Seha River Land | |
|---|---|
 Location of the Seha River Land | |
| Status | Vassal state of the Hittite Empire |
| Capital | Kaymakçı Tepe (hypothesized) |
| Government | Kingdom |
• c. 1300 BC | Manapa-Tarhunta |
| Historical era | Bronze Age |
| Today part of | Aegean Region, Turkey |
The Seha River Land was a kingdom in Western Anatolia in the Late Bronze Age known from Hittite texts. Part of Arzawa, it was located north of Mira and south of Wilusa, and at one point controlled the island of Lazpa. [1]
The Seha River Land was a reluctant vassal state of the Hittite Empire, and much of its known history was turbulent. The Annals of Mursili II recount how the Hittite king Mursili II consolidated power over the region around 1320 BC, crushing a revolt in which the Seha River Land participated. According to Mursili, he besieged the Seha River Land's capital and was on the verge of destroying it when he accepted a last minute mercy plea from King Manapa-Tarhunta's own mother, delivered right outside the city gates. A treaty was drawn up which confirmed Manapa-Tarhunta's status as a Hittite vassal, though he once again had to plead for mercy in the Manapa-Tarhunta letter, this time because of his failure to provide Mursili with timely military support. [2] [1]
Manapa-Tarhunta was eventually deposed and replaced by someone named Masturi, who may have been his son. Masturi's ascent to the throne was supported by Mursili's successor Muwatalli II, and the kingdom appears to have remained loyal to the Hittites under his rule. However, it once again revolted after Masturi was himself deposed by someone named Tarhunta-Radu, seemingly with the support of the Ahhiyawa. This revolt was crushed by the Hittite king Tudhaliya IV, after which a descendant of Manapa-Tarhunta was reinstalled on the Seha River Land's throne. [2] [1]
Muwa-Walwi was the king of the Seha River Land as well as Appawiya during the time of Suppiluliuma I. In CTH 211, the Hittites refer to the "descendant of Muwawalwi" indicating he formed a dynasty. However, his death led to a war of succession between his sons Manapa-Tarhunta and Ura-Tarhunta.[ citation needed ]
In the Treaty of Tudhaliya IV and Kurunta of Tarhuntassa, Mašturi is mentioned as a withness along with other notable rulers like Ini-Teshub of Carchemish, Alantalli of Mira, Bentesina of Amurru etc.
The Seha River itself is generally identified with the Bakırçay River or the Gediz River, but the kingdom's precise location has not been conclusively identified. [4] The leading candidate for the site of its capital is Kaymakçı Tepe near the Gediz River, where excavations since 2014 have revealed a major Bronze Age settlement whose citadel is more than four times larger than that of contemporary Troy. [5] [6]
Max Gander suggested that evidence would also be compatible with the Seha River Land being located south of Ephesus, and closer to the valley of Meander River. As part of this argument, he suggests that the Manapa-Tarhunta letter need not be read as implying that Seha ruled Lesbos. [7]
| Bronze Age | |
|---|---|
| Iron Age | |
| Classical Age | |
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
Arzawa was a region and political entity in Western Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age. In Hittite texts, the term is used to refer both to a particular kingdom and to a loose confederation of states. The chief Arzawan state, whose capital was at Apasa, is often referred to as Arzawa Minor or Arzawa Proper, while the other Arzawa lands included Mira, Hapalla, Wilusa, and the Seha River Land.
Šuppiluliuma I, also Suppiluliuma or Suppiluliumas was an ancient Hittite king.
Wilusa or Wilusiya was a Late Bronze Age city in western Anatolia known from references in fragmentary Hittite records. The city is notable for its identification with the archaeological site of Troy, and thus its potential connection to the legendary Trojan War.
Šuppiluliuma II, the son of Tudḫaliya IV, was the last certain great king of the New Kingdom of the Hittite Empire, contemporary with Tukulti-Ninurta I of the Middle Assyrian Empire. His reign began around 1207 BC and ended at an unknown later date.
