Bactria is the old English word for the ancient country of Afghanistan (Land of Afghans).
Bactria, the birthplace of Roxana, was one the satrapies of the Achaemenid Empire, called: Bakhtri. Archaeological evidence points to a rich ancient civilization existing in the area for a few thousand years prior to the Achaemenid rule, as evident by massive irrigation systems, that traded with other civilizations as far as Babylonia. Ancient sources called Bactria, "Land of a Thousand Cities", after numerous cities in the area. It is believed that Bactrians were among the Aryan tribes who migrated south from the northern steppes of Central Asia.
Classical sources had no knowledge of Bactria prior to the invasion of the area by Alexander and his Macedonian forces, and considered Bactria the end of the world.
Meager Persian sources, one of them the inscription of King Darius at Behistun, points to the position of Bactria within the empire, as the loyal subjects. Bactria, not Babylon or Egypt, was considered the most important satrapy of the Persian Empire after the heartland of Persepolis (Pârsâ). This exalted ranking among all the Persian satrapies was no doubt due to patronage of ancient Bactrian kings for the holy prophet Zoroaster (Zarathutra). In Gathas: Yasna 48:1, when the holy prophet asks the Wise Lord where he should go, he ends up in Bactria.
"To what land shall I go? For my kinsmen and my friends have deserted me. Nor the people, nor their rulers favor me..."
Ancient Bactrian language is considered to be close to the Avestan language of the Gathas of the holy prophet, an eastern-Iranian language, different from Âryâ, the cuneiform language of the Achaemenids. As else where in the empire, Bactrians were left in peace to follow their own traditional customs, language and religion.
Satraps of Bactria were traditionally closely tied to the Great Kings by blood, usually sons, brothers or cousins, and Bactria was regarded as one of the most loyal satrapies of the empire, secured by the customary marriage alliances of the Great Kings.
Bactria was famous for the bravery of its warriors and the richness of its gold and lapis lazuli, which lavishly decorated the splendid imperial palaces of the Achaemenids.
According to Hellene writers, 30,000 Bactrian cavalry were present in the pitched Battle of Gaugamela against the Macedonian forces, under the command of Bessus, Satrap of Bactria, who was the cousin of the Great King. It was later in Bactria where the forces of Macedonians were checked by guerilla warfare in the Bactrian mountains and deserts for nearly three years.
Alexander's marriage to Roxana put a temporary halt to the bloody hostilites and gave enough time to Alexander to leave for edges of 'India', modern Pakistan. He left a reported 13,500 of his Macedonians behind in Bactria, 10,000 infantry and 3,500 cavalry, along with numerous Hellene mercenaries, the largest force he had to leave behind anywhere to subdue the native population. Most were killed later by Macedonians themselves when civil war broke among the Macedonians after the death of Alexander.
30,000 Bactrian boys were taken in Macedonian army by Alexander and trained as Macedonian warriors. What happened to them after Alexander's death is unclear. It is possible that a portion remained with the various Macedonian armies, while others might have returned to Bactria.
Seleucus, Alexander's general who later found the Seleucid kingdom, married Apama, the daughter of Spitamenes, Alexander's fiercest enemy in Bactria and Sogdiana, during the mass wedding at Susa. Unlike other forced marriges among Macedonian generals and Iranian nobility, marriage of Selecus and Apama lasted after Alexander's death and produced an heir for the Seleucids. Future Seleucid kings were half-Bactrian, half-Macedonian.
During the rule of the Mauryan Empire in India, close diplomatic relationship existed between Bactria and India. Buddhism moved into Bactria during this period of relative peace.