Lands of Asia layouts (Eng) 26.11.21

3.1
In addition to the inscriptions on silver vessels, the Bukharan variant of Sogdian
script has also been found on coins of rulers of the Bukhara oasis. The Bukharan
Sogdian script differed from the common Samarkand Sogdian script only in the
shapes of a few letters, and was apparently used only for official inscriptions.
An archive of Sogdian documents from the early 8th century AD, found during
excavations of a castle on Mount Mugh, some 120 km east of Samarkand, is of
outstanding importance for the history and culture of Central Asia’s peoples. Eightynine
documents in Sogdian, Arabic and Chinese were found here. The vast majority
of the manuscripts are in Sogdian language and script. These include private and
diplomatic letters, contracts, a calendar and economic and accounting records. They
were translated by a group of scholars from Leningrad (St Petersburg), including
A.A. Freiman, V.A. Livshits, M.N. Bogolyubov, and O.I. Smirnova.
Many of the documents originate from Penjikent and its surroundings, from the
upper reaches of the Zarafshan river. They are connected with the name of the ‘prince
of Panch’ (Penjikent), Devashtich, who is referred to in a number of documents as
the Sogdian king, the ruler of Samarkand.
Of particular interest is a report to Devashtich from his emissary Phatufarn, who
was sent to Chach to negotiate a treaty with the rulers of Chach, Ferghana and the
Turkic Khagan to form an alliance against the Arabs.
The documents from Mount Mugh contain valuable information on the socioeconomic,
military and cultural history of Sogdia. In particular, for the first time, they
provided information on the existence of four categories of slaves in the region, on
foundations of Sogdian family law, and on the participation of Turks in the urban life
of Sogdia and its administration.
The Bactrian language and its script were the second most widespread and long
used in Central Asia. During early medieval times the use of Bactrian spread over a
vast territory from India to Xinjiang. Its importance is demonstrated by the fact that
it was the official language in the two great states of the Kushans and Hephthalites,
as well as in the smaller early medieval principalities and possessions of Tokharistan.
The name ‘Bactrian’ for the language and script was proposed by W. Henning. It
became the most widely accepted name for this language, replacing the former names
of ‘Eteo-Tokharian’, ‘Kushan’, ‘Kushano-Bactrian’ and ‘Graeco-Bactrian’. However,
the Kushan kings themselves called it ‘Aryan’, as we know from the edict of Kanishka
on the Rabatak Inscripton. It says: ‘And he [i.e. King Kanishka – E.R.] issued a Greek
edict (and) then he put it into Aryan.’ Research confirms that the Bactrian script is
derived from the Greek cursive script, which was widespread in the Hellenistic states.
Examples of this script can be seen, in particular, in parchments found in Avroman
and Iranian Kurdistan. Bactrian script was created in Bactria and can be explained
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