Arnuwanda II was a Hittite great king who reigned in the late 14th century BC, perhaps in c. 1322–1321 BC. His reign was a briefly interlude between those of his father Šuppiluliuma I and younger brother Muršili II.
Arnuwanda I was a Hittite great king during the early 14th century BC, ruling in c. 1390–1380/1370 BC.
Tudḫaliya II was a Hittite great king in the late 15th/early 14th century BC, ruling in perhaps c. 1425–c. 1390 BC. He was the father-in-law and predecessor of Arnuwanda I.
Tudḫaliya IV was a king of the Hittite Empire, and the younger son of Ḫattušili III. He reigned c. 1245–1215 BC or c. 1237–1209 BC. His mother was the great queen, Puduḫepa.
Madduwatta was a Late Bronze Age warlord who conquered a portion of southwest Anatolia. He is known from the Hittite text known as the Indictment of Madduwatta.
Kurunta was a Hittite prince, a younger son of the early 13th century BC Hittite great king Muwatalli II, brother of Muršili III, nephew of Ḫattušili III, and cousin of Tudḫaliya IV. Kurunta was made king of the Land of Tarḫuntašša by his uncle Ḫattušili III. It has been suggested that he may have captured the Hittite capital for a very short time during the reign of the Hittite king Tudḫaliya IV and declared himself a great king.
The Kaska were a loosely affiliated Bronze Age non-Indo-European tribal people, who spoke the unclassified Kaskian language and lived in mountainous East Pontic Anatolia, known from Hittite sources. They lived in the mountainous region between the core Hittite region in eastern Anatolia and the Black Sea, and are cited as the reason that the later Hittite Empire never extended northward to that area. They are sometimes identified with the Caucones known from Greek records.
The Manapa-Tarhunta letter is a fragmentary text in the Hittite language from the 13th century BC. The letter was sent to the Hittite king by Manapa-Tarhunta, client king of the Seha River Land. In the letter, Manapa-Tarhunta discusses Hittite attempts to reassert control over northwest Anatolia. The letter is particularly notable for its mention of Wilusa, generally identified with Troy.
Manapa-Tarhunta was a king of Seha River Land in western Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age. Manapa-Tarhunta is known through the archives of the kings of Hattusas.
Uhha-Ziti was the last independent king of Arzawa, a Bronze Age kingdom of western Anatolia.
Kupanta-Kurunta was a king of Mira known for his involvement in Hittite geopolitics. He was born in the 1330s or 1320s BC at Mira in western Anatolia, in one of the princely families. His father joined a coup against king Mašḫuiluwa. The Hittite king Suppiluliuma I married Mašḫuiluwa to his daughter Muwatti and reinstalled him. Kupanta-Kurunta's father apparently died or was exiled soon after. Mašḫuiluwa then asked Suppiluliuma's successor Mursili II if he could adopt Kupanta-Kurunta as a son.
The Milawata letter is an item of diplomatic correspondence from a Hittite king at Hattusa to a client king in western Anatolia around 1240 BC. It constitutes an important piece of evidence in the debate concerning the historicity of Homer's Iliad.
Piyamaradu was a warlord mentioned in Hittite documents from the middle and late 13th century BC. As an ally of the Ahhiyawa, he led or supported insurrections against the Hittite empire in Western Anatolia. His history is of particular interest since his area of activity may have included Wilusa, thus suggesting a potential connection to the myth of the Trojan War.
Mira, in the Late Bronze Age, was one of the semi-autonomous vassal state kingdoms that emerged in western Anatolia following the defeat and partition of the larger kingdom of Arzawa by the victorious Suppiluliuma I of the Hittite Empire. A significantly smaller Arzawa continued, centered on Apasa (Ephesus), with Mira to the east.
Hapalla, also written as Haballa, was a kingdom in central-western Anatolia during the Late Bronze Age. As one of the Arzawa states, it was a sometime vassal and sometime enemy of the Hittite Empire.
Kupanta-Kurunta was the first recorded king of Arzawa, in the early 14th century BC.
