Tokharistan

Tokharistan is a name which was given to Bactria, following its settlement by various Central Asian people in the 2nd century BC.

The first literary mentions of Tokharistan appear at the end of the 4th century in Chinese Buddhist sources (the Vibhasa-sastra). However the first mention of the Tocharians appear much sooner, in the 1st century BC, when Strabo mentions that "the Tokharians, together with the Assianis, Passianis and Sakaraulis, took part in the destruction of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom" in the second half of the 2nd century BC. Ptolemy (2nd century) also mentions a large Tokharian tribe in Bactria, describing the central role of the Tokharians among other tribes in Bactria.

The territory of Tokharistan was identical with Kushan Bactria, including the areas of Surkhandarya, Southern Tajikistan and Northern Afghanistan.

From the 3rd century to the 4th century, Tokharistan was under the rule of the Sassanides. Later, in the 5th century, it was controlled by the Xionites and the Hephthalites. In the 7th century, after a brief rule under the Turkish Khaganats, it was conquered by the Arabs.