Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan: I: Legal and Economic Documents (Studies in the Khalili Collection of Islamic Art) (Pt.1) [Hardcover]

Nicholas Sims-Williams (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0197275028 | ISBN-13: 978-0197275023

Bactrian, the ancient language of Afghanistan, was virtually unknown before the recent discovery of more than a hundred leather documents written in Bactrian in a local variant of the Greek alphabet. As well as revealing an important new language of the Indo-European family, these documents shed light on the history and culture of Afghanistan during the 4th to 8th centuries AD, a turbulent period during which power changed hands many times, ending with the Arab conquest and the introduction of Islam. The three volumes of this series provide a comprehensive edition of the texts, with translations, photographs, glossary, and indexes, making this rich material available to linguists and historians alike.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicholas Sims-Williams is Professor of Iranian and Central Asian Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1988. His special interest is the decipherment and interpretation of documents in Middle Iranian languages such as Bactrian and Sogdian.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0197275028
• ISBN-13: 978-0197275023
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,135,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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