Very Wikipedia-ish and weak grasp on history, also very derailed commentary as the article is not about Khurasan but the extent of Roh or Afghanistan in the direction of Sindh in early medieval period. Also you did google search and checked about definition of Middlle ages but that is of Europe , keep in mind that medieval period in Indian context is from 8th to 18th century.
Medieval Afghanistan or Roh was not part of medieval Khurasan. Kandahar was not of Khurasan, as attested by Babur who says that country of Kandahar lies between Khurasan and Hindustan. I am sure you dont know what the hell is "Roh".....read this article if you have any interest in the topic
http://www.barmazid.com/2016/09/roh-medieval-afghanistan_7.html
The regions like "Roh" or Afghanistan, Khurasan", Turkestan" etc had never fixed boundaries as they were not states or kingdoms........the extent of Roh (medieval Afghanistan) changed with expansionism ,migration and expulsion of Pashtun tribes.......Pashtun belt was generally known by name of Afghanistan in central asia and India. ..... And for your kind information, the official name of Ahmad Shah Abdali's empire (and that of his successors) was not Afghanistan !. And he was not the first man to establish a native Afghan dynasty
Honourable Sir,
In my post I simple try to prove contested that the title that Medieval Afghanistan extended down to Sind was incorrect. I stand by my contention.
I have used European definition of the Middle Ages because these terms were coined in Europe. Middle Age is translation of the Latin
medium ovum and the term was first used around 1610. However, as I have stated these are approximate periods.
In the East, Roman Empire did not collapse but as Byzantine Rome continued until mid-15th Century. In the Islamic world it was the Mongol who brought in collapse of the civilization in the early 13th Century. If you define Middle Age as a prelude to the modern era, then you are right. In Turkey the Middle Age continued until the fall of the Ottomans and rise of the Ata Turk. In Iran until fall of the Qajar’s and rise of Raza Shah Pahlavi and in the subcontinent until1857.
Afghanistan never really came out of the middle Ages. On the contrary, Taliban by banning the radio, TV, the tape recorders and the female education, dragged Afghanistan back into the Dark Ages.
The name Abgan has been occasionally referered to since the Sassanian times. Afghanistan simply meaning land of the Afghans. However it is a historical fact that no country with defined boundaries called Afghanistan existed before Ahmed Shah Abdali established his kingdom..
In the History of Baluchistan ( Rai Bahadur Hatu Ram) published in 1907, of which I own the Urdu translation by Dr Salem Akhtar, on notes “Kalat Agency is divided in two district , one is called Khorasan which is upper mountainous part and they area on the valley is called Katchie. The first area (Khorasan) includes cities of Mastung, Kalat, Sorab, Khuzdar & Zehri”
‘Great Seljuk Empire’ written by ACS Peacock states cities of Herat, Nishapur, Ghazna & Balkh are described as part of Khorasan. Because Babar says Kandhar was not Khorasan does change definition of Kharaosan. Regions are seldom strictly defined. For example FF Regiment is also known as PIFFERS, because its original name was Punjab Irregular Frontier Force Regiment; Does this mean KPK (NWFP of old) was part of Punjab?
You have stated:
“And he was not the first man to establish a native Afghan dynasty”
By this are you referring to the dynasties of Ghor & Ferozkoh or the Hotakis? Ghori sultans were not fully independent and paid tribute to the Seljukis. When Izzuddin Hussein of Ghor refused to pay tribute, Sultan Sanjar defeated and captured him. He was released after he agreed to pay tribute again.
Admittedly, Hotakis were fully independent for short period after Mirwais Hotaki (Ghilzai) revolted and killed Safavid Governor in 1709. However Hotaki rule was ended in 1738 by Nader Shah Afshar. I also agree that during the Sadozai period, Durrani Empire was not called Afghanistan. To the best of my knowledge the name Afghanistan was adopted by the Barakzais in the 19th century. Nevertheless the modern nation state that we know as Afghanistan did not exist before Ahmad Shah.
I welcome and enjoy scholarly debate because no matter how much one knows, there is a lot one does not. But you have insulted me without reason. Does insulting people you have never met and don’t know makes you feel important?. If that is the case then you must be carrying a big chip on your shoulders. One does need to be disagreeable to disagree.
You write “I am sure you don’t know what the hell is “Roh”.
Don’t know how old you are, but I had heard about ‘Roh back is 1956, that is most probably before you were born. After switching from the Cambridge board, I was preparing for the Matric Exam and came across Zabita Khan & Abdul Qadir Rohilla who blinded the emperor Shah Alam II in 1788. My history teacher had then informed me that ‘Roh’ meant a mountain or ‘Koh’ and Rohila Afghans were so nicknamed because of their uncouth behaviour when compared with the city dwellers.
Most of the information in the link you gave is already available with me. History of the Afghans by Bernhard Dorn (translated from Persian original written by Neamat Ullah) on page 40
Quote
In concurrence with his empire and check the infidels Moezz Uddin prevailed upon the Afghans to move from the Kohistan of Ghor and to take up their abode in Koh Suleiman, Ashnagur and the territories of Bajour, from the frontiers of Kabul to Neelab and from the districts of about Kandhar to the Multan, at any place he thought fit and convenient:- ( Roh is the same as Koh 'mountain'; its length extends from Bajour as far as the districts of Bahkkar, its breadth from Hassam Abdal to Kabul); Candhar lies within the confines of this mountain district…..)
Unquote
I am a student of history and have more 100 books on the history of various countries in my personal library. For the your information, I purchased the above book from Vanguard Books, Jinnah Supermarket, Islamabad in the year 2000.
Pakistan, Iran & Afghanistan being regions of my particular interest, I own and have read “Histories by Herodotus (oldest history book ever written, mostly about the history of Persia, Greece & Egypt)” written circa 440 BC. Babur Nama, Humayun Nama, Literary history of Iran in 4 volumes , The Great Seljuk Empire , Medieval Persia, History of the Mongols, The Hazaras of Afghanistan in English.
Adaab e Alamgiri, history of Iran after Islam and history of Iran from ancient times to now, in Persian.
Tabqat e Naseri, Aieen e Akbari, Tareekh Baluchistan by Dr Saleem Akhtar, Arz e Pakistan ki Tareekh by Rashid Akhtar Nadvi in Unrdu. I also have read Sindhu desh by GM Syed (translation of Sindhu JI Saanjah). Additionally I also own and have read biographies of Tamerlane, Changez Khan & Shershah Suri.
Wikipedia or any other reference from google will only give what is written in other books. I admit that I google and also occasionally consult Wikipedia but mostly to double check the dates and the timeline.