Paropamisadae

History of Afghanistan
Timeline
Ancient Indus Valley Civilisation 2200–1800 BC Oxus civilization 2100–1800 BC Aryans 1700–700 BC Median Empire 728–550 BC Achaemenid Empire 550–330 BC Seleucid Empire 330–150 BC Maurya Empire 305–180 BC Greco-Bactrian Kingdom 256–125 BC Parthian Empire 247 BC–224 AD Indo-Greek Kingdom 180–130 BC Indo-Scythian Kingdom 155–80? BC Kushan Empire 135 BC – 248 AD Indo-Parthian Kingdom 20 BC – 50? AD Sasanian Empire 230–651 Kidarite Kingdom 320–465 Alchon Huns 380–560 Hephthalite Empire 410–557 Nezak Huns 484–711
Medieval Kabul Shahi 565–879 Principality of Chaghaniyan 7th–8th centuries Rashidun Caliphate 652–661 Umayyads 661–750 Abbasids 750–821 Tahirids 821–873 Saffarids 863–900 Samanids 875–999 Ghaznavids 963–1187 Ghurids before 879–1215 Seljuks 1037–1194 Khwarezmids 1215–1231 Qarlughids 1224–1266 Ilkhanate 1258–1353 Chagatai Khanate 1225–1370 Khiljis 1290–1320 Karts 1245–1381 Timurids 1370–1507 Arghuns 1479–1522 Mughals 1501–1738 Safavids 1510–1709 Afsharids 1738-1747
Modern Hotak dynasty 1709–1738 Durrani Empire 1747–1826 Emirate of Afghanistan 1826–1919 Kingdom of Afghanistan 1919–1973 Republic of Afghanistan 1973–1978 Democratic Republic of Afghanistan 1978–1992 Islamic State of Afghanistan 1992–2001 Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan 1996–2004 Interim/Transitional Administration 2001–2004 Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since 2004
Book Category Portal

Part of a series on the
History of Pakistan
Timeline
Ancient Palaeolithic Riwatian Culture, c. 1,900,000 BCE Soanian Culture, c. 500,000 – 250,000 BCE Neolithic Mehrgarh, c. 7000 – c. 3000 BCE Indus Valley Civilisation, c. 3300 – c. 1700 BCE Early Harappan Period, c. 3300 – c. 2600 BCE Mature Harappan Period, c. 2600 – c. 1900 BCE Late Harappan Period, c. 1900 – c. 1500 BCE Vedic Civilization, c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE Bahlika Kingdom Kamboja Kingdom Kasmira Kingdom Madra Kingdom Sindhu Kingdom Swat culture Sudra Kingdom Achaemenid Empire, c. 550 – c. 330 BCE Gedrosia, c. 542 – c. 330 BCE Gandhara, c. 518 – c. 330 BCE Arachosia, c. 518 – c. 330 BCE Hindush, c. 517 – c. 330 BCE Sattagydia, c. 516 – c. 330 BCE Ror Dynasty, c. 489 – c. 450 BCE Macedonian Empire, c. 329 – c. 323 BCE Arachosia, c. 323 – c. 312 BCE Gedrosia, c. 323 – c. 312 BCE Paropamisadae, c. 323 – c. 312 BCE Porus, c. 323 – c. 312 BCE Taxiles, c. 323 – c. 312 BCE Mauryan Empire, c. 322 – c. 200 BCE Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, c. 190 – c. 140 BCE Indo-Greek Kingdom, c. 170 – c. 50 BCE Indo-Scythian Kingdom, c. 110 BCE – c. 95 CE Apracharajas, c. 25 BCE – c. 50 CE Paratarajas, c. 120 – c. 300 CE
Classical Parthian Empire, c. 90 BCE – c. 25 CE Indo-Parthian Kingdom, c. 25 – c. 80 CE Kushan Empire, c. 60 – 345 CE Sasanian Empire, c. 250 – 655 CE Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom, c. 240 – 410 CE Kushanshahr Makuran Paradan Turgistan Gupta Empire, c. 345 – c. 455 CE Rai Dynasty, c. 415 – 644 CE Hephthalite Empire, c. 450 – 560 CE Brahman Dynasty, c. 641 – 725 CE Caliphate, c. 643 – 860 CE Rashidun Caliphate, c. 643 – 661 CE Umayyad Caliphate, c. 670 – 860 CE Habbari Dynasty, c. 841 – 1024 CE Kabul Shahi, c. 870 – 1010 CE Samanid Empire, c. 905 – 999 CE
Medieval Ghaznavids, c. 999 – 1186 CE Soomra Dynasty, c. 1024 – 1351 CE Ghurid Dynasty, c. 1170 – 1215 CE Delhi Sultanate, c. 1206 – c. 1526 CE Mamluk Dynasty, c. 1206 – c. 1290 CE Khilji Dynasty, c. 1290 – c. 1320 CE Tugluq Dynasty, c. 1320 – c. 1413 CE Sayyid Dynasty, c. 1414 – c. 1451 CE Lodhi Dynasty, c. 1451 – c. 1526 CE Mongol Empire, c. 1221 – c. 1327 CE Chagatai Khanate, c. 1225 – c. 1485 CE Ilkhanate, c. 1256 – c. 1353 CE Chitral State, c. 1320 – 1947 CE Raees Dynasty, c. 1320 – 1620 CE Katoor Dynasty, c. 1570 – c. 1947 CE Samma Dynasty, c. 1351 – 1524 CE Arghun Dynasty, c. 1520 – 1554 CE Mughal Empire, c. 1526 – c. 1707 CE Kabul Subah, c. 1574 – c. 1707 CE Lahore Subah, c. 1574 – c. 1707 CE Multan Subah, c. 1574 – c. 1707 CE Kashmir Subah, c. 1627 – c. 1707 CE Thatta Subah, c. 1627 – c. 1707 CE Suri Dynasty, c. 1540 – c. 1556 CE Tarkhan Dynasty, c. 1554 – 1591 CE Dir State, c. 1626 – c. 1947
Modern Kalhora Dynasty, c. 1701 – c. 1783 CE Durrani Empire, c. 1747 – c. 1826 CE Talpur Dynasty, c. 1783 – c. 1843 CE Khanate of Kalat, c. 1794 – c. 1947 CE Kharan, c. 1801 – c. 1947 CE Las Bela, c. 1802 – c. 1947 CE Misl, c. 1716 – c. 1799 CE Sikh Empire, c. 1799 – c. 1849 CE State of Bahawalpur, c. 1802 – c. 1849 CE Yusufzai State of Swat, c. 1802 – c. 1947 CE Phulra, c. 1828 – c. 1947 CE Makran, c. 1828 – c. 1947 CE British Raj, c. 1858 – c. 1947 CE Independence Movement Pakistan, c. 1947 CE – present Dominion of Pakistan, c. 1947 – 1956 CE Islamic Republic, c. 1956 CE – present
History of provinces Azad Jammu & Kashmir Balochistan East Pakistan Gilgit-Baltistan Islamabad Capital Territory Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Punjab Sindh
Category Portal

