Kingdom of Rob
 | This article'sfactual accuracy isdisputed.(January 2022) |
Kingdom of Rob | |
|---|---|
  Kingdom of Rob Location of the Kingdom of Rob in Central Asia, and in present-day northwestAfghanistan. | |
  Kingdom of Rob Approximate geographical region of Kingdom of Rob, in present-day northernAfghanistan. | |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Historical era | Ancient Era |
| Today part of | Afghanistan |
TheKingdom of Rob(Bactrian:Ροβ,Rōb)[1]was a small kingdom in Central Asia, in southernBactria.It corresponds to the modernRuiin theProvince of Samangan,modernAfghanistan.[2]Numerous documents in theBactrian languagein theBactrian script(a variation of theGreekscript dating back to the rule of theGreco-Bactrian kingdomin the area) have been found from the archives of the Kingdom of Rob.[2]
Terminology[edit]
AlthoughFrantz Grenetuses the phrase "Kingdom of Rob",Khodadad Rezakhanipoints out that Bactrian documents never refer to the ruler of Rob as a king ("ϸαο",related to the wordshah), instead always using the termχαραγγο,or "lord".[1]Nicholas Sims-Williamsuses the phrasing "kharof Rob "[3]and also "kingdom of Rob".[4]
Geography[edit]
The area controlled by Rob includedMadr(or Malr), Kah (modernKahmard), and the unidentified locations ofRizmandGandar.During the 7th century CE, it also controlledSamingan(modernHaibak).[3]Khodadad Rezakhani considered the area ofWarnuto be too far away from Rob to realistically be under its control.[1]
The kingdom of Rob was bordered by the regions ofGuzganto the northwest[5]andKadagistanto the east.[3]To the south was the major city ofBamiyan,which only rarely is mentioned in documents from Rob, probably because of the large mountain range separating the two areas.[1]
History[edit]
TheAlchon HunsrulerMehamaappears in a letter in the Bactrian language he wrote in 461-462 CE, when he declares himself a governor of theSasanianEmperorPeroz I.[6]The letter comes from the archives of the Kingdom of Rob, located in southern Bactria. In this letter he presents himself as:
Meyam, King of the people of Kadag, the governor of the famous and prosperous King of KingsPeroz.[6]
In 484 CE Peroz was vanquished and killed by theHephthalites,and Bactria came underHephthaliterule from that time.[7]A contract in the Bactrian language from the archive of the kingdom of Rob, has been found, which mentions taxes from theHephthalites,requiring the sale of land in order to pay these taxes. It is dated to 483/484 CE.[7]
Two documents were also found, with dates from the period from 492 to 527. These documents mention taxes paid to the Hephthalite ruler. Another, undated documents, mentions:
Sartu, the son of Hwade-gang, the prosperousYabghuof the Hepthalite people (ebodalo shabgo); Haru Rob, the scribe of the Hephthalite ruler (ebodalo eoaggo), the judge ofTokharistanandGharchistan.
— Document of the Rob Kingdom.[8]
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Contract in the Bactrian language from the archive of the kingdom of Rob, mentioning taxes from theHephthalites.483/484 CE -
Bactrian language letter from "Meyam, King of the people of Kadag", "Meyam" is thought to beMehama.Dated to 461-462 CE, from the archives of the Kingdom of Rob. -
Samangan Province, former area of the Kingdom of Rob
References[edit]
- ^abcdRezakhani, Khodadad (2010)."11 Balkh and the Sasanians: Economy and Society of Northern Afghanistan as Reflected in the Bactrian Economic Documents".Ancient and Middle Iranian Studies:3–4.Retrieved21 December2020.
- ^abHumbach, Helmut (2002)."Review of Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan, I: Legal and Economic Documents".Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.65(2): 415–418.ISSN0041-977X.JSTOR4145642.
- ^abcSims-Williams, Nicholas; de Blois, Francois (2018).Studies in the Chronology of the Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan(PDF).Wien: Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften.ISBN978-3-7001-8184-2.Retrieved21 December2020.
- ^Sims-Williams, Nicholas (2007)."News from Ancient Afghanistan"(PDF).The Silk Road.4(2 (Winter 2006-2007)): 5–10.Retrieved21 December2020.
- ^"...documents from the kingdom of Guzgan or Juzjan in northern Afghanistan, which is northwest of the kingdom of Rob, source of most of the other known Bactrian documents..." inBulletin of the Asia Institute.Wayne State University Press. 2000. p. 132.
- ^abRezakhani, Khodadad (2017).ReOrienting the Sasanians: East Iran in Late Antiquity.Edinburgh University Press. p. 118.ISBN9781474400305.
- ^abAlram, Michael; Filigenzi, Anna; Kinberger, Michaela; Nell, Daniel; Pfisterer, Matthias; Vondrovec, Klaus."The Countenance of the other (The Coins of the Huns and Western Turks in Central Asia and India) 2012-2013 exhibit: 10. HEPHTHALITES IN BACTRIA".Pro.geo.univie.ac.at.Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. Archived fromthe originalon March 29, 2016.RetrievedJuly 16,2017.
- ^Solovyov, Sergei (20 January 2020).Attila Kagan of the Huns from the kind of Velsung.Litres. p. 313.ISBN978-5-04-227693-4.