Alexander the Great in Afghanistan (330 BC) DOCUMENTARY

Afghanistan has a long history of foreign invasions and withdrawals. Today we explore the first of these chapters with the campaigns of Alexander the Great. Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: ow.ly/C3xs30rNLaU
As the last chapter of the US war in Afghanistan appears to draw to a close, the world watches armed and civilian forces alike conduct their final evacuations. However in these moments we hear echoes of the past. The history of the so-called “Graveyard of Empires” is filled with many chapters that tell of yet another major power that has been forced to withdraw after years of spilled blood and treasure. The most well known instances have occurred in recent memory. However the pages of Afghan history go back thousands of years. Today I wanted to take a look at one of these first major military withdrawals that may just be the most FUBAR one on record; The invasion and evacuation of Alexander the Great’s Macedonian army from Afghanistan.
In order to contextualize this conflict we first begin with a quick overview of the history of Afghanistan. No country existed by that name or with those borders in antiquity and it was instead made up of a variety of tribal coalitions and minor kingdoms for much of its early history. However it would first see foreigners begin to claim its lands with the rise of the Median Empire and the succeeding Achaemenid Empire. The lands of modern Afghanistan would now be carved into a series of Satrapies such as Bactria, Gandara, Arakhosia, Drangaian, and Areia.
Following the Ionian Revolt and the Greco Persian Wars, the Kingdom of Macedon would rise to power and take on this ancestral conflict as a way to unify the Hellenic world behind its rule. Phillip II first began to plan and invasion of the Achaemenid Empire but it would be Alexander the Great who carried out this vision. He would campaign for several years through Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, consuming vast swaths of the enemy's domains. However King Darius would escape to the east. Alexander initially pursued the Great King but when he was killed by his own Lieutenant, Bessus, Alexander set off against this traitor.
In this chase, Alexander the Great would be sucked into a multi year war to subdue the eastern satrapies that made up modern Afghanistan. We cover the most significant events of this campaign, the establishment of occupying forces, and the eventual withdrawal of the army following the death of Alexander the Great. The ensuing settler revolt would make it (in my eyes) one of the most FUBAR Afghanistan withdrawals in history that would certainly be worthy of a Vice news documentary had it existed.
"The Campaigns of Alexander the Great" by Arrian
"In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great" by Michael Wood
“Alexander the Great and Bactria: The Formation of a Greek Frontier in Central Asia” by Frank Holt
“The Greeks in Bactria and India” by W. W. Tarn
“On the revolt of the Greek settlers” by Diodorus
Credits:
Research: Invicta
Script: Invicta
Narration: Invicta
Artwork: Penta Limited
#History
#Afghanistan
#Documentary

[@conanthecipher]

10:46 "On paper, it would seem that Macedon had conquered Afghanistan, but in reality, we can only ever speculate to what degree control was exerted beyond the local urban centers. It's sure that a great deal of power remained in the hands of local tribal chieftains, with whom the foreign authorities had to negotiate for support." A very familiar story.

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

That is not an Afghanistan thing that happened for most of human history were communicating was limited

[@beneficent2557]

Bush really should have cracked a f_cking book.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@beneficent2557 Books were like Kryptonite to that moron.

[@a.morphous66]

@@beneficent2557 Did he even need a book? A newspaper from twenty years before would’ve sufficed.

[@willblack8575]

@@beneficent2557 you think bush decided to invade? dude maybe you should read a book...

[@MacScarfield]

The Eastern Satrapies already had some Greek “colonists” before Alexander arrived there: The Persians had expelled rebellious Greeks from Western Anatolia to the most distant part of their Empire, in a similar tradition of how the Assyrians and the Babylonians did to those that opposed them. Adding the new Greek colonists of the Hellenistic era, explains the continuous Greek presence there for centuries.

[@InvictaHistory]

Huh I hadn't actually heard that before. Super interesting

[@adolphbismark4331]

The presence of the ancient Greeks in todays Afghanistan in Persian empire times was very very small and negligible. On the other hand Alexander settlers were initially Macedonian and not Greek. Macedonia elite was hellenised but the ancient Macedonians ethnic origins are unknown, maybe a fusion of Illyro Thracians. Heredotus himself in the 5th century BC said that Macedonians speak a barbarian language. Maybe some real greek colonists came later.

