Early Bactrian History

I know I said in my last post that I would cover the Barmakids, however, I felt it much more important to give an introduction to and background on Bactria. Early sources claim Balkh held prominence in the earliest days of Zoroastrianism when the king of Balkh granted protection to the prophet Zoroaster.  The region was also known in antiquity to the classical historians Xenophon, Diodorus, and Herodotus.  The writer Ctesias recorded Bactria as being known to the Assyrian monarch Ninus and his wife Semarimis in the late 9th and early 8th century B.C (1).  The Assyrians and Medes probably had knowledge of the Bactrian Kingdom, as did the pre-Achaemenid Iranians kingdoms.  Diodorus gives the implication that the Bactrian kingdom "was well known for its numerous and warlike population, for its cities, fortresses and riches" (2).  When the Achaemenids embarked upon their conquest of Central Eurasia, they did so with a good idea of what they would find there.  "The Achaemenids did not found Bactra, they did not invent irrigation, they did not create the civilization of Central Asia, but they coveted its riches when their time came" (3).

The Persians and Bactrians fought to a stand-still, with neither side gaining the upper hand in the conflict.  However, the Bactrians respected Cyrus and pledged their loyalty to him, thus becoming a very important satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire.  The powerful Bactrian satrapy would act as the muscle of the empire in Central Asia, quelling rebellion in Margiana (4) and providing skilled workers, soldiers, and precious items and minerals as tribute to the Achaemenid kings.  The Bactrian satraps generally seemed to be junior princes of the royal household, and these princes commanded the loyalty of the Bactrian people, even throwing them into dynastic struggle on more than one occasion.  "It seems, therefore, that Bactria, as the political mainstay of the Achaemenids in Central Asia, was frequently the apange of princes of the blood.  This was, however, a policy which cut both ways, since the Bactrians were always willing to give armed support to the claims to the throne of their satrap who was, to some extent, their 'suzerain'.  Nevertheless, the Achaemenid rulers found this policy successful since their younger brothers could find an outlet for their frustrations..." (5).

This brief, essential summary of Bactrian contributions to the Achaemenids brings us up to through the Achaemenid era, and next we'll venture into the Hellenistic Era, wherein the Greeks leave their mark upon the rich landscape of the Bactrian region.

Citations:

1.  Grenet, Franz.  Bactria.  Encyclopedia Iranica.  http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/bactria. August 19, 2011.  accessed February 1, 2012.

2. Francroft, Henri- Paul. The Cambridge Ancient History vol. 4: Persia, Greece, and the Western Mediterranean. ed. John Boardman, N.G.L Hammond, D.M Lewis, M. Ostwald.  University of Cambridge: Cambridge. 1988. pg. 169

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid. pg. 171-172

5. Ibid. pg. 174