From the beginning of this field of studies, it has been often, and still now, pointed out that the Hittite Kingdom has, somewhat differing from other Ancient Near Eastern states, “feudal” character. I believe, this is the essential problem in the history of the Hittite Kingdom and the critical studies of cuneiform texts is the first step to solve this problem.
In consideration of the present condition of discovered cuneiform tablets, it seems that only two ways of approach are possible, that is, 1) the reexamination of the Hittite laws and 2) the investigation of “Tabarna texts” recently collected by H. G. Güterbock and others.
The Hittite laws has been furnishing basical data to the matter. The clauses relating to land-ownership (§§39-41, 46-47, 50-56, 112) uses “šahhan” and “luzzi” as the two terms which indicate the duties for land-holding. The reexamination of these terms in the above-mentioned clauses convinces me of that 1) “šahhan” was the obligations imposed by kingship or connected with royal estates and a form of tribute in kind, and that 2) “luzzi” was the official duties assigned to a house=“Gemeinschaft” as a whole and it accompanied the services of physical labour.
“Tabarna texts” are documents which record the distribution of land and give us informations about the actual figure of land-holding. The number of tablets is less then 30 and includes many fragments. But Bo 2004 is the longest and its reverse is in the state of almost perfect preservation. We can infer the actual condition of land-alloting prescribed in § 47 of the laws and its scale from this document. It records that the king Arnuuada, his Queen Ašumnikkal and his son Tudhaliia entrusted the priestess Kuuattalla with the land of 40 kapunu 14.5 IKU and 22 oxen, 105 sheep, 2 horses etc., which had held 11 families in total including the family of the scribe Šuppiluliuma.
I conclude the next points from the investigations of the laws and the “Tabarna texts”. 1) The Hittite kingship was based on “Landwirtschaft”. 2) Its basic element was a house (É=pír). 3) Its economy had garden and pastoral character. 4) The specialization in its economy had not been so much progressed. (It is Editors' painful duty to inform that sudden death caught Mr. Masakazu Maruta on Dec. 26, 1972.)

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