[@MacScarfield]

@@InvictaHistory The Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus tells the story that Alexander encountered in Bactria the Greek-speaking Branchidae people. They had migrated there from Miletus, by order of Xerxes I after he had returned from his campaign in Greece. King Darius I also relocated prisoners from Barca, a Greek colony in Cyrenaica/Modern Day Libya, to Bactria according to Herodotus.

[@Dourios_96]

@@adolphbismark4331 Macedonians couldn't assimilate to Greek culture since they were already Greek/Hellenic just as the rest of the Greek city states they derive from the one of the three Hellenic tribes the Dorians the same as the Spartans

[@adolphbismark4331]

Macedonians were not ancient Greeks. Macedonianselite was hellenised but the ancient Macedonians ethnic origins are unknown, maybe a fusion of Illyro Thracians. Heredotus himself in the 5th century BC said that Macedonians speak a barbarian language. Alexander the Great was not accepted into the Olympic games and he massacred many hellens. Dorians are a myth btw .

[@johnfraire6931]

Last time I was this early, Alexander the Great had his soldiers' support

[@Ramoreira86]

Hahahaha

[@greenkoopa]

That was extremely early

[@matthew-jy5jp]

Sucks when only two people think you're witty

[@Jay-ho9io]

@@matthew-jy5jp at least 140 people think he is. I'm about to make it 141.

[@nikolashanks7058]

@Hernando Malinche Greeks didn't consider Macedonians Greeks.

[@magnuscoles5010]

as an afghan, afghanistan is not a graveyard of empires, it is just a graveyard.

[@BoogieBubble]

I hope you guys are doing well there. We see the news and my heart goes out for the simple people there that are about to experience another dark age. Be safe my dude. Take care.

[@magnuscoles5010]

@@BoogieBubble thanks I'm safe since I live in turkey, but my family is still there, they were eligible for evacuation but they could not make it to the airport, but I think they'll be fine, my dad has lived through 4 regime changes and has fought in 3 armies lol, he is one tough guy

[@BoogieBubble]

@@magnuscoles5010 If my family was trapped there i would be freaking out my friend. I hope everything goes well for your family and everyone there. And i hope they find a way to get the hell out of there soon. Your dad is a survivor , glad to hear that.

[@magnuscoles5010]

@@BoogieBubble i have not slept properly for the last 4 weeks but this is not the first time im facing stuff like this, living in that country makes you tough, also yeah hopefully theyll find a way

[@Hugh_Morris]

@@magnuscoles5010 it's a shame, Afghanistan has been at war in some way shape or form since 1978. I wonder if there ever will be peace again

[@velvetlensfilms3290]

I’m Afghan. My last name is sekander which means Alexander.

[@mikeypeinado383]

Really? Nice

[@Felsennest]

You just might have Greek/Macedonian ancestors

[@sparrowparas7156]

I appreciate that Velvet... I'm Greek myself and have unique knowledge of history and appreciate the essential Greek-Afghan connection. So.. please friend me at Paris Sparrow. Thanks ) If I don't respond its due to censyship.

[@sparrowparas7156]

I appreciate that and am Greek. The Greek-afghan connection is meaningful and I'd like to know someone actually THERE rather than hearing news-lies. Friend me as Paris Sparrow please. I subscribed to your film channel and have also done some film project work.

[@velvetlensfilms3290]

@@sparrowparas7156 friend you on FB IG?

[@DrPOP-jp7eb]

Two lessons of history: "Never invade Russia or Afghanistan" "Maintain peace in the Balkans at all costs"

[@mu2960]

Persia, Alexander, Genghis Khan and Timur all invaded and conquered the afghans. Didnt seem a problem to them. But yes, keep the Balkan peace

[@civilengineer3349]

Unless you are the Mongols!

[@chrissiek8706]

*never invade Russia in winter Never invade Afghanistan Never pursue retreating Mongols Never assume you know better than locals

[@mhilal4901]

@@mu2960 Idiot the actual fact is that Afghanistan can be conquer but it is impossible to govern

[@mu2960]

@@mhilal4901 actually idiot, the mongols, greeks and persians all did govern afghanistan. And for a reasonably long time too. And considering the remnants of Timurs empire was basically the founding of the afghan state...ya.

