Bactria - Article Index

Encyclopedia - Bactria: Encyclopedia - Bactria
Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (O...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Bactria: Encyclopedia Ii - Bactria - History
Bactria was originally a province of the Persian Empire in Central Asia.(Cotterell, 59) It was in these regions, where the fertile soil o...   » Read the article

Article - Buddhism: History Of Buddhism
The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama. This make...   » Read the article

Dictionary - Zoroaster: Spiritual - Theosophy Dictionary On Zoroaster
Zoroaster, Zarathustra, Zarathushtra (Avestan) Zaradusht, Zartosht (Persian) [from Avestan zarat yellow or old cf Sanskrit jarat old +...   » Read the article

Dictionary - Zohak: Spiritual - Theosophy Dictionary On Zohak
Zohak (Pahlavi) The Pahlavi translation of the Avesta personifies the serpent Azhi Dahaka into the Evil One, dwelling in Bawru (Babylo...   » Read the article

Article - Buddhist Art
Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Persian Empire: Encyclopedia - Persian Empire
The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). Persia's ear...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Bactria-margiana Archaeological Complex: Encyclopedia - Bactria-margiana Archaeological Complex
The Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex (or BMAC, also known as the Oxus civilization) the modern archaeological designation for a Br...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Ancient Near East: Encyclopedia - Ancient Near East
The term Ancient Near East or Ancient Orient encompasses the early civilizations predating Classical Antiquity in the region roughly corr...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Aryan Invasion Theory: Encyclopedia - Aryan Invasion Theory
Aryan invasion theory, often abbreviated to AIT, is a term used to refer to the theory developed by 19th Century European linguists to ex...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Antiochus Iii The Great: Encyclopedia - Antiochus Iii The Great
Antiochus III the Great, (c. 241–187 BC, ruled 223–187 BC), younger son of Seleucus II Callinicus, became ruler of the Seleucid Empir...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Antiochus Ii Theos: Encyclopedia - Antiochus Ii Theos
Antiochus II Theos (286–246 BC), was an emperor of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire who reigned 261–246 BC). He succeeded his father A...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Arachosia: Encyclopedia - Arachosia
Arachosia is the ancient name of an area that corresponds to the southern part of today 's Afghanistan, around the city of Kandahar. It i...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Arsacid Dynasty: Encyclopedia - Arsacid Dynasty
The Arsacid Dynasty ruled Persia. Their realm is also called Parthia, which included the Iranian plateau and intermittently Mesopotamia, ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Alexandria Eschate: Encyclopedia - Alexandria Eschate
Alexandria Eschate (Greek Ἀλεξανδρία Ἒσχατη, “Alexandria the Furthest”) was founded by Alexander the Great in 329 B...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Seleucid Empire: Encyclopedia - Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was one of several political states founded after the death of Alexander the Great, whose generals squabbled over th...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of Buddhism: Encyclopedia - History Of Buddhism
The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama. This make...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greco-buddhism: Encyclopedia - Greco-buddhism
Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelled Græco-Buddhism, is the cultural syncretism between the culture of Classical Greece and Buddhism, which...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greco-bactrian Kingdom: Encyclopedia - Greco-bactrian Kingdom
The Greco-Bactrians were a dynasty of Greek kings who controlled Bactria and Sogdiana, an area comprising today's northern Afghanistan an...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Gandhara: Encyclopedia - Gandhara
Gandhāra (also Ghandara, Ghandahra, Chandahara, and Persian Gandara) is the name of an ancient kingdom in eastern Afghanistan and north-...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kushan Empire: Encyclopedia - Kushan Empire
The Kushan Empire (c. 1st–3rd centuries) was a state that at its height, about 105–250, stretched from Tajikistan to the Caspian Sea ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Pakistan: Encyclopedia - Pakistan
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان, islāmī jamhūriya i pākistān), or Pakistan (Urdu:...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Agathocles Of Bactria: Encyclopedia - Agathocles Of Bactria
