kingdom · Anatolia and the Levant
Tabal
Origins
Tabal emerged after the Hittite collapse in the region of later Cappadocia, south of the Kızılırmak. From the 9th century BCE Assyrian texts mention the kings of Tabal, sometimes as many as twenty-four, but at times one ruler dominated, such as Tuwati and his son Wasusarma.
Rule and society
Its rulers wrote Luwian hieroglyphic inscriptions, often styling themselves great king, and drew wealth from silver mines and the trade routes of the plateau. The Assyrians demanded tribute and tried to secure loyalty through marriage alliances with local kings.
Decline and legacy
Sargon II gave his daughter to Ambaris of Bit-Burutash, but deposed him in 713 BCE for plotting with Phrygia and Urartu. Tabal was later overrun by Cimmerian invaders in the 7th century BCE and disappears around 650 BCE.
Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Tabal paid tribute to Assyrian Empire837 BCE – 700 BCE
- Tuwana was part of Tabal800 BCE – 700 BCE
- Tabal was a vassal of Kingdom of Phrygia715 BCE – 710 BCE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tabal. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tabal
- MLA
- “Tabal.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tabal. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Tabal.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tabal.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tabal’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tabal (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