[@Nixxen]

I love the map animation here. I am absolutely horrible with historical geography but combined with your older videos i am starting to build an "image bank" of what lies where, and what is there today.

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Strabo (63 BC) tells us that Illyrians, Thracians, Bottians and Thesprotes shared the Macedonian territory (Tribes of Pelasgian origin 🇦🇱 ). Source: (Strabo, VII, Frg .n°.11) The Macedonians have just propagated the Hellenic culture and have adopted it little by little ... The ancient authors called the Macedonians Barbaros/non-Greeks... For example the great Thucydides... Example : Thucydides (II, 80- IV, 126) who qualified of Barbaros (not Greek) the MACEDONIANS, Thesprotes, Molosses, Châones Atintanes, Paravaiens, Orestiens etc! Moreover it is not the only one, far from there ....

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great. But who was this woman who is said to have astonished the Macedonian king with her beauty ? I will write based only on facts, that is, on the quotes of famous ancient authors, mainly Greek. ( For me there is one thing in history, which with the facts are not said ... ) According to Plutarch, Alexander was a descendant of Ajax through his father Neoptolemos and this is accepted without discussion. According to Justin, Philip married Olympias, daughter of Neoptolemos, king of the Molosses. All the authors thus agree on the fact that Alexander the Great was the grandson of a Molossian. For those who do not know this tribe (the Molossians), who were they, what territory did they occupy and how were they considered by the ancient authors ? Let us stop for a moment to know more about the tribe of the Molossians from which the mother of Alexander the Great came. To make it simple, the tribe of Molossians is in Epirus somewhere in the region of Chamerie on the back of Thesprotians who dominated the coastal part. In addition to this, the Kaons who were in the south of present-day Albania and who constituted three of the great tribes of Epirus. Historically, tribes like the Molossians or others who composed Epirus like the Kaons, the Thesprotians, the Paraue, the Antintans and others, are historically linked to the Illyrian (🇦🇱) culture or to a part of it. As Thucydides tells us about the events of the Peloponnesian War that involved both actually in reality Illyrians and Illyria itself, these tribes were commonly considered barbarian (non-Greek) tribes. Thucydides: - "Among the barbarians there were about 1,000 Kaons who ruled without a king. Along with the Kaons, the Thesprotians also participated and were also ruled without a king. There were also the MOLOSSIANS, the Atintants and the Paraues. ( HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR ) All these tribes, mentioned by the historian of Athenian origin Thucydides for their participation in the famous Peloponnesian war in the 5th century B.C., are considered as barbarians, therefore not Greek! ( Thucydides II, 80- IV, 126 ) The Kaons, the Thesprotians of Chamerie, the Arintans and the Parauets constitute the backbone of what one called Epirus. Among them are of course the Molossians where are the roots of the family of the mother of Alexander the Great ! And Thucydides is not the only source which defines the Epirotes as non-Greeks. There are many others! According to the encyclopedia Basic Antiquity, composed of 86 volumes... Pauly Wissowa the Real "Encyclopedia Alterumswissenschaft" says that the Epirotes are of Illyrian origin 🇦🇱 and have strong links with the population of southern Italy! More concise on the issue, the only Nobel Prize in history 🎓 is none other than Theodor Mommsen author of the cycle "Corpus of Antiquity inscriptions" which says that: - "the brave Epirotes, the Albanians 🇦🇱 of antiquity supported with traditional loyalty the young and brave Pyrrhus or "the Eagle" as they called him " . Let us point out on this subject that the Albanians name themselves "Shqiptar", that is to say "sons or children of the eagle". The soldiers of Pyrrhus (3rd century BC / Epirote King), called their King "the Eagle" and that the latter retroqued them one day that they were his "children", so the Albanians are the children of the Eagle ... "Shqiptar = child of the Eagle .... " . (Pyrrhus was the cousin of Alexander the Great, of the Molossian tribe and himself an ambitious conqueror, Pyrrhus is one of the most formidable adversaries of the early days of ancient Rome). Lorenzo Braccesi (Professor of Greek History at the University of Venice, Italy, in 1986) tells us: - "Olympias was originally from Epirus, on the part of the father who was king of Epirus, on the part of the mother also and that Illyrian blood 🇦🇱 circulated in the family, there is no doubt. " ( 9,01- 9,15 . The true story of Alexander the great ... - Gjurmë Shqiptare ) That the Epirotes are or are not Illyrians is a discussion that, from an archaeological point of view, is resolved. The Epirotes and the Illyrians have the same culture, if we consider the Iron Age, the use of tombs, fortifications with several rows of walls, their material culture, the shape of the pots or the ornaments which are identical to those of Korça (current Albania) and religion. Not only ancient authors like Thucydides, Strabo and others have called the Epirotic tribes barbarians (non-Greek) but also later serious publications based on documents and archaeological findings point out the same thing. The Molosses, were one of the Illyrian tribes of Epirus from where came the mother of Alexander the Great Olympias daughter of the king and the sister . The Molosses, were one of the Illyrian tribes of Epirus from where came the mother of Alexander the Great Olympias daughter of the king and sister of another well known Illyrian prince "Alexander the Molossus". I believe that all or part of the strong character of Alexander comes exactly from his mother, from the house that also gave birth to Pyrrhus. The powerful role of women in Illyrian society has been documented by many authors, including those who today identify themselves as Greeks, such as Athenaeus and Theompope. Olympias' influence on her son Alexander was so great. She believed that her son had divine blood and that he was born to rule the greatest kingdom of all time. But the mother's family was not the only Illyrian family to which Alexander was affiliated, his link with the Illyrians was stronger than that!

