Kingdom of Khana
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Kingdom of Khana |
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| Capital | Terqa |
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End of 18th century BC |
The Kingdom of Khana (end of 18th century BC – middle of 17th century BC) emerged during the decline of the First Babylonian Dynasty. It was located on the middle Euphrates close to the junction of Khabur River. Its capital was the town of Terqa.
The kingdom of Khana was located on territories formerly ruled by the sovereigns of Mari. The rulers of Mari held the title "King of Mari, Tuttul and the land of Khana". Since Mari was abandoned after its destruction by Hammurabi in c. 1759 BC (middle chronology) and Tuttul certainly was not part of the territories of the new state, the location of Khana is identified with the territories around Mari. Its capital Terqa was located 45 km north of Mari below the junction of Khabur River, roughly at the site of the modern Syrian town of Asharah.
During the reign of the Babylonian king Abieshu (c.1711-1684 BC) Babylonia lost its territories on the middle Euphrates where the kingdom of Khana was formed. Its capital Terqa was a former chief district town from the time of the last ruler of Mari, Zimrilim (1775-1761 BC). No direct evidence is available on the relationship of the new state and its kings with the last Babylonian rulers from the First Dynasty. The kingdom was probably conquered around the middle of the 15th century BC by the Hurrian kingdom of Mitanni.
The Khanaean people led a semi-nomadic life characterized by seasonal movement of the sheep herds, never too far from the rivers and watering places, returning to their settlements for the harvest season. Based on onomastic evidence they were related to the other West Semitic peoples known as the Amorites, such as the Benjaminites, Rabbians and Habiru, originally coming from the deserts of Syria. The contact with the settled population leads to gradual transformation of the population into more settled rural communities. The history of the Khanaeans is closely linked to the kingdom of Mari. They were strongly presented in the Euphrates and Khabur valleys. Records indicate that the area around Terqa could muster several thousand in times of need. The Khanaeans were widely used as soldiers by the rulers of Mari after their subduing by king Iakhdunlim. Within the armed forces of Mari they were grouped by clans of which about ten are known.
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