Тохаристан: История и культура древнего региона Центральной Азии

Early medieval region in southern Central Asia

Tokharistan (formed from "Tokhara" and the suffix stan meaning "place of" in Persian) is an ancient Early Middle Ages name given to the area which was known as Bactria in Ancient Greek sources. By the 6th century CE Tokharistan came under rule of the First Turkic Khaganate, and in the 7th and 8th centuries it was incorporated into the Tang dynasty, administered by the Protectorate General to Pacify the West. Today, Tokharistan is fragmented between Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

The name of "Tocharians" was mistakenly applied by early 20th century authors to the Indo European people of the Tarim Basin, from the areas of Kucha and Agni. These scholars erroneously believed that these Indo Europeans had originated in Tokharistan (Bactria), and hence applied the term "Tocharians" to them. This appellation remains in common usage although the Indo European people of the Tarim Basin probably referred to themselves as Agni, Kuči and Krorän.

In the Xi'an Stele, erected in 781 CE, the Church of the East monk Adam, author of the stele, mentioned in Syriac that his grandfather was a missionary priest from Balkh in Tokharistan (ܬܚܘܪܝܣܬܢ ).

Geographically, Tokharistan corresponds to the upper Oxus valley, between the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush to the south and the Pamir Alay to the north.

Many authors have suggested that the figures in the Dilberjin Tepe or Balalyk Tepe paintings are characteristic of the Hephthalites (450–570 CE). In this context, parallels have been drawn with the figures from Kizil Caves in Chinese Turkestan, which seem to wear broadly similar clothing. The paintings of Balalyk Tepe would be characteristic of the court life of the Hephthalites in the first half of the 6th century CE, before the arrival of the Turks.

In painting, there is "Tokharistan school of art" with examples from Kalai Kafirnigan, Kafyr Kala or Ajina Tepe, as Buddhism and Buddhist art enjoyed a renaissance, possibly owing to the sponsorships and religious tolerance of the Western Turks (Tokhara Yabghus).

Islamic art developed with the Samanid Empire and the Ghaznavids from the 10th to 12th century CE.