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = The family of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. This last, according to the data, had a Macedonian father, but not his mother. She was called Eurydice and came from the tribe of "Lyncestides". Who was the grandmother on the side of the father of Alexander the Great? The mother of Philip is the daughter of the daughter Of Arrhabaeus, daughter of king Sirras, says Strabo. Plutarch is very detailed on this subject. He insists that although Eurydice is Illyrian (🇦🇱) and barbarian in every sense of the word, she was educated to help children. He says very clearly that she is Illyrian, and barbaric in every way. (Plutarch, De liberis educandis. p.69) Lyncestides from where came the mother of Philip II, were a tribe which extended not far from the lake of Ohrid, somewhere in the area of Manastir where the ruins of one of their most important cities are today. (Illyrian, no doubt. It is the last province that has a border with Macedonia) As for whether it was an Illyrian tribe, this is clearly proven by ancient historians and geographers, including Titus Livy, Strabo, as well as Pliny who lists many in detail in the fourth book of the collection of 37 works entitled "Natural History", not to mention the great ancient geographer "Claudius Ptolemy" who also classifies the Lyncestrae among the Illyrian tribes . And the later authors have the same attitude since on several occasions, they mention Eurydice, the mother of Philip II and the grandmother of Alexander, as being illyrian etc... Here what Demosthenes says to us about Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great): - "And yet, with regard to Philip and his conduct, they don't feel that way, although he's not Greek and he's not related to the Greeks at all..." (The third Filipino) By Demosthenes (384-322 BC)

[@awesomehpt8938]

When it comes to withdrawals from Afghanistan it never goes well really. Although the soviets were pretty orderly.

[@goughrmp]

They made up for it with the collapse of the entire Soviet Union

[@BoneistJ]

@@goughrmp It really didn't. The soviets were crumbling long before they even got into Afghanistan.

[@pandasniper1]

@GodBAINS Yt . 6.1M views it was a major straw. The USSR economically crashed for many reasons including but not limited to military spending and spread. You seem to be the low iq one.

[@ktheterkuceder6825]

@@pandasniper1 And the only time an empire collapse. No other empire that invaded it got it that bad.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

It helps if the local henchmen, whom you want to take over for you after you are gone, are provisioned very well in arms and still receive logistical support. The USSR did this so well the Najibullah regime even survived past the USSR's own fall. Arguably if the USSR had not fallen and maintained its support to the regime of Najibullah the Taliban might never have emerged at all. It was only the chaos of the fall of that regime and the infighting between the various warlords that allowed the Taliban to emerge and take control.

[@CraftsmanOfAwsomenes]

Please don’t encourage the “graveyard of empires” thing. A number of conquerors failed but a number of conquerors succeeded. Some empires in Afghanistan were even home-grown.

[@LuisAldamiz]

No empire was entombed there before Britain. Many empires however seem to have arisen from Afghanistan, notably the Greco-Bactrian Empire, the Heftalite Empire and the Mughal Empire.

