Silk Road Saga Continued: Afghanistan

Afghanistan deserves more attention than this. Consider this a tip of the hat to the topic. 

            Hello, you may have noticed that here, and on my associated sites, my purpose is to offer that which you may find interesting and which you may expect to be of lasting value. This particular offering is part of a set of essays related to what has been called the Silk Road. The following few paragraphs is to give you a brief inside peek into the Silk Road country of Afghanistan.

            As I begin to prepare this post for publication I note that it may be too short for many of my readers. I will try to make future posts a little longer and more enjoyable.

Afghanistan:

            The Silk Road passes through Afghanistan. I further explorations we may note that the Silk Road trunk has many branches. We may note too that it was ancient even before the silk trade began to move on it. Much of Afghanistan's ancient history was nearly as turbulent as it's more recent history. This country is at the crossroads of central Asia and south Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and China. All places with interesting people and histories say I. I predict that we will hear of each of them more than once before we die.

            Did you notice the suffix -stan above? The countries which have the suffix in their name have something else in common. They are all in central Asia. In all of them the suffix translates to something like land of. All such countries have a significant relation to what we once called Persia and now call Iran. They are sort of Iranian cousins, perhaps second cousins.

            

            South East Asia includes the Indian subcontinent and the exotic and beautiful island nation of Sri Lanka. I mention Sri Lanka because I have strong memories of that land and people. I mention Indian because a large branch of the Silk Road heading east from Afghanistan goes there.

            Afghanistan has plenty of mountains and also has plains in the north and the Southwest. The Hindu kush mountain range accounts for mountains.

People and Afghanistan

            In addition to roads and land, Afghanistan has a variety of people. The most numerous people of the country are Pashtun, Hazaras, Tajik, and Uzbeck. There are many others as well, they include Turkman, Baloch, Aimaq, and Sadat. Afghanistan has long had commerce with China, India, the Near East, and more. When I say long I mean millenia. The great set of trade routes we are calling the Silk Road has connected many people as has contributed to the ethnic mix that is Afghanistan.

Turbulence in Afghanistan:

                First, check to see if anyone you know has an afghan in their home.

                The Graveyard of Empires is a name Afghanistan has been called. Americans are far from the only ones to have trampled on the people of this nation and to find that such trampling is not easy. Others include Russian, English, Mongols, Muslim Arabs, people of the Maurya Empire, and the army of Alexander the Great. Others helping to keep things turbulent include Mughals, Greco-Bactrians, and Iranians.

Religion in Afghanistan:

            It is also a land of various religions: Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and, more recently, Islam and some Christianity.

Birth of Afghanistan:

            Afghanistan may be said to have become a nation with the Hitak dynasty. This dynasty was founded by Ghilji Pashtuns, who may be seen as early cousins of the Persians. The Hotak ruled into the early 1700s BC. They took over from the older and longer lasting Persian Safaid empire. The Safaid were horsemen on the Silk Road,
        

            This is far from the end of this story, but I am about to end this essay. May I recommend that you make time to reread this piece and note with some care the questions that may arise. You may find some answers on your own. Please feel free to tell us about them. Also you could ask me a couple of questions.

            When I was younger we called Iranians, Persians and Iran, Persia. I was going to say they are the same people, but people change and the keep dying and getting born. Than again a people who share a history share a great deal.

            Among the names I may check out their relationship to the Silk Road I include: Tajikistan, Tajiks, Pashtuns, Hazaras, Sadat, Hindu Kush, Greco-Bactrians, Persian Safai, and more. There is much of interest and of value to be found. When you find something, please tell us a bit about it. I may include your finding in a post if that is OK with you. I will include your name if you want.

            Thank you for reading. Share this address with another.

                                                                    Richard Sheehan