The land assignment in Old Age Anatolia: The Period of the Hittite

In 2000th (A.C.), the Hittite came to Anatolia and they established the Anatolian first central state. Then, for the maintenance of this political structure, they arranged the economical and the military institutions according to this structure.The Hittite?s sovereignty that they established in Anatolia mostly based on agriculture that constitutes main source of the Hittite?s economy.According to Hittite?s belief the states whole lands belong to God. However, gods appointed the kings as their representative in the possession of the lands. The kings appointed ?free? people to their most of the lands in the condition that they operate the land and they give tax.In land assignment of Hittite, two concepts appear us about the assigned land and the people. These are ilkum and GI?TUKUL concepts. Both concepts represent the price about assigned lands. However, LÚilkum, one of the owners of land, has his title and his land directly from the palace and LÚ GI?TUKUL has his title and the land from the authorities under palace control. Both the land owners pay taxes operation money as opposed to being given in money as ??ahhan?. As Luzzi, the land owners pay taxes by making roads, maintenance of bridges, military institutions, official institutions and temples. ?ahhan taxes , and the taxes from vassal states, are held in the storeroom, which is called as É.NA4 KI?IB, under the control of the administrator of the palace, LÚ AGRIG, and when necessary it is distributed from this storeroom.In land assignment of Hittite, it is the ?farms?, the smallest part of Hittite agriculture economy, that makes the farms take part in production. In this operating, average 7-8 people, there is a hierarchical frame. The farms not only meet their needs but also they used the NAM.RAs (civil captives) that are brought after successful military expeditions and distributed to work in farms just for work. Mostly chosen from the healthy men the NAM.RAs assigned as farm works to agriculture operators or the temples and they weren?t given under control of any one and they were held under control of the king.Key Words:1. Hittite2. Anatolia3. Agriculture4. Land assignment5. Land tax