[@CraftsmanOfAwsomenes]

@@LuisAldamiz Was careful to say "failed conquerors" as opposed to "entombed empires". Even the British weren't really entombed when they got wrecked in the First Anglo-Afghan War. For an empire that succesfully conquered Afghanistan, the Kushan Empire were led by Yuezhi (who are now thought to be Tocharians) and managed to conquer Afghanistan and place their capital and core there.

[@rob6927]

@@LuisAldamiz Britain was not really unsuccessful in Afghanistan. The Durrand line is still there and till this day more Afghans live in Pakistan (British territory) than Afghanistan itself. The British got some setbacks and humiliating defeats there, but in the end they kept Afghanistan out of Russian sphere of influence.

[@unhomesenzill4366]

Afghanistan didn't even exist before 1747.. this is like saying Romans conquered England when there were no Anglos in Britain

[@amayaproductions1711]

If anything Afghanistan is the graveyard of Afghans from the millions of people that were killed/displaced in that region of the world

[@thegermaniccoenus2525]

I had a theory on some of the military reforms in the Macedonian Army during the campaign in Central Asia. I had speculated that the rest of the Macedonian phalangites were reformed to the structure and arms of their Agema or the Asthetairoi (Best Companions). As such, the unit Taxies was reduced from 1536, which is composed of six syntagmas, to a Chiliarchy or One thousand man unit (1024 men to be exact.) This was done as mobility was the key factor in the success of the Macedonian phalanx warfare in dealing with the various warlike mountain tribes and the marauding horse nomads of the north. As for their arms, they were probably reformed into the fashion of the Iphicrates Hoplite but heavier to some degree. Their spears or sarissas were shortened to 12ft. to 13ft. They were given larger versions of the Macedonian peltai shield and javelins for skirmishing. So was it really a disaster in the end? For me, that's a yes and no. Yes to the fact, that the colonists revolted against their rulers. But also no. I mean, the Greco-Bactrian Empire did rose out of the chaos. It even managed to reconquer the lands held by the Mauryans. So in its own way, it managed to establish stability and peace. When the empire fell, it wasn't even destroyed immediately. Out of it, came a new scion Kingdom; the Indo-Greek Kingdom. It outlasted even the great Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. Before finally falling to the barbarians of the North.

[@emilyhofland8219]

Hey man... I wanna see someone try to use/throw a 12 ft spear.

[@sercravenmohead3631]

Well that’s true because there are multiple successor states after the death of Alexander, his generals started their own dynasties. Ptolemy took Egypt, Seleucid took the Levant, Pontus took Anatolia. In the wake of Alexander’s conquest was a wave of Greek Hellenic culture, in the post era after his death the Middle East was and N.Africa were controlled by the successors. Even if not directly a lot of the eastern powers tried to emulate or copy the Macedonians.

[@thegermaniccoenus2525]

@@emilyhofland8219 Technically impossible.

[@emilyhofland8219]

@@thegermaniccoenus2525 Hey man... O.C. has that listed, among his many other researched, facts. ... Oh wait. That's you... lol.

[@thegermaniccoenus2525]

@@emilyhofland8219 huh? Since when did I say they were using those 12ft long sarissas as javelins though?

[@stefano3056]

I didnt get why this was 'the worst' withdrawal from 'Afrghanistan'. Was it even a withdrawal at all?

[@LuisAldamiz]

It wasn't. The Greco-Bactrian Kdom. lasted like forever. Well, until it was conquered by the Huns.

[@ex.O]

title: "The Worst Withdrawal from Afghanistan?" in the vid he also commented in why may no even be consider a withdrawal and if it's accepted as one then the murder by their own ppl is what would make it the worst.

[@Arctrooper2091]

It's just a clickbait title. Calling it a withdrawal isn't really accurate, but it's more likely that people will watch the video if you make a title that goes along with the "Graveyard of Empires" trope.

[@stefano3056]

@@Arctrooper2091 not very honest title, we may all agree

[@sparrowparas7156]

@@stefano3056 what is honest these days? All is historical rewrite and spin... please friend me as Paris Sparrow. I'm Greek and like your attitude.

