Yamhad dynasty

Yamhad Dynasty
Country	Syria - Turkey
Titles	Great King of Yamhad King of Alalakh (Mukish) Queen consort of Mari
Founded	1810 BC
Founder	Sumu-Epuh, King of Yamhad
Final ruler	Itur-Addu, King of Mukish (Alalakh)
Dissolution	1344 BC
Ethnicity	Amorites

Yamhad dynasty, was an ancient Amorite royal family founded in c. 1810 BC by Sumu-Epuh of Yamhad who had his capital in the city of Aleppo. Started as a local dynasty, the family expanded its influence through the actions of its energetic ruler Yarim-Lim I who turned it into the most influential family in the Levant through both diplomatic and military tools. At its height the dynasty controlled most of northern Syria and the modern Turkish province of Hatay with a cadet branch ruling in the city of Alalakh (Land of Mukish).

The dynasty was ousted during a short Hittite occupation of Aleppo in the beginning of the 16th century BC but was restored and expanded the kingdom again before being driven out of Aleppo by the Mitannians in c. 1525. Idrimi a member of the dynasty was able to conquer Alalakh leaving his descendents to rule until the last of them was dethroned by the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I in c. 1344 BC.

In all likelihoods Yamhad was a tribal name. The dynasty entered the historic records when the founder Sumu-Epuh was mentioned as an enemy in the inscriptions of Yahdun-Lim of Mari. Sumu-Epuh faced dangerous enemies most important of them was Shamshi-Adad I of Assyria and was killed in one of the battles. His successor Yarim-Lim I was able to defeat all his enemies becoming a Great King, his reign saw an alliance with Hammurabi of Babylon, and the dynasty became the most influential family in the Levant with the armies of Yamhad campaigning as far away as Diniktum in southern Mesopotamia next to Elam borders. Dynastic marriages played a part in the dynasty policy and included royal members of many kingdoms such as Ebla and Mari, whose King Zimri-Lim was married to Shibtu the daughter of Yarim-Lim I.

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