Agathocles "the Just" was an Indo-Greek king, who reigned between around 190 and 180 BCE. He might have been a son of Demetrius and one o...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Yona: Encyclopedia - Yona
"Yona" (also sometimes "Yonaka") is a Pali word used in ancient India to designate ancient Greek people. Its equivalent in Sanskrit is th...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Buddhist Art: Encyclopedia - Buddhist Art
Buddhist art originated in the Indian subcontinent in the centuries following the life of the historical Gautama Buddha in the 6th to 5th...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Scythia: Encyclopedia - Scythia
Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by a group of Iranian people speaking Indo-Iranian languages, known as the Scyt...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Alexander The Great: Encyclopedia - Alexander The Great
Alexander the Great (in Greek Μέγας Αλέξανδρος, transliterated Megas Alexandros; born in Pella, Macedon, in July, 356 BC, ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Indo-greek Kingdom: Encyclopedia - Indo-greek Kingdom
The Indo-Greeks (or sometimes Greco-Indians) designate a series of Greek kings, who invaded and controlled parts of northwest and norther...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - 10: Encyclopedia - 10
10 - Events. Differentiation of localized Teutonic tribes of the Irminones. The Greek dynasty in Bactria is extinguished. Publius Corn...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Hellenistic Civilization: Encyclopedia - Hellenistic Civilization
The term Hellenistic (derived from Ἕλλην Héllēn, the Greeks' traditional self-described ethnic name) was established by the Germa...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Tocharian Languages: Encyclopedia - Tocharian Languages
Tocharian is one of the most obscure branches of the Indo-European language group. It consisted of two languages, Tocharian A (Turfanian,...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Parthian Empire: Encyclopedia - Parthian Empire
The Parthian Empire was the dominating force on the Iranian plateau beginning in the late 3rd century BCE, and intermittently controlled ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Avesta: Encyclopedia - Avesta
See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town The Avesta is a collection of the sacred texts of ancient Persia belonging to the Zoroastria...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Geber: Encyclopedia - Geber
Jabir Ibn Hayyan (full name Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan Al-Azdi, أبو موسى جابر بن حيان الأزدي; ca.721, Tus, Iran –...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Chinas: Encyclopedia - Chinas
The Chinas or Ciñas are a people mentionned in ancient Indian sources at the beginning of our era, such as the Manu Smriti, the Mahabhar...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - 250 Bc: Encyclopedia - 250 Bc
Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 300s BC 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC - 250s BC - 240s BC 230s BC ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - 327 Bc: Encyclopedia - 327 Bc
Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 330s BC - 320s BC - 310s BC 300s BC ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - 440: Encyclopedia - 440
Events September 29 - Leo succeeds Sixtus as Pope. Northern China is unified by the Wei Dynasty. Geiseric, king of the Vandals, captures...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Sogdiana: Encyclopedia - Sogdiana
Sogdiana ("Sug`ud","Sug`diyona" -Uzbek, Sughd - Tajik, Sugdiane, Old Persian Sughuda, Persian:سغد, Chinese: Kang-Kü) ancient civiliza...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Balkh: Encyclopedia - Balkh
Today Balkh is a small town in the Province of Balkh, Afghanistan, about 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Mazar-e Shari...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Ta-hsia: Encyclopedia - Ta-hsia
Ta-Hsia, or Daxia (Chinese: 大夏) is the name given in antiquity by the Chinese to the territory of Bactria. The name Ta-Hsia appears i...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Uttarapatha: Encyclopedia - Uttarapatha
Ancient Buddhist and Brahmanical texts reveal that Uttarapatha was the name of northern division of Jambudvipa of ancient Indian traditio...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Uttarakuru: Encyclopedia - Uttarakuru
Uttarakuru was the name of ancient country and its people as numerously referenced in ancient Vedic, Brahmanical and the Buddhist texts a...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Chitral: Encyclopedia - Chitral
Chitral, or Chitrāl, is the name of a town (35° 53' N; 71° 48' E), valley, river, district, and former princely state in the Malakand ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Dakshinapatha: Encyclopedia - Dakshinapatha