[@Halcon_Sierreno]

I want to see in more detail Alexander's campaigns in Central Asia. They get glossed over and are mentioned only in passing.

[@BWJM44]

Alexander the great letter to his mom" mother you have given birth to one Alexander but here in Afghanistan everyone is Alexander". Alexander the great.

Yep

[@E-E.ADVENTUREGEARS]

COULD YOU PROVIDE A CREDIBLE SOURCE TO BACK WHAT YOU'VE WRITTEN.

[@sitrilko]

I would not call it a Macedonian withdrawal. They never withdrew. Just chaos happened. After all, they founded the Greco-Bactrian kingdom.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Indeed. The title is obvious clickbait. The Greeks remained there for centuries.

[@zarakdurrani7584]

@@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623 no they didn't. Idiot. There's practically ZERO sign of a Greek presence In Afghanistan, even In Balkh. If you're not counting ancient city states. They region of Afghanistan was settled by individual tribes. The Greeks kept to main cities and got replaced thereafter. That's how Afghanistan is. It absorbs the invading culture and melds it it's own. The only signs of greek remains are ruins and some stupas in taxila, Pakistan.

[@archaeaoris900]

​@@zarakdurrani7584 The seal of the Central Bank of Afghanistan has Greek text on it. I don't need to mention the countless archaeological findings which shows the Greek influence, although excavations are not performed in the region and the Talibans have destroyed many non-Islamic artifacts/buildings and forbid any non-Islamic teaching.

[@uptheblues1875]

Greeks already existed in that.area.prior to Alexander's conquest as the Persians yeeted them from western Anatolia into the opposite end of the empire, copying the Assyrians. The Greco bacteian kingdom was founded by the Greeks that already lived there, not Alexander's dudes.

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Strabo (63 BC) tells us that Illyrians, Thracians, Bottians and Thesprotes shared the Macedonian territory (Tribes of Pelasgian origin 🇦🇱 ). Source: (Strabo, VII, Frg .n°.11) The Macedonians have just propagated the Hellenic culture and have adopted it little by little ... The ancient authors called the Macedonians Barbaros/non-Greeks... For example the great Thucydides... Example : Thucydides (II, 80- IV, 126) who qualified of Barbaros (not Greek) the MACEDONIANS, Thesprotes, Molosses, Châones Atintanes, Paravaiens, Orestiens etc! Moreover it is not the only one, far from there ....

[@michaelweston409]

The achievements of the hellenic world are awe inspiring

[@concept5631]

Dude's starting point was Macedon and he made it all the way to the Aral Sea and India. "Great" doesn't even begin to describe the man.

[@didinx8417]

As Sherlock Holmes said to Dr. Watson when they first meet in 'A Study in Scarlet': "You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive."

[@301syedfaizansattar5]

Ooooh nice one.

[@user-uy1rg8td1v]

The BBC show with Benedict Cumberbatch set in modern times didn't even need to change the country when meeting Watson for the first time. I wonder how Brits feel about losing Afghanistan for the 4th time.

[@arwing20]

@@user-uy1rg8td1v hate to burst your ignorant bubble, but the British won the Second and Third Afghan wars

[@sherlocksmuuug6692]

@@arwing20 On the 3rd Anglo-Afghan war: "The war resulted in a treaty with the Afghans gaining independence and control of foreign affairs from Britain, and the British recognising Durand line as the border between Afghanistan and British India." If that's victory I'd hate to see what a british defeat looks like.

[@arwing20]

@@sherlocksmuuug6692 First off the British wanted the Durand line recognised by the Afghans, which they did in the treaty, thus preventing more incursions into India and second they never wanted the country conquered but simply use it as a buffer between India and Russia. So yeah they won, deal with it. (Muted to avoid further stupidity)

[@theborg6024]

congrats on 1 mil dude, been amazing watching you grow and shape your content. keep it up dude

[@matikhorasani3842]

Afghanistan despite being a large area was a scarcely populated place and so the Persians sent a lot of rebellious Greeks there. Basically fixing two problems in one move. Many of those Greeks mixed with the locals, and so greek culture was familiar to the people of Northern Afghanistan (Bactria) for several centuries. After the defeat of the seleucids in Bactria, the kingdom/empire we now known as Greco Bactrians arose. The Greco Bactrians were in fact the descendants of the mixed population of local Bactrians and Greek refugees and their war against the Seleucids was from their perspective a war of independence from Greek colonists who had only recently arrived with the army of Alexander the Great. It is important to note this because most people believe that the Greco Bactrians who ruled Afghanistan for centuries were part of the army of Alexander the Great, but that is not the case.

