- "Bactrian" redirects here. For the camel, see Bactrian camel. The Bactrian Camel ( Camelus bactrianus) is a large Even-toed ungulate native to the Steppes of north eastern Asia. For the language, see Bactrian language. The Bactrian language is an extinct Eastern Iranian language which was spoken in the Central Asian region of Bactria.
Bactria (Bactriana, Bākhtar in Persian, also Bhalika in Arabic and Indian languages, and Daxia in Chinese) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya (Oxus); its capital, Bactra or Balhika or Bokhdi (now Balkh), was located in what is northern Afghanistan. Daxia, Ta-Hsia, or Ta-Hia ( Chinese: 大夏 Pinyin: Dàxià is the name given in antiquity by the Chinese to the territory of Bactria Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Hindu Kush is a Mountain range located between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. Balkh ( - Balḫ) also known as Bactra, was once a major world city but was destroyed entirely by the Mongols. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,
Bactria was bounded on the east by the ancient region of Gandhara. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient The Bactrian language is an Iranian language of the Indo-Iranian sub-family of the Indo-European family. The Bactrian language is an extinct Eastern Iranian language which was spoken in the Central Asian region of Bactria. The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family and its subfamily Indo-Iranian. The Indo-Iranian language group constitutes the easternmost extant branch of the Indo-European family of languages
The Bactrians are one of the main ancestral lines of the modern-day Tajiks. The Bactrians were an Indo-European people originally of Bactria, situated in what is now modern northern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and southern Tajik ( - Tādjīk; UniPers: Tâjik; Cyrillic: Тоҷик is a term generally applied to Persian-speaking people of [1]
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Geography
Bactria is basically what is now northern Afghanistan. It is a mountainous region with a moderate climate. Water is abundant and the land is very fertile. Bactria was the home of one of the Iranian tribes. The Iranian people are a collection of Ethnic groups defined along linguistic lines as speaking Iranian languages. Modern authors have often used the name in a wider sense, as the designation of all the countries of Central Asia.
History
Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC)
The Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (BMAC, also known as the "Oxus civilization") is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age culture of Central Asia, dated to ca. The Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (or BMAC, also known as the Oxus civilization) is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south 2200–1700 BC, located in present day Turkmenistan, northern Afghanistan, southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan, centered on the upper Amu Darya (Oxus), in area covering ancient Bactria. Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Tajikistan (təˈdʒɪkɨstæn or /təˈdʒiːkɨstæn/ Тоҷикистон tɔʤikɪsˈtɔn or, Persian تاجیکستان taajikestaan officially the Republic of The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. Its sites were discovered and named by the Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (1976). A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Viktor Ivanovich Sarianidi or Victor Sarigiannides ( Russian: Виктор Иванович Сарианиди Greek: Βίκτωρ Σαρηγιαννίδης Bactria was the Greek name for the area of Bactra (modern Balkh), in what is now northern Afghanistan, and Margiana was the Greek name for the Persian satrapy of Margu, the capital of which was Merv, in today's Turkmenistan. Balkh ( - Balḫ) also known as Bactra, was once a major world city but was destroyed entirely by the Mongols. See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient Margu (Greek Margiana) was a Satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire mentioned in the Behistun inscriptions of ca Merv ( Russian: Мерв from Persian: مرو Marv, sometimes transliterated Marw or Mary; cf
According to some writers, Bactria was the homeland of Indo-European tribes who moved south-west into Iran and into North-Western India around 2500-2000 BCE Later it became the north province of the Persian Empire in Central Asia. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south (Cotterell, 59) It was in these regions, where the fertile soil of the mountainous country is surrounded by the Turanian desert, that the prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) was said to have been born and gained his first adherents. "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. Tūrān ( is the ancient Iranian name for Central Asia, literally meaning "the land of the Tur" Zoroaster ( Latinized from Greek variants) or Zarathushtra (from Avestan Zaraθuštra) also referred to as Zartosht (زرتشت Avestan, the language of the oldest portions of the Zoroastrian Avesta, was once called "old-iranic" which is related to Sanskrit. Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the sacred hymns and canon of the Zoroastrian Avesta. Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Today some scholars believe the Avestan-Language was the western dialect of Sanskrit. With the time the Avestan-Language became developed by own western style.
