Šinuḫtu

Šinuḫtu (Neo-Assyrian Akkadian: 𒌷𒅆𒉡𒄴𒌅 and 𒌷𒅆𒉡𒄴𒌓^[1]) was a Luwian-speaking Syro-Hittite state which existed in the region of Tabal in southeastern Anatolia in the Iron Age.

𒌷𒅆𒉡𒄴𒌅 (Šinuḫtu)
Early 1st millennium BCE ?–718 BCE
Šinuḫtu among the Syro-Hittite states
Capital	Šinuḫtu 38.374167°N 34.028889°E / 38.374167; 34.028889
Common languages	Luwian
Religion	Luwian religion
Government	Monarchy
King
• r. unknown – 718 BCE	Kiyakiyas
Vassal of Tabal (mid 8th century BC) Vassal of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (c. 740s - 718 BC)
History
• Established	Early 1st millennium BCE ?
• Revolt of Kiyakiyas	c. 718 BCE
• Neo-Assyrian invasion of Šinuḫtu	718 BCE
Preceded by Succeeded by Hittite empire Atuna
Today part of	Turkey

Geography

Location

Šinuḫtu was located on the site of what is now Aksaray in Turkey,^[2][3][4] immediately to the south-east of Lake Tuz,^[5] and consisted of its capital city and a small territory surrounding it.^[6]

Neighbours

The neighbours of Šinuḫtu were Atuna to its north, and Tabal proper to the east.^[6]

History

Kingdom of Šinuḫtu

The kingdom of Šinuḫtu might have come into existence during the early 1st millennium BCE, and one of the state's early kings might have been one of the 24 kings of the Tabalian region who offered tribute to the Neo-Assyrian king Shalmaneser III (r. 859 – 824 BCE) during his campaign there in 837 BCE.^[6]

Submission to the Neo-Assyrian Empire

By c. 738 BC, the Tabalian region, including Šinuḫtu, had become a tributary of the Neo-Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (r. 745 – 727 BCE), possibly after his conquest of Arpad over the course of 743 to 740 BC caused the states of the Tabalian region to submit to him, or possibly as a result of a campaign of Tiglath-pileser III in Tabal.^[7][8][9]

The only known ruler of Šinuḫtu was the late 8th century BCE king Kiyakiyas, who was a tributary state of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. According to an inscription of Kiyakiyas dedicated to the storm-god Tarḫunzas, Šinuḫtu appears to have been a thriving state at this time.^[2][6]

Kiyakiyas might have been a vassal of the great king Wasusarmas of Tabal proper,^[10] and Kiyakiyas was one of the three kings who helped him defeat an coalition of eight enemy rulers.^[11][6][12]

Between Phrygia and Assyria

Following the union of the Phrygians and the Muški under the king Midas, his Phrygian kingdom became a major rival to Neo-Assyrian power in eastern Anatolia, and the region of Tabal became contested between the Neo-Assyrian and Phrygian empires.^[13]

Midas tried to convince the local rulers of Tabal who were still independent of overlordship to switch their allegiances to Phrygia, and several of them accepted his offer,^[13] with Kiyakiyas soon breaking his oath of allegiance to the Neo-Assyrian Empire and withholding his tribute, possibly after having been incited to do so by Midas.^[2][14][6]

End of kingdom

The Neo-Assyrian king Sargon II (r. 722 – 705 BC) reacted through cautionary action meant to deter the other Tabalian kingdoms from rebelling^[5] by invading Šinuḫtu in 718 BCE and deporting Kiyakiyas, his family and warriors, and 7350 inhabitants of the kingdom's capital city to Assyria, where Kiyakiyas himself was executed by being burnt alive.^{[2][14][11][9][15][4][16]}

Sargon II then abolished the kingdom of Šinuḫtu and handed its territory to the king Kurtî of the nearby state of Atuna.^{[2][17][6][5][4][16]}

List of rulers

• Kiyakiyas (Hieroglyphic Luwian: 𔗳𔓱𔗳𔓱𔗔;^[18][19] Neo-Assyrian Akkadian: 𒁹𒆠𒀝𒆠, romanized: ᵐKiakki^[20]), r. unknown – 718 BCE