Amenhotep V (The Egypto-Hittite Empire)

Amenhotep V was the third and final ruler of the Egypto-Hittite Empire, and first ruler of the Kingdom of Zannanza. He succeeded his father Tutankhamun II following his death at the Battle of Ur in c.1275 BC. Amenhotep, however, was still a child, possibly around two years old, so his uncle, Labarna, was made his regent. Labarna remained his regent for eleven years until the young king was about thirteen years old, and began to rule in his own right.

Although the royal family and nobility of the Egypto-Hittite empire had adopted the cultures of both nations, having a syncretic religion which combined the pantheons of both nations, and speaking a creole language that developed from a pidgin language used at the Egyptian court during the reign of Zannanza I, the common people in the Egyptian and Hittite regions of the empire remained culturally disparate. It was only in Canaan, where these regions met, where the cultures and religions merged.

Amenhotep's first act as king after the regency was over was to culturally unify these regions, seeing as there would be less division in the empire if he did so. He sent large waves of Egyptian migrants to the Hittite regions of the empire, and vice versa. He also set up schools teaching the new Egypto-Hittite creole (which is known as Zannanzan in modern times, after the first king of the unified empire). He set up many temples throughout his empire which were dedicated to the new syncretic religion. He also deified his grandfather, Zannanza, as a god to unify these pantheons. In addition to this, he formally ended the personal union in c.1255 BC, instead unifying the nations as the Kingdom of Zannanza.

The older, more conservative citizens of the empire resisted these changes at first, but reluctantly accepted so as to not incur the wrath of the king. By the end of Amenhotep's reign, there was a clear unified Egypto-Hittite culture that was rapidly replacing the older cultures of the empire. Amenhotep died in c.1220 BC, and was succeeded by his son, Zannanza II.