The Paropamisadae, also known by other names, were a people who lived in the area of southern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan during classical antiquity. The name was also used to refer to the lands these people inhabited, properly known as Paropamisus.

Name

A map depicting the realm of the "Paropanisadai" from a 15th-century Greek manuscript edition of Ptolemy's Geography^[1]

The realm of the "Paropanisade" in Francesco Berlinghieri's 1482 Seven Days of Geography.

Paropamisadae is the latinized form of the Greek name Paropamisádai (Παροπαμισάδαι), used to refer to the inhabitants of the land of "Paropamisus"^[2][3] (Παροπαμισός, Paropamisós)^[4] in the Hindu Kush.^{[5][lower-alpha 1]} The name derived from the Old Persian Para-upari-sena (lit. "Beyond the Raised Land"), which properly referred to the Peshawar Valley on the other side of the mountains from Persia, with its major settlements at Peshawar and Charsadda in what is now Pakistan's Gandhara district.

In many Greek and Latin sources, particularly editions of Ptolemy's Geography^[9] where their realm is included on the 9th Map of Asia,^[10] the names of the people and region are given as Paropanisadae and Paropanisus. They also appeared less frequently as Parapamisadae and Parapamīsus (Παραπάμισος, Parapámisos),^[11] Paropamīsii, &c.^[5]

The name was also applied to a nearby river, probably the Obi.^[5]

History

In the ancient Buddhist texts, the Mahajanapada kingdom of Kamboja compassed the territories of Paropamisus and extended to the southwest of Kashmir as far as Rajauri. The region came under Achaemenid Persian control in the late 6th century BC, either during the reign of Cyrus the Great or Darius I.

In the 320s BC, Alexander the Great conquered the entire Persian Empire, beginning the Hellenistic period. The Greek name Παροπαμισάδαι or Παροπαμισσός was used extensively in Greek literature to describe the conquests of Alexander and those of the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kings, from the 3rd to the 1st centuries BC. (The name possibly comes from an Avestan expression for "higher than an eagle can fly").

After Alexander's death in 323 BC, the area came under control of the Seleucid Empire, which gave the region to the Mauryan Dynasty of India in 305 BC. After the fall of the Mauryans in 185 BC, the Greco-Bactrians under King Demetrius I annexed the northwestern regions of the former Mauryan Empire, including Paropamisus, and it became part of his Euthydemid Indo-Greek Kingdom. The Eucratidians seized the area soon after the death of Menander I, but lost it to the Yuezhi around 125 BC.

Geography and peoples

Paropamisus was located north of Arachosia and Drangiana, east of Aria, south of Bactria, and west of Kashmir. There were two main rivers flowing through the land, the Coas or Cophen (Κωφήν) and the Dorgamanes (Δοργαμάνης) or Orgomanes (Ὀργομάνης) farther north.

The nations who composed the Paropamisadae are recorded as the Cabolitae (Καβολῖται) in the north near modern Kabul; the Parsii (Πάρσιοι) in the northwest, the Ambautae (Ἀμβαῦται) in the east and the Par(g)yetae (Παρ(γ)υῆται) in the south, who were also found in Arachosia. The major cities of the land were the city of Ortospana (Ὀρτοσπάνα) or Carura (Κάρουρα), probably identifiable with Kabul, Gauzaca (Γαύζακα), probably modern Ghazni, Capissa (Καπίσσα) in the northeast, and Parsia (Παρσία), the capital of the Parsii.

See also

• Indo-Greek kingdom
• Greco-Bactrian kingdom

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

• The Greeks in Bactria and India by W.W. Tarn, Cambridge University Press

External links

• Ptolemy's section on the Paropanisadae in English translation
• John Watson McCrindle's Ancient India as Described in Ptolemy