Aziru

Aziru(Akk.^ma-zi-ra) was theCanaaniteruler ofAmurru,modernLebanon,in the 14th century BC. He was the son ofAbdi-Ashirta,the previous Egyptian vassal of Amurru and a direct contemporary ofAkhenaten.

Aziru
King of Amurru Vassal of Suppiluliuma I of Hatti
Reign	c. 1350 BC

Amarna letterEA 161, Aziru to Pharaoh,"An Absence Explained."(British Museum no. 29818, painted in black on top of letter, visible)

A letter from the Pharaoh of Egypt Akhenaten to Aziru prince of Amurru. Circa 1350 BCE. From Tell el-Amarna, Egypt. Vorderasiatisches Museum, Berlin

Reign

Relations with Egypt

The dealings of Aziru are well-known from theAmarna letters.While being a formal vassal of Egypt, he tried to expand his kingdom towards the Mediterranean coast and captured the city ofSumur(Simyrra). This was seen with alarm by his neighbouring states, particularlyRib-Hadda,the king of Gubla, (Byblos), who pleaded for Egyptian troops to be sent for their protection. Rib-Hadda was ultimately exiled—and probably not long afterwards killed—at the behest of Aziru. Rib-Hadda had left his city of Byblos for four months to conclude a treaty with the king of Beirut,Ammunira,but when he returned home, he learned that a palace coup led by his brotherIlirabihhad unseated him from power.He temporarily sought refuge with Ammunira and unsuccessfully appealed for support from Egypt to restore him to the throne. (EA 136-138; EA 141 & EA 142)When this failed, Rib-Hadda was forced to ignominiously appeal to his sworn enemy, Aziru, to place him back on the throne of his city. Aziru promptly betrayed him and dispatched Rib-Hadda into the hands of the rulers ofSidonwhere Rib-Hadda almost certainly met his death.

EA 161, line 2: "message (speaking thus) ':
1.A-zi-ru,
servant-yours "
(Individual (1.) + 3 cuneiform characters,A,zi,ru.)

This event is mentioned in Amarna letter EA 162 by Akhenaten to Aziru when the pharaoh demanded that Aziru travel to Egypt to explain his actions.Aziru was detained in Egypt for at least a year before being released when the advancingHittitesconquered the important city ofAmkithereby threatening Amurru (EA 170). Aziru was allowed to leave Egypt and return to his kingdom.

Relations with Hatti

Aziru made secret contacts with the Hittite kingSuppiluliuma I,and sometime upon his return to Amurru, he permanently switched his allegiance to the Hittites to whom he remained loyal until his death.

Hittite-Amurru text:

• Treaty of Suppiluliuma I with Aziru of Amurru (CTH 49)
• Treaty of Niqmaddu II of Ugarit and Aziru of Amurru (CTH 54)

Amurru remained firmly in Hittite hands until the reign of the 19th Dynasty PharaohsSeti IandRamesses II.

See also

• Amarna letter EA 161

References

• Moran, William L.The Amarna Letters.Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover,ISBN0-8018-6715-0)