Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 1.djvu/262

Rh 244 A F I A F R province of the Achaemenian empire, and probably was occupied in great measure by a race of Iranian blood. About B.C. 250, Theodotus, governor of Bactria under the Seleucidse, declared his independence, and commenced the history, so dark to us, of the Greco-Bactrian dynasties, whose dominions at one time or another though probably never simultaneously touched the Jaxartes and the Gulf of Cutch. Parthian rivalry first, and then a series of nomad movements from inner Asia, overwhelmed the isolated dominion of the Greeks (circa B.C. 126). Powers rose on the Oxus, known to the Chinese as Yuechi, Kweish- wang, Yetha, Tukharas, and what not ; dimly to western Asia and Europe as Kushans, Haiathala, Epkthalitce or White Huns, and Tochari. Buddhism, with its monas teries, colossi, and gilded pagodas, spread over the valley of the Oxus. We do not know what further traces of that time may yet be revealed ; but we see some in the gigantic sculptures of Bamian. The old Arab historians of the Mahommedan conquest celebrate a heathen temple at Balkh, which they call Naobihar, which Sir H. Kawlinson has pointed out to have been certainly a Buddhist monas tery (Nava- Vihdra). The name Naobihar still attaches to a village on one of the Balkh canals, thus preserving, through so many centuries, the memory of the ancient Indian religion. The memoirs of the Chinese pilgrim Hweu Thsang, in the first part of the 7th century, give many particulars of the prevalence of his religion in the numerous principalities into which the empire of the Tukharas had broken up ; and it is remarkable how many of these states and their names are identical with those which still exist. This is not confined to what were great cities like Balkh and Bamian ; it applies to Khulm, Khost, Baghlan, Andarab, and many more. As HaiatJialah, or Tokhdristdn, the country long con tinued to be known to Mahommedans ; its political destiny generally followed that of Khorasan. It bore the brunt of all the fury of Chinghiz, and the region seems never to have effectually recovered from the devastations and mas sacres which he began, and which were repeated in degree in succeeding generations. For about a century these Oxus provinces were attached to the empire of the Dehii Moguls, and then fell into Uzbek hands. In the last century they formed a part of the dominion of Ahmed Khan Durrani (see AFGHANISTAN), and so remained under his son Tiimir. But during the fratricidal wars of Timur s sons they fell back under the independent rule of various Uzbek chiefs. Among these, the Kataghans of Kunduz were long predominant; and their chief, Murad Beg (1815 to about 1842), for some time ruled Kulab beyond the Oxus, and all south of it from near Balkh to Pamir. In 1850 the Afghans recovered Balkh and Khulm; by 1855 they had also gained Akcha and the four western khanates; Kunduz in 1859. They were proceeding to extend their conquests to Badakhshan, when the Amir of that country agreed to pay homage and tribute. We have noticed, in the conclusion of the article AFGHAN ISTAN, the correspondence which recently took place (1872- 73) with Russia regarding the recognition of the Oxus as the boundary of Afghan Turkestan. Antiquities. These are known but very imperfectly. The best known, and probably the most remarkable, are the famous colossi at Bamian, with the adjoining innumer able caves. In the same locality are the ruins of the mediaeval city destroyed by Chinghiz, the great fort called Sayadabad, and the ruins of Zohak. At Haibak are numerous caves like those of Bamian. Balkh seems to have little or nothing to show, though probably excavation would be rewarded. The little known or unknown valleys of Badakhshan probably contain remains of interest, but our only notices of them are so highly spiced with imagina tion as to be worthless. General Ferrier saw remarkable rock sculptures in a defile in the Hazara country, south of Siripul, and curious rock excavations a little further south. (Wood s Journey, 2d ed., 1873, with Introductory Essay; Ferrier s Caravan Journeys; Burnes s Travels; Indian official documents; Vambe ry s Travels; &c., etc.) (H. Y.) AFIUM-KARA-HISSAR, a city of Asiatic Turkey, in the pashalic of Anatolia, nearly 200 miles E. of Smyrna, and 50 miles S.S.E. of Kutaiah. It stands partly on level ground, partly on a declivity, and above it rises a precipitous trachytic rock 400 feet in height, on the sum mit of which are the ruins of an ancient castle. From its tituation on the route of the caravans between Smyrna and western Asia on the one hand, and Armenia, Georgia, &c., on the other, the city is a place of extensive trade, and its bazaars are well stocked with the merchandise both of Europe and the East. Opium in large quantities is pro duced in its vicinity, and forms the staple article of its commerce; and there are, besides, manufactures of black felts, carpets, arms, and saddlery. Afium contains several mosques (one of them a very handsome building), and it is the seat of an Armenian bishop. The population is estimated at about 60,000. AFRAGOLA, a town of Italy, in the province of Napoli, 6 miles N.N.E. of Naples. It has extensive manufac tures of straw bonnets. Population of commune (1865), 16,493. AFRANIUS, Lucius, a Latin poet who lived about a century before Christ. He wrote comedies in imitation of Menander, and was commended by Cicero and Quintilian for his acute genius and fluent style. The fragments of his works which are extant have been collected by Bothe in his Poctce Sccnici Latini, and by Neukirch in his De Falula Toqata Eomanorum. AFRANIUS, Lucius, whose early history is unknown, was a devoted friend and adherent of Pompey, whom he served with distinction as one of his lieutenants in the Sertorian and Mithridatic wars. In the year 60 B.C., and chiefly by Pompey s support, he was raised to the consul ship, but in performing the duties of that office he showed, like many other soldiers both before and since, an utter incapacity to manage civil affairs. In the following year, while governor of Cisalpine Gaul, he had the good fortune to obtain the honour of a triumph, and on the allotment of Spain to Pompey, 55 B.C., Afranius and Petreius were sent to take charge of the government of that country. On the rupture between Caesar and Pompey, they were compelled, after a short campaign in which they were at first successful, to surrender to C&sar at Ilerda, 49 B.C., and were dismissed on promising not to serve again in the war. Afranius, regardless of his promise, joined Pompey at Dyrrhachium, and at the battle of Pharsalia, 48 B.C., he had charge of Pompey s camp. On the complete defeat of Pompey, Afranius, despairing of pardon from Caesar, re paired to Africa, and was present at the battle of Thapsus, 46 B.C., which ruined the hopes of the Pompeians in that part of the world. Escaping from the field with a strong body of cavalry, he was afterwards taken prisoner, along with Faustus Sulla, by the troops of Sittius, and handed over to Caesar, whose veterans, disappointed at their not being led to immediate execution, rose in tumult and put them to death.