The city of Kadesh, also known as Kadehs or Kinza, is currently located in the territory of Syria, more specifically in the Syrian-Palestinian border zone. It is a strategic enclave for communications and was already in antiquity a very appreciated place for its fertile land and for being a key area for trade routes. Battle of Kadesh
The battle of Kadesh happened in 1274 a. with the confrontation of two great powers: the old Egyptians and the hitita town. The leader of the former was Ramses II, while the Hittites were led by King Muwatalli.
The dispute for Kadesh, until then a city in the territory of Canaan, was motivated by economic interests related to the transport of goods. Battle of Kadesh
It is not known for sure who won the battle of Kadesh
The Egyptians and the Hittites had the same aspiration: to control the territory of Syria to expand their domains and promote trade . To achieve this goal it was necessary to militarily occupy the city of Kadesh.
We know the battle information from two ancient Egyptian sources: the poem of Pentaur and the bas-reliefs from the temples of Luxor and Karnak. Thus, we know that the troops of Ramses II were formed by four divisions and each had the name of a deity . Battle of Kadesh
It is estimated that the Egyptian army consisted of 20,000 soldiers, while the Hittite had over 30,000. We know that cavalry forces and chariots that were pulled by two or three horses were used in battle. It is also known that both armies had foreign mercenaries and that they used different strategies by the two sides. An element that catches the attention of historians is the fact that Ramses II invoked the god Amon to achieve victory over his enemies.
Another striking fact is the use of bronze age technology on the battlefield
The Egyptian victory was the official version for 3000 years. At present, it is believed that the result could be a draw or even a victory for the Hittites. This controversy may have an explanation: Ramses II wanted to aggrandize his figure as agent and for this reason he ordered his personal scribe to write a poem describing the Egyptian victory. Battle of Kadesh
Pentaur’s poem extols the victory of Ramses II, but expert historians of the Hittite people defend an entirely contrary thesis.
The first peace treaty that has historical records
Although there are two antagonistic versions of the same episode, one thing is certain: the battle of Kadesh ended with a peace treaty. And this is the first treaty that brings news. Battle of Kadesh