Cyrus and Alexander
- See main article: Bactria (satrapy)
It is not known whether Bactria formed part of the Median Empire, but it was subjugated by Cyrus the Great, and from then formed one of the satrapies of the Persian empire. Bactria was a Satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. When it was incorporated into the empire is unknown but it is possible that it was done under the reign of Cyrus The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient After Darius III of Persia had been defeated by Alexander the Great and killed in the ensuing chaos, his murderer Bessus, the satrap of Bactria, tried to organize a national resistance based on his satrapy. Darius III ( Artashata) (c 380&ndash330 BC Persian داریوش Dāriūš dɔːriˈuːʃ was the last king of the Achaemenid Empire of Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Bessus (died summer 329 BC was a Persian nobleman and Satrap of Bactria, and later contender king of Persia
Alexander conquered Sogdiana and Iran without much difficulty; it was only in to the south, beyond the Oxus, that he met strong resistance. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. After two years of bloody war Bactria became a province of the Macedonian empire, but Alexander never successfully subdued the people. A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. After Alexander's death the Macedonian empire was eventually divided up between generals in Alexander's army. Bactria became a part of the Seleucid empire, named after its founder, Seleucus I. The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i
Seleucid Empire
The Macedonians (and especially Seleucus I and his son Antiochus I) established the Seleucid Empire, and founded a great many Greek towns in eastern Iran, and the Greek language became dominant for some time there. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Antiochus I Soter (unknown - 261 BC was a king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly
The paradox that Greek presence was more prominent in Bactria than in areas far more adjacent to Greece could possibly be explained by the supposed policy of Persian kings to deport unreliable Greeks to this the most remote province of their huge empire.
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
Main article: Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
The many difficulties against which the Seleucid kings had to fight and the attacks of Ptolemy II of Egypt, gave Diodotus, satrap of Bactria, the opportunity to declare independence (about 255 BCE) and conquer Sogdiana. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i Ptolemy II Philadelphus ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Philádelphos, 309 BC&ndash246 BC was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC Diodotus, Seleucid Satrap of Bactria, rebelled against Antiochus II (about 255 BC and became the founder of the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great He was the founder of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 Diodotus and his successors were able to maintain themselves against the attacks of the Seleucids - particularly from Antiochus III the Great, who was ultimately defeated by the Romans (190 BCE). Antiochus III the Great, ( Greek; ca 241&ndash187 BC ruled 222&ndash187 BC younger son of Seleucus II Callinicus The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the
The Greco-Bactrians were so powerful that they were able to expand their territory as far as India:
- "As for Bactria, a part of it lies alongside Aria towards the north, though most of it lies above Aria and to the east of it. And much of it produces everything except oil. The Greeks who caused Bactria to revolt grew so powerful on account of the fertility of the country that they became masters, not only of Bactria and beyond, but also of India, as Apollodorus of Artemita says: and more tribes were subdued by them than by Alexander. . . . " [2]
Indo-Greek Kingdom
Main article: Indo-Greek Kingdom
The Bactrian king Euthydemus and his son Demetrius crossed the Hindu Kush and began the conquest of Northern Afghanistan and the Indus valley. Demetrius I (ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΣ was a Greco-Bactrian king (reigned circa 200-180 BC For a short time they wielded great power; a great Greek empire seemed to have arisen far in the East. But this empire was torn by internal dissensions and continual usurpations. When Demetrius advanced far into India one of his generals, Eucratides, made himself king of Bactria, and soon in every province there arose new usurpers, who proclaimed themselves kings and fought one against the other. Eucratides I (or Eukratides I)(reigned ca 170 BCE - 145 BCE was one of the most important Greco-Bactrian kings
Most of them we know only by their coins, a great many of which are found in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. By these wars the dominant position of the Greeks was undermined even more quickly than would otherwise have been the case. After Demetrius and Eucratides, the kings abandoned the Attic standard of coinage and introduced a native standard, no doubt to gain support from outside the Greek minority. Demetrius (from Greek &mdash Δημήτριος male form of Demeter) is the name of several notable people from Classical antiquity and Eucratides I (or Eukratides I)(reigned ca 170 BCE - 145 BCE was one of the most important Greco-Bactrian kings In India, this went even further. Indo-Greek King Menander I (known as Milinda in India), recognized as a great conqueror, converted to Buddhism. Menander I Soter "The Saviour" (known as Milinda in Indian sources was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom in northern India His successors managed to cling to power somewhat longer, but around 10 CE all of the Greek kings were gone.