The ancient Buddhist and Brahmanical texts use the expression Dakshinpatha as a name for both the southern high road and for the region l...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Uzbek Language: Encyclopedia - Uzbek Language
Uzbek (O'zbek tili in Latin script, Ўзбек тили in Cyrillic script) is an Eastern Turkic language and the official language of Uz...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Yuezhi: Encyclopedia - Yuezhi
Yuezhi (Chinese:月氏, also 月支, Wade-Giles: Yüeh-Chih) or Da Yuezhi (Chinese:大月氏, also 大月支, "Great Yuezhi") is the Chin...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Zoroaster: Encyclopedia - Zoroaster
Zoroaster was an ancient Iranian prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism, which was the national religion of the Sassanian dynasty of t...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Diadochi: Encyclopedia Ii - Diadochi - Wars Of The Diadochi 322-301 Bc
Diadochi - First War of the Diadochi 322-320 BC. Soon, however, conflict broke out. Perdiccas's marriage to Alexander's sister Cleopatr...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Edicts Of Ashoka: Encyclopedia Ii - Edicts Of Ashoka - Ashoka's Proselytism
In order to propagate the Buddhist faith, Ashoka explains he sent emissaries to the Hellenistic kings as far as the Mediterranean, and to...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Dharmaraksita: Encyclopedia Ii - Dharmaraksita - A Greek Buddhist Missionary
The efforts of Emperor Ashoka to spread the Buddhist faith are described in the Edicts of Ashoka carved during his reign on stone pillars...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of Central Asia: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of Central Asia - Prehistory
Recent genetic studies have concluded that humans arrived in the region around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, making the region one of the o...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Demetrius I Of Bactria: Encyclopedia Ii - Demetrius I Of Bactria - Demetrius And Buddhism
There are many records of the Sunga empire persecuting Buddhism, but on the contrary Buddhism flourished under the Indo-Greek kings, and ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Emperor Wu Of Han: Encyclopedia Ii - Emperor Wu Of Han - Further Territorial Expansion Old Age And Paranoia
Starting about 113 BC, Emperor Wu appeared to begin to display further signs of abusing his power. He began to incessantly tour the comma...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Fergana Valley: Encyclopedia Ii - Fergana Valley - History
The Ferghana valley was probably inhabited by Sogdians during the 1st millennium BC, but little more is known about this period. Fergana...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - King Hermaeus: Encyclopedia Ii - King Hermaeus - Contacts With China
A Chinese historical record from the Hou Hanshu seems to indicate that Hermaeus received the support of the Chinese against Indo-Scythian...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of The Levant: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of The Levant - The Bronze Age
The first cities started developing in southern Mesopotamia during the 4th millennium BC. With these ties of religion began to replace ti...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of Afghanistan: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of Afghanistan - History Of Afghanistan
Afghanistan's history, internal political development, foreign relations, and very existence as an independent state have largely been de...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greco-buddhist Art: Encyclopedia Ii - Greco-buddhist Art - Greco-buddhist Artistic Interaction
As soon as the Greeks invaded India to form the Indo-Greek kingdom, a fusion of Hellenistic and Buddhist elements started to appear, enco...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of Azerbaijan: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of Azerbaijan - Overview
The heritage, culture and civilization of Azerbaijan has both ancient and modern roots starting from the Middle Paleolithic period throug...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greek Conquests In India: Encyclopedia Ii - Greek Conquests In India - Conquests Of Alexander The Great 326 Bce
In 326 BCE Alexander the Great made his foray into Punjab. King Omphis, ruler of Taxila, surrendered the city to Alexander. Many people h...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greco-bactrian Kingdom: Encyclopedia Ii - Greco-bactrian Kingdom - Geographic Expansion
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom - Contacts with Eastern Central Asia and China. To the north, Euthydemus also ruled Sogdiana and Ferghana, and t...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Indo-greek Kingdom: Encyclopedia Ii - Indo-greek Kingdom - Religion
In addition to the worship of the Classical pantheon of the Greek deities found on their coins (Zeus, Herakles, Athena, Apollo...), the I...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of India: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of India - The Neolithic Era
