World History
History of Afghanistan This is a general overview of the history of Afghanistan. For such a small area, this nations sure has a violent history.
From the site:
Afghanistan, often called the crossroads of Central Asia, has had a turbulent history. In 328 BC, Alexander the Great entered the territory of present-day Afghanistan, then part of the Persian Empire, to capture Bactria (present-day Balkh). Invasions by the Scythians, White Huns, and Turks followed in succeeding centuries. In AD 642, Arabs invaded the entire region and introduced Islam.
Arab rule gave way to the Persians, who controlled the area until conquered by the Turkic Ghaznavids in 998. Mahmud of Ghazni (998-1030) consolidated the conquests of his predecessors and turned Ghazni into a great cultural center as well as a base for frequent forays into India. Following Mahmud's short-lived dynasty, various princes attempted to rule sections of the country until the Mongol invasion of 1219. The Mongol invasion, led by Genghis Khan, resulted in massive slaughter of the population, destruction of many cities, including Herat, Ghazni, and Balkh, and the despoliation of fertile agricultural areas.
Following Genghis Khan's death in 1227, a succession of petty chiefs and princes struggled for supremacy until late in the 14th century, when one of his descendants, Tamerlane, incorporated Afghanistan into his own vast Asian empire. Babur, a descendant of Tamerlane and the founder of India's Moghul dynasty at the beginning of the 16th century, made Kabul the capital of an Afghan principality.
- Ghaznavids
Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ruled eastern Afghanistan and parts of Iran and Pakistan from 977 to 1186. Sebuk Tigin (r. 977–997), a former slave, founded the empire, ruling from the city of Ghazna, from which the dynasty obtained its name....
- Babur - Mughal Dynastic Founder
Babur - Mughal Dynastic FounderBabur was descended from Timerlane on his father’s side and Genghis Khan on his mother’s. Son of a petty ruler of Ferghana in Central Asia, he conquered Afghanistan, then northern India, founding the long-lived...
- History Of Pakistan
History of Pakistan. This site is a brief essay on the history of the Asian nation of Pakistan. Unfortunately, it is mostly a modern history as it primarily focuses on the 20th Century. Wikipedia notes, "The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: ??????...
- History Of Turkmenistan
History of Turkmenistan. This is a decent short essay on the history of the Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Wikipedia notes that, "Turkmenistan, formerly known as the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic is a country in Central Asia. It has borders with Afghanistan,...
- History Of Uzbekistan
History of Uzbekistan. This is a brief but easy to read history of the Soviet successor state of Uzbekistan. The emphasis is on the 20th Century history. According to Wikipedia, "The Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia....
World History
History of Afghanistan
History of Afghanistan This is a general overview of the history of Afghanistan. For such a small area, this nations sure has a violent history.
From the site:
Afghanistan, often called the crossroads of Central Asia, has had a turbulent history. In 328 BC, Alexander the Great entered the territory of present-day Afghanistan, then part of the Persian Empire, to capture Bactria (present-day Balkh). Invasions by the Scythians, White Huns, and Turks followed in succeeding centuries. In AD 642, Arabs invaded the entire region and introduced Islam.
Arab rule gave way to the Persians, who controlled the area until conquered by the Turkic Ghaznavids in 998. Mahmud of Ghazni (998-1030) consolidated the conquests of his predecessors and turned Ghazni into a great cultural center as well as a base for frequent forays into India. Following Mahmud's short-lived dynasty, various princes attempted to rule sections of the country until the Mongol invasion of 1219. The Mongol invasion, led by Genghis Khan, resulted in massive slaughter of the population, destruction of many cities, including Herat, Ghazni, and Balkh, and the despoliation of fertile agricultural areas.
Following Genghis Khan's death in 1227, a succession of petty chiefs and princes struggled for supremacy until late in the 14th century, when one of his descendants, Tamerlane, incorporated Afghanistan into his own vast Asian empire. Babur, a descendant of Tamerlane and the founder of India's Moghul dynasty at the beginning of the 16th century, made Kabul the capital of an Afghan principality.
- Ghaznavids
Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ruled eastern Afghanistan and parts of Iran and Pakistan from 977 to 1186. Sebuk Tigin (r. 977–997), a former slave, founded the empire, ruling from the city of Ghazna, from which the dynasty obtained its name....
- Babur - Mughal Dynastic Founder
Babur - Mughal Dynastic FounderBabur was descended from Timerlane on his father’s side and Genghis Khan on his mother’s. Son of a petty ruler of Ferghana in Central Asia, he conquered Afghanistan, then northern India, founding the long-lived...
- History Of Pakistan
History of Pakistan. This site is a brief essay on the history of the Asian nation of Pakistan. Unfortunately, it is mostly a modern history as it primarily focuses on the 20th Century. Wikipedia notes, "The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: ??????...
- History Of Turkmenistan
History of Turkmenistan. This is a decent short essay on the history of the Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Wikipedia notes that, "Turkmenistan, formerly known as the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic is a country in Central Asia. It has borders with Afghanistan,...
- History Of Uzbekistan
History of Uzbekistan. This is a brief but easy to read history of the Soviet successor state of Uzbekistan. The emphasis is on the 20th Century history. According to Wikipedia, "The Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia....