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]