The Hittites began as a north Anatolian people, with whom the Assyrians traded in the 19th and 18th centuries BC. At this time, the Hittites were divided into a number of small kingdoms or city states. By about 1650 BC, these had united under the control of a single king, probably mainly through military conquest.
The Hittites first raided lands to the south and east. In 1595 BC they invaded Mesopotamia and sacked Babylon, bringing to an end the First Dynasty of Babylon, but withdrawing immediately afterwards. Their raids reached as far as the Mediterranean and northern Syria before being beaten back by the Hurrians of Mitanni.
Around 1450 BC they began to expand again, this time with conscious imperial intent, defeating the Hurrians and placing a vassal prince on the throne at Carchemish. They forced Syrian cities to pay homage.
In the 14th century the Hittites subjugated the Arzawans and were in trading contact with other contemporary peoples, such as the Mycenaeans. In the 13th century they fought the Egyptians at Kadesh. Although the battle was inconclusive, the Hittites were able to reach a treaty with the Egyptians, dividing the Levant between them.
The empire straddled the Taurus mountains, including large parts of Anatolia and Syria, until its sudden collapse and disappearance around 1200 BC. Its legacy lived on in the 'Neo-Hittite' city states of later northern Syria.