The early Neolithic culture in South Asia is represented by the Mehrgarh culture which began in 7000 BC, now in Baluchistan, Pakistan. Th...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Gandhara: Encyclopedia Ii - Gandhara - Ancient Gandhara
Gandhara shows an influx of southern Central Asian culture in the Bronze Age with the Gandhara grave culture, likely corresponding to imm...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Balkh: Encyclopedia Ii - Balkh - Balkh In 1911
Because of a malaria outbreak during flood season at Balkh, the regional capital was shifted in the 1870s to Mazar-e Sharif. In 1911, the...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Buddhist Art: Encyclopedia Ii - Buddhist Art - Northern Buddhist Art
The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to Central Asia, China and ultimately Korea and Japan started in the 1st century CE with a semi-le...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Indo-sassanian: Encyclopedia Ii - Indo-sassanian - History
Indo-Sassanian - First Indo-Sassanian period. The Sassanians, shortly after their victory over the Parthians, extended their dominion i...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greco-buddhism: Encyclopedia Ii - Greco-buddhism - Religious Interactions
The length of the Greek presence in Central Asia and northern India provided opportunities for interaction, not only on the artistic, but...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Pakistan: Encyclopedia Ii - Pakistan - History
Related articles: History of Afghanistan, History of Iran, History of Tajikistan, History of South Asia, History of Central Asia, History...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Arsacid Dynasty: Encyclopedia Ii - Arsacid Dynasty - Historical Background
After the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander III, king of Macedonia, Iran became in a constant conflict between the Iranian trad...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Persian Empire: Encyclopedia Ii - Persian Empire - The Rise And Fall Of Empires In Persia
Persian Empire - The first Persian state: Achaemenid Persia 648 BC–330 BC. Main articles: Achaemenid dynasty, and [[]], and [[]], an...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of Uzbekistan: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of Uzbekistan - Independence
On August 31, 1991, Uzbekistan reluctantly declared independence, marking September 1 as a national holiday. While the Baltic States led ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of Buddhism: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of Buddhism - Mahayana Expansion 1st C.ce–10th C.ce
From that point on, and in the space of a few centuries, Mahayana was to flourish and spread in the East from India to South-East Asia, a...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - History Of The Levant: Encyclopedia Ii - History Of The Levant - The Bronze Age
The first cities started developing in southern Mesopotamia during the 4th millennium BC. With these ties of religion began to replace ti...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Alexander The Great: Encyclopedia Ii - Alexander The Great - Period Of Conquests
Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire. Alexander's army had crossed the Hellespont with about 42,000 soldiers---primar...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Parthia: Encyclopedia Ii - Parthia - Origins
The Parthians were members of the Parni tribe, a nomadic people of Iranian origin, who spoke an Iranian language and entered the Iranian ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Mongols Before Genghis Khan: Encyclopedia Ii - Mongols Before Genghis Khan - Influence Of Tang China
From 629 to 648, a reunited China--under the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906) --destroyed the power of the Eastern Türk north of the Gobi; es...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Middle Kingdoms Of India: Encyclopedia Ii - Middle Kingdoms Of India - The Mauryan Empire
By the end of the 6th century BCE, India's northwest was integrated into the Persian Achaemenid Empire and became one of its satrapies. T...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Sassanid Dynasty: Encyclopedia Ii - Sassanid Dynasty - History
Sassanid dynasty - Early history 224-310. Ardashir rapidly extended his territory, demanding fealty from the local princes of Fars and ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Seres: Encyclopedia Ii - Seres - Classical Accounts
The first accounts of the Seres, of disputed authenticity, seem to be those by the Greek historian Ctesias in the 5th century BCE, in whi...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Ta-yuan: Encyclopedia Ii - Ta-yuan - Interaction With China 130 Bce Onward
