Kingdom of Araba
The Kingdom of Araba (or simply Araba) was a 2nd century, semi-autonomous buffer kingdom between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire, mostly under Parthian influence, located in modern Iraq.[1] The city of Hatra was probably founded in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, under the Seleucid kingdom.[1] Arabs were common in Mesopotamia at the time of the Seleucids (3rd century BC).[2] In the 1st and 2nd century, Hatra was ruled by a dynasty of Arabian princes.[1] It rose to prominence as the capital of Araba.[1] Hatra would become an important religious center as a result of its strategic position along caravan trade routes.[1]
Araba is sometimes identified as the first Arab state to be established outside of Arabia.[2] For others, that distinction is accorded to Al-Hirah (circa 300 CE), a vassal of the Sassanid Empire.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e "Araba (ancient state, Iraq)". Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31522/Araba. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
- ^ a b c Ramirez-Faria, 2007, p. 33.
[edit] Bibliography
- Ramirez-Faria, Carlos (2007). Concise Encyclopaedia of World History. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. ISBN 8126907754, 9788126907755. http://books.google.ca/books?id=gGKsS-9h4BYC&pg=PT43&dq=%22araba%22+hatra#v=onepage&q=%22araba%22%20hatra&f=false.
