Hapalla (Hittite: 𒄩𒁄𒆷Hapalla orHaballa), also written asHaballa, was a kingdom in central-westernAnatolia during theLate Bronze Age. As one of theArzawa states, it was a sometime vassal and sometime enemy of theHittite Empire.
All we know about Hapalla comes from Hittite royal archives. It bordered to the west by Mira, to the east by theLower Land, and to the south by the land ofTarhuntassa,[1] thus Hapalla may correspond to the classical region ofPisidia. Because of its position so close to the heart of the empire, it was often paid more attention by the Hittites, which considered it a bit like a buffer between the motherland and its Arzawa vassals.
The first mention of Hapalla is whenArnuwanda I (c. 1380 BCE) asks for help against a local uprising there. He bestows this duty to his vassalMadduwatta, who betrays him by taking Hapalla for himself. After threats from Arnuwanda, Madduwatta yields and hands it back to the Hittites.[2]
Later, when the Hittites are retaking their lands underSuppiluliuma I (c. 1350 BC), he sends his army into Hapalla,[3] whose capital is burnt down and inhabitants deported. In 1340 BC, an independentSeha River Land,Mira, and Hapalla are carved out of Arzawa, who only retain their capital,Apasa, and the surrounding land.[4]
The first sovereign known to us from Hapalla was Targasnalli who, after the failure of the uprising ofUhha-Ziti against Hittite monarchMuršili II (1319 BC), agreed to submit again to the authority ofHattuša and therefore was "...re-installed on the throne of Hapalla by the Hittite ruler".[5] From the subsequent treaty of Kupanta-Kurunta, we learn that Targasnalli was still on the throne of Hapalla around 1310 BC.
The second ruler of Hapalla, a certain Ura-Hattusa, who appears inAlaksandu's treaty of 1280 BC, where the Hittite rulerMuwatalli II, son of Mursili, lists the four sovereigns of the surviving Arzawa kingdoms (What remained of Arzawa had been annexed by Mira) mentioning Ura-Hattusa as king of Hapalla.[citation needed] It is uncertain whether the two rulers came from the same family.
After this treaty, there are no more references to the kingdom of Hapalla.
It is now believed by scholars that towards the end of the Hittite empire (c. 1230 BC), KingTudhaliya IV established the State of Mira as the regional supervisor of Western Anatolia, with Hapalla most likely under its supervision.[6]
| King | Dates | Overlord |
|---|---|---|
| Targasnalli | c. 1319 – c. 1310 BC | Mursili II |
| Ura-Hattusa | c. 1280 BC | Muwatalli II |
| Bronze Age | |
|---|---|
| Iron Age | |
| Classical Age | |
