Publisher's Synopsis
Bactrian, the ancient language of Afghanistan, which was used for administrative purposes by a succession of dynasties from the 2nd to the 9th century CE, was virtually unknown until the discovery during the 1990s of more than 150 documents written on leather, wood and cloth. In the first two volumes of Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan, Nicholas Sims-Williams has for the first time deciphered and translated the complete corpus of documents, which throw new light on the history and culture of Afghanistan during an eventful period which ended with the coming of Islam. For those who would like to read the original texts, Volume II also includes an outline grammar and a comprehensive glossary. A third volume of photographic plates is also available.
