Buddhist Iconography of Northern Bactria [hardcover] Kazim Abdullaev [Jan 01, 2015]

Buddhist Iconography of Northern Bactria

Hardcover. Zustand: As New. The ancient region of Bactria lay across northern Afghanistan, South-East Uzbekistan and South-West Tadjikistan, divided in two by the broad waters of the Amudarya. This volume concerns that part of Bactria that lay north of the river. These lands at the foot of the Hissar mountains, fed by major tributaries of the Amudarya, are sheltered and fertile, and attracted settlement since earliest times. They formed part of the Achaemenid Empire and so fell to Alexander the great in the fourth century BC, an event that had a critical impact on the cultural development of the region. The subsequent establishment of the Kushan Empire created a unique and heady blend of Indian, western and regional influences without parallel in the ancient world, and through this then spread the followers of the Buddhist faith, establishing monasteries and places of worship, further enriching the architectural, sculptural and artistic traditions of the region. Despite its remarkable archaeological heritage, physical and political realities have acted to limit the dissemination of research on northern Bactria and its Buddhist legacy. Original reports, of which there are many, are mainly in Russian or Uzbek. This volume brings all these many strands together in an English language work, making this important subject accessible to a wide readership, Kazim Abdullaev's deep knowledge of this region and its rich history brings out new analyses and insights into the extensive legacy of Buddhist traditions in northern Bactria. (jacket). Artikel-Nr. 115764

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