Sakas and Yuezhis
There is no evidence that the Sakas were related to the Buddha's original clan, Shakya. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder
The weakness of the Greco-Bactrian empire was shown by its sudden and complete overthrow, first by the Sakas, and then by the Yuezhi (who later became known as Kushans), who had conquered Daxia (= Bactria) by the time of the visit of the Chinese envoy Zhang Qian, who was sent by the Han emperor to investigate lands to the west of China circa 126 BC. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 The Sakas ( English form of Old Iranian Sakā, Nominative plural masculine case; Ancient Greek Σάκαι, The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 Zhang Qian ( 張[[wikt 騫|騫]] Wade-Giles Chang Ch'ien was an imperial envoy to the outside world in the 2nd century BC during the time of the Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. [3]
But then its emergence, isolated thousands of miles from Greece, could only be described as a paradox. However, its cultural influences were not completely undone; an artistic style mixing western and eastern elements known as the Gandhara culture survived the empire for hundreds of years. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient
Contacts with China
The name Daxia appears in Chinese from the 3rd century BCE to designate a mythical kingdom to the West, possibly a consequence of the first contacts with the expansion of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, and then is used by the explorer Zhang Qian in 126 BCE to designate Bactria. The Gr(aeco-Bactrian Kingdom was the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 250 Zhang Qian ( 張[[wikt 騫|騫]] Wade-Giles Chang Ch'ien was an imperial envoy to the outside world in the 2nd century BC during the time of the Han Dynasty
The reports of Zhang Qian were put in writing in the Shiji ("Records of the Grand Historian") by Sima Qian in the 1st century BCE. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name 史記 or Shiji, written from 109 BC to 91 BC Early life and education Sima Qian was born and grew up in Longmen, near present-day Hancheng Shaanxi. They describe an important urban civilization of about one million people, living in walled cities under small city kings or magistrates. Daxia was an affluent country with rich markets, trading in an incredible variety of objects, coming as far as Southern China. By the time Zhang Qian visited Daxia, there was no longer a major king, and the Bactrian were suzerains to the nomadic Yuezhi, who were settled to the north of their territory beyond the Oxus (Amu Darya). The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. Overall Zhang Qian depicted a rather sophisticated but demoralized people who were afraid of war.
