’s empire to include Syria and the important city of Kadesh. About 100 years later, the Hittites invaded and captured Kadesh. The Hittite kingdom was based north of Syria, in what is now Turkey . Ramses’s father, Seti I , fought three campaigns against the Hittites. He recovered Kadesh briefly, but the city soon slipped from Egyptian control again. Ramses succeeded his father as king and continued the Syrian campaigns.
The battle.
In the spring of 1274 B.C., Ramses led a huge army of infantry (foot soldiers) and war chariots into Syria. Large numbers of Hittite soldiers and war chariots awaited them at Kadesh. As the Egyptians neared the city, Hittite spies convinced Ramses that the Hittite army was still far to the north.
Ramses advanced with a forward division of his troops and encamped near the Kadesh city walls. The rest of the Egyptian force was strung out in three more divisions marching toward the city from the south. With Ramses’s forward troops isolated from the bulk of the Egyptian army, the Hittites launched a surprise attack outside Kadesh. Hittite chariots attacked the second Egyptian division as it neared the city. The Hittites then wheeled and overran Ramses’ camp, killing numerous Egyptian soldiers. Ramses himself barely escaped.
As the Hittites paused to loot the camp, Ramses was able to gather his forces. The trailing Egyptian soldiers soon reached the battlefield, and they overwhelmed the looting Hittites. Many Hittite soldiers were driven into the Orontes River, but bloody fighting continued.
The battered armies withdrew from the battlefield the following day. The exhausted Egyptian army then pulled out of Syria, leaving Kadesh under Hittite control.
Aftermath.
Ramses declared the battle a great Egyptian victory. Texts and artwork throughout Egypt celebrated the brave deeds of Ramses and his army. However, Hittite records tell a slightly different story. Most historians believe the battle ended in a draw.
In 1259 B.C., Egypt and the Hittite kingdom agreed to the Treaty of Kadesh. The agreement established a formal peace and close diplomatic ties. The Egyptians carved the text of the treaty in hieroglyphics on the Temple of Karnak , the largest temple of ancient Egypt.
In 1906, a clay tablet recording the details of the treaty was found near Boğazkale (also spelled Boğazköy), Turkey, site of the ancient Hittite capital of Hattusas. The text of the treaty was written in cuneiform, an ancient Middle Eastern writing system. The Treaty of Kadesh is one of the oldest known international treaties. A replica of the treaty hangs in the United Nations Headquarters in New York City .