[@sparrowparas7156]

Friend me at Paris Sparrow, Mati Khorasani if ancient history is a passion -I have some amazing knowledge you can't find anywhere.

[@ChromeMan04]

That’s not true, modern Pashtuns and Tajiks show no Greek ancestry according to DNA tests so the mixing thing is a lie.

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Strabo (63 BC) tells us that Illyrians, Thracians, Bottians and Thesprotes shared the Macedonian territory (Tribes of Pelasgian origin 🇦🇱 ). Source: (Strabo, VII, Frg .n°.11) The Macedonians have just propagated the Hellenic culture and have adopted it little by little ... The ancient authors called the Macedonians Barbaros/non-Greeks... For example the great Thucydides... Example : Thucydides (II, 80- IV, 126) who qualified of Barbaros (not Greek) the MACEDONIANS, Thesprotes, Molosses, Châones Atintanes, Paravaiens, Orestiens etc! Moreover it is not the only one, far from there ....

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great. But who was this woman who is said to have astonished the Macedonian king with her beauty ? I will write based only on facts, that is, on the quotes of famous ancient authors, mainly Greek. ( For me there is one thing in history, which with the facts are not said ... ) According to Plutarch, Alexander was a descendant of Ajax through his father Neoptolemos and this is accepted without discussion. According to Justin, Philip married Olympias, daughter of Neoptolemos, king of the Molosses. All the authors thus agree on the fact that Alexander the Great was the grandson of a Molossian. For those who do not know this tribe (the Molossians), who were they, what territory did they occupy and how were they considered by the ancient authors ? Let us stop for a moment to know more about the tribe of the Molossians from which the mother of Alexander the Great came. To make it simple, the tribe of Molossians is in Epirus somewhere in the region of Chamerie on the back of Thesprotians who dominated the coastal part. In addition to this, the Kaons who were in the south of present-day Albania and who constituted three of the great tribes of Epirus. Historically, tribes like the Molossians or others who composed Epirus like the Kaons, the Thesprotians, the Paraue, the Antintans and others, are historically linked to the Illyrian (🇦🇱) culture or to a part of it. As Thucydides tells us about the events of the Peloponnesian War that involved both actually in reality Illyrians and Illyria itself, these tribes were commonly considered barbarian (non-Greek) tribes. Thucydides: - "Among the barbarians there were about 1,000 Kaons who ruled without a king. Along with the Kaons, the Thesprotians also participated and were also ruled without a king. There were also the MOLOSSIANS, the Atintants and the Paraues. ( HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR ) All these tribes, mentioned by the historian of Athenian origin Thucydides for their participation in the famous Peloponnesian war in the 5th century B.C., are considered as barbarians, therefore not Greek! ( Thucydides II, 80- IV, 126 ) The Kaons, the Thesprotians of Chamerie, the Arintans and the Parauets constitute the backbone of what one called Epirus. Among them are of course the Molossians where are the roots of the family of the mother of Alexander the Great ! And Thucydides is not the only source which defines the Epirotes as non-Greeks. There are many others! According to the encyclopedia Basic Antiquity, composed of 86 volumes... Pauly Wissowa the Real "Encyclopedia Alterumswissenschaft" says that the Epirotes are of Illyrian origin 🇦🇱 and have strong links with the population of southern Italy! More concise on the issue, the only Nobel Prize in history 🎓 is none other than Theodor Mommsen author of the cycle "Corpus of Antiquity inscriptions" which says that: - "the brave Epirotes, the Albanians 🇦🇱 of antiquity supported with traditional loyalty the young and brave Pyrrhus or "the Eagle" as they called him " . Let us point out on this subject that the Albanians name themselves "Shqiptar", that is to say "sons or children of the eagle". The soldiers of Pyrrhus (3rd century BC / Epirote King), called their King "the Eagle" and that the latter retroqued them one day that they were his "children", so the Albanians are the children of the Eagle ... "Shqiptar = child of the Eagