It took Alexander only three years (from about 330-327 B.C.)
to subdue the area that is now Afghanistan and the adjacent regions
of the former Soviet Union. Moving eastward from the area of Herat,
the Macedonian leader encountered fierce resistance from local
rulers of what had been Iranian satraps. Although his expedition
through Afghanistan was brief, he left behind a Hellenic cultural
influence that lasted several centuries.
Upon Alexander's death in 323 B.C., his empire, which had never
been politically consolidated, broke apart. His cavalry commander,
Seleucus, took nominal control of the eastern lands and founded
the Seleucid dynasty. Under the Seleucids, as under Alexander,
Greek colonists and soldiers entered the region of the Hindu Kush,
and many are believed to have remained. At the same time, the
Mauryan Empire was developing in the northern part of the Indian
subcontinent. It took control, thirty years after Alexander's
death, of the southeasternmost areas of the Seleucid domains,
including parts of present-day Afghanistan. The Mauryans introduced
Indian culture, including Buddhism, to the area. With the Seleucids
on one side and the Mauryans on the other, the people of the Hindu
Kush were in what would become a familiar quandary in ancient
as well as modern history--that is, caught between two empires.
In the middle of the third century B.C., an independent, Greek-ruled
state was declared in Bactria. Graeco-Bactrian rule spread until
it included most of the territory from the Iranian deserts to
the Ganges River and from Central Asia to the Arabian Sea by about
170 B.C. Graeco-Bactrian rule was eventually defeated by a combination
of the internecine disputes that plagued Greek rulers to the west,
the ambitious attempts to extend control into northern India,
and the pressure of two groups of nomadic invaders from Central
Asia--the Parthians and Sakas (perhaps the Scythians).
Country
name Afghanistan conventional long form Islamic State of
Afghanistan conventional short form Afghanistan local long
form Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan local short form Afghanestan former Republic of Afghanistan
Area
- total: 647,500 sq km land: 647,500 sq km water: 0 sq km
Terrain
- mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Climate
- arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Geography
- landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest divide
the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the highest peaks are in
the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
Waterways
- 1,200 km note: chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT (2001)
Natural hazards - damaging earthquakes
occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding; droughts
Information
Courtesy: The Library of Congress - Country Studies
Content
on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. We accept no responsibility
for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by any person resulting from information
published on this site. We encourage you to verify any critical information with
the relevant authorities.
