# @shabnamnasimi on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C6BLeH-sKFZ
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/32261893-shabnamnasimi-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3cdc896791.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-04-21T09:25:48.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Shabnam Nasimi (@ShabnamNasimi) — https://gondola.cc/ShabnamNasimi

## Caption

Last week I got the chance to buy a rare book titled “Aryana or Ancient Afghanistan" by Mohammad Ali, published in 1957 - a significant piece of Afghanistan’s historical literature. This book explores the ancient history and culture of Afghanistan, often referencing Aryana, an ancient term that refers to a broader region that included parts of modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and other surrounding areas.

This compact history book, with 14 chapters, sets off from about 3000 BC, marking the arrival of the first Aryans—or Indo-Europeans—at Bakhdi, now known as Balkh. It spans a vast timeline, ending with the rise of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni around 997 AD. The introductory chapter offers a brief survey of ancient Afghanistan's various names, ultimately choosing "Aryana," the term favored by most classical writers. The book points out that "Afghanistan"—meaning "Land of the Afghans"—only became common in the 18th century (1747-72) during the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of the Durrani Empire. The term "Afghanistan" was officially used in 1855, when the British recognised Dost Mohammad Khan as king of Afghanistan.

Following this, the book tracks the events that shaped ancient Afghanistan, starting with the Aryan migration from northern Afghanistan to India, Media, Fars, and other regions. A large portion of the book delves into the rise and fall of different empires and kingdoms that left their mark on what we know today as Afghanistan. These included the Assyrians, the Achaemenids, the Greco-Bactrians, the Kushans, the Ephthalites or Hephthalites, and the Arabs. Ancient Afghanistan emerges as a pivotal religious, cultural, and commercial crossroads between East and West.

This book, published in 1957, was part of a broader initiative by the Anjuman-i Tarikh-i Afghanistan (Historical Society of Afghanistan) to illuminate the nation's past, reinforcing its modern identity. The society, founded in Kabul in 1942, was dedicated to advancing Afghanistan’s history through research and publication. 

If you would like access to a PDF copy of this book, get in touch with me.

#Afghanistan #Aryana #Ariana #Afghan #Balkh #Archaemenid #Persian ancientbook #rarebook.

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## Tags

persian, aryana, afghanistan, ariana, afghan, balkh, rarebook, archaemenid

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