Amarna diplomacy
Contents
Amarna diplomacy is widely perceived as an official diplomatic system. It is named after the contemporary name of the Egyptian locality Tal-Amarna, which served as the ancient capital city under the administration of Pharaoh Akhenaten in the 14th century BC. Most of the knowledge on Amarna diplomacy comes from the Amarna letters, a group of approximately 350 clay tablets with writings in the Akkadian cuneiform script.
The Amarna letters are an important source of information on Egypt’s diplomatic relations with its neighbours, notably the Hittites, Babylonians, Assyrians, Mitanni, and the city-states of Canaan and Syria. Amarna diplomacy flourished under the era’s highly developed political structure, which featured strong ties between the major powers on the social, cultural, and economic fronts.
One of the main characteristics of Amarna diplomacy was the use of various diplomatic tools and strategies, including treaties, gift exchanges, diplomatic marriages, forging alliances, etc.
Resources
2008
Evolution of Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities
Excerpt from the lecture 1: Principles and concepts, evolution and instruments; Online course on Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities.... Read more...
1998
History and the evolution of diplomacy
Update: Visit our page on History of Diplomacy and Technology, where we try to discover how civilizations dealt with ... Read more...
Histories
Ancient Diplomacy: What can it teach us?
The text discusses the role of ancient diplomacy in civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Assyria, Persia, China, and India. Writing is highlighted as a key diplomatic 'technology,' with historical examples of diplomatic systems and techniques outlined. The text em... Read more...
