Arnuwanda became a king by marriage. His wife was Ašmu-nikal, daughter of king Tudhaliya II (also known as Tudhaliya I/II). He became a successor of Tudhaliya as his son-in-law. He began his reign under a co-regency with Tudhaliya.
During his time, the kingdom suffered what is known as the period of ‘concentric invasions’, when they were surrounded on all sides by enemies. A major enemy was the kingdom of Arzawa in the southwest.[2] Arnuwanda may have led an unsuccessful expedition against Arzawa.
At the time, Arzawa was led by king Tarhuntaradu, who was corresponding with the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Tarhuntaradu was a powerful leader, and the Egyptians clearly saw Arzawa as capable of controlling that whole area.[3]
Hattusa was sacked, and the court had to move to a temporary base, probably at Samuha. But later, under Suppiluliuma I, many of those losses were reversed.[4]
According to Kuhrt (2020), Tudhaliya III was the successor of Arnuwanda I. Since several scholars refer to him also as Tudhaliya II, he can also be described as Tudhaliya II/III. Further, Suppiluliuma I was the son and eventual heir of Tudhaliya II/III.[5]: 252
Arnuwanda's parents are not known. He was a son-in-law of Tudhaliya and Nikal-mati. He had two sons, prince Ašmi-Šarruma and king Tudhaliya III (or II/III). There is a very fragmentary text in which Arnuwanda names his son Tudhaliya as his future successor.
Small caps indicates a Great King (LUGAL.GAL) of the Land of Hatti; italic small caps indicates a Great Queen or Tawananna.
Dashed lines indicate adoption.
Solid lines indicate marriage (if horizontal) or parentage (if vertical).
References:
Trevor Bryce (1997). The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
Trevor Bryce (2005). The Kingdom of the Hittites (new edition). Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
Trevor Bryce (2012). The World of the Neo-Hittite Kingdoms. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
Jacques Freu (2007). Les débuts du nouvel empire hittite. Paris, France: L'Harmattan.
Volkert Haas (2006). Die hethitische Literatur. Berlin, Germany: de Gruyter.
Notes:
^Scholars have suggested that Tudhaliya I/II was possibly a grandson of the Hittite king Huzziya II; the first Tudhaliya is now known to be the son of Kantuzzili (Bryce 1997, p. 131 suggested Himuili, but the new edition, Bryce 2005, p. 122, indicated Kantuzzili).
^Bryce (1997) does not consider it clear whether Tudhaliya I/II was one king or two (p. 133); the link points to Tudhaliya II. Among those who identify distinct kings Tudhaliya I and Tudhaliya II, Freu (2007) has Kantuzzili—his son Tudhaliya I—his son Hattusili II—his son Tudhaliya II (p. 311).
^The existence of Hattusili II is doubted by many scholars (Bryce 1997, pp. 153–154; Bryce 2005, p. 141). Among those who accept the existence of Hattusili II, Freu (2007), p. 311, has Tudhaliya I—his son Hattusili II—his son Tudhaliya II.
^King (lugal) of Tarhuntassa (Bryce 1997, p. 296); apparently later Great King of Hatti (Bryce 1997, p. 354).
^Nerikkaili married a daughter of Bentesina, king of Amurru (Bryce 1997, p. 294).
^Two daughters of Hattusili III were married to the pharaoh Ramesses II; one was given the Egyptian name Ma(hor)nefrure. Another, Gassuwaliya, married into the royal house of Amurru. Kilushepa was married to a king of Isuwa. A daughter married into the royal family of Babylon. A sister of Tudhaliya IV married Sausgamuwa, king of Amurru after his father Bentesina. From Bryce (1997), pp. 294 and 312.
^Bryce (1997), p. 363. Tudhaliya IV probably married a Babylonian princess, known by her title of Great Princess (dumu.sal gal) (Bryce 1997, pp. 294, 331).