Following these reports, the Chinese emperor Wu Di was informed of the level of sophistication of the urban civilizations of Ferghana, Bactria and Parthia, and became interested in developing commercial relationship them:
- "The Son of Heaven on hearing all this reasoned thus: Ferghana (Dayuan) and the possessions of Bactria (Daxia) and Parthia (Anxi) are large countries, full of rare things, with a population living in fixed abodes and given to occupations somewhat identical with those of the Chinese people, but with weak armies, and placing great value on the rich produce of China" (Hanshu, Former Han History). Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, Fergana or Farghana ( Uzbek: Farg'ona, Persian فرغانه, UniPers "Farqāna", Russian: Фергана The Dayuan or Ta-Yuan ( lit “Great Yuan” were a people of Ferghana in Central Asia, described in the Chinese historical works of Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran The Book of Han ( is a classic Chinese Historical writing completed in 111 CE covering the history of Western Han from 206 BCE to
These contacts immediately led to the dispatch of multiple embassies from the Chinese, which helped to develop the Silk Road. The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the
Tokharistan
Following the settlement of the Yuezhi (described in the West as "Tocharians"), the general area of Bactria came to be called Tokharistan. The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì The Tocharians were the Tocharian -speaking inhabitants of the Tarim basin, making them the easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language in antiquity Tokharistan is a name which was given to Bactria, following its settlement by various Central Asian people in the 2nd century BC. From the 1st century CE to the 3rd century CE, Tokharistan was under the rule of the Kushans. The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 They were followed by Sassanides (Indo-Sassanids). The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire The Indo-Sassanids, Kushano-Sassanids or Kushanshas (also Indo-Sassanians) were a branch of the Sassanid Persians who established their Later, in the 5th century, it was controlled by the Xionites and the Hephthalites. Chionites, Chionitae or Xionites ( Chinese: Xiōng (匈 or Xīróng (西戎 meaning "Western Barbarians" Middle Persian: Xiyon The Hephthalites or White Huns were a Central Asian Nomadic confederation whose precise origins and composition remain obscure In the 7th century, after a brief rule under the Turkish Khaganats, it was conquered by the Arabs. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family For other titles related to and uses of Khan, see that article Origin The title The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
Notes and references
- ^ Library of Congress, "Tajikistan - Historical & Ethnic Background", (LINK): "Contemporary Tajiks are the descendants of ancient Eastern Iranian inhabitants of Central Asia, in particular the Soghdians and the Bactrians, and possibly other groups, with an admixture of Western Iranian Persians and non-Iranian peoples. The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress "
- ^ Strabo,11. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. 11. 1
- ^ Silk Road, North China, C. Michael Hogan, the Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham
- ^ Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition
- ^ Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition
- Beal, Samuel (trans.). Translation is the interpreting of the meaning of a text and the subsequent production of an equivalent text likewise called a " translation Si-Yu-Ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World, by Hiuen Tsiang. Two volumes. London. 1884. Reprint: Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, 1969.
- Beal, Samuel (trans. ). The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang by the Shaman Hwui Li, with an Introduction containing an account of the Works of I-Tsing. London, 1911. Reprint: New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1973. New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India.
- Cotterell, Arthur. From Aristotle to Zoroaster, 1998; pages 57–59. ISBN 0-684-85596-8.
- Hill, John E. 2003. "Annotated Translation of the Chapter on the Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu." Second Draft Edition.
- Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilüe 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation.
- Holt, Frank Lee. Thundering Zeus: The Making of Hellenistic Bactria. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999 (hardcover, ISBN 0520211405).
- Watson, Burton (trans. ). "Chapter 123: The Account of Dayuan. " Translated from the Shiji by Sima Qian. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name 史記 or Shiji, written from 109 BC to 91 BC Records of the Grand Historian of China II (Revised Edition). Columbia University Press, 1993, pages 231–252. Columbia University Press is a University press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. ISBN 0-231-08164-2 (hardback), ISBN 0-231-08167-7 (paperback).
- Watters, Thomas. On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India (A.D. 629–645). Reprint: New Delhi: Mushiram Manoharlal Publishers, 1973.
See also
Archaeological sites
- Termez region [1]
External links
The Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (or BMAC, also known as the Oxus civilization) is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age The Bactrian Treasure (also known as the Bactrian Gold or Bactrian Hoard) is a treasure cache that lay dormant under the "Hill of Gold" (or "Golden The Bactrian Camel ( Camelus bactrianus) is a large Even-toed ungulate native to the Steppes of north eastern Asia. Bahlika (बाह्लिक finds mention in Atharvaveda, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas Vartikka of Katyayana, BrhatsamhitaDictionary
Bactria
-proper noun
- The ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush and the Amu Darya in the Middle East, encompassing parts of northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and northern Pakistan.
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