The Ta-Yuan remained a healthy and powerful civilization which had numerous contacts and exchanges with China from 130 BCE. Around 130 BC...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Tajiks: Encyclopedia Ii - Tajiks - Origin Of The Term
The origin of the term "Tajik" is somewhat unclear. Today, most historians believe that the word "Tajik" - first mentioned by the Turkish...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Tocharians: Encyclopedia Ii - Tocharians - Archaeology
The Tarim mummies suggest that precursors of these easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language may have lived in the region of the ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Silk Road: Encyclopedia Ii - Silk Road - Origins
Silk Road - Cross-continental travel. As accomplished waterway shipping and domestication of efficient pack animals both increased the ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Pakistan: Encyclopedia Ii - Pakistan - History
Related articles: History of Afghanistan, History of Iran, History of Tajikistan, History of South Asia, History of Central Asia, History...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Pakistan: Encyclopedia Ii - Pakistan - History
See main article for detailed information: History of Pakistan (Including pre-history, civilizations of the region, and modern events to ...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Sino-roman Relations: Encyclopedia Ii - Sino-roman Relations - Preceding History
The rapid growth of Roman commerce with ancient China likely would not have been possible without two major preceding developments, first...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Menander I: Encyclopedia Ii - Menander I - Menander And Buddhism
Menander I - The Milinda Pañha. According to tradition, Menander embraced the Buddhist faith, as described in the Milinda Pañha, a cl...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Indo-scythians: Encyclopedia Ii - Indo-scythians - Indo-scythian Kingdoms
Indo-Scythians - Abiria to Surastrene. The first Indo-Scythian kingdom in the Indian subcontinent occupied the southern part of Pakista...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Gandhara: Encyclopedia Ii - Gandhara - Ancient Gandhara
Gandhara - Pre Historic Period. Gandhara shows an influx of southern Central Asian culture in the Bronze Age with the Gandhara grave cu...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Indo-sassanian: Encyclopedia Ii - Indo-sassanian - History
Indo-Sassanian - First Indo-Sassanian period. The Sassanians, shortly after their victory over the Parthians, extended their dominion i...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Indo-parthian Kingdom: Encyclopedia Ii - Indo-parthian Kingdom - Main Indo-parthian Rulers
 6th century BCE  5th century BCE  4th century BCE  3rd century BCE  2nd century BCE  1st century BCE &...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Greco-bactrian Kingdom: Encyclopedia Ii - Greco-bactrian Kingdom - Geographic Expansion
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom - Contacts with Eastern Central Asia and China. To the north, Euthydemus also ruled Sogdiana and Ferghana, and t...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Khosrau I Of Persia: Encyclopedia Ii - Khosrau I Of Persia - Conquests
At the beginning of his reign he concluded an "eternal" peace with the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, who wanted to have his hands free f...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kolkata: Encyclopedia Ii - Kolkata - Places Of Interest
Kolkata been nicknamed the City of Palaces. This comes from the numerous palatial mansions built all over the city. During the British co...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - List Of Extinct States: Encyclopedia Ii - List Of Extinct States - Modern States
List of extinct states - States and territories grouped by geographical location. In and around what is now Bulgaria Third Bulgarian...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Mahajanapadas: Encyclopedia Ii - Mahajanapadas - Overview
The political process among the ancient Indo-Aryans appears to have originally started with semi-nomadic tribal units called Jana (meanin...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kuru India: Encyclopedia Ii - Kuru India - Speculations On Origins
Kuru India - Kuru-Puru-Bharata connection. Epic traditions reveal that the kings of Kuru belonged to the Puru-Bharata family. The Kuru-...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Kujula Kadphises: Encyclopedia Ii - Kujula Kadphises - History
The rise of Kujula Kadphises is described in the Chinese historical chronicle Hou Hanshu: "More than a hundred years later (after their i...   » Read the article

Encyclopedia - Alexander The Great: Encyclopedia Ii - Alexander The Great - Period Of Conquests
Alexander the Great - The defeat of the Persian Empire. Alexander's army had crossed the Hellespont with about 42,000 soldiers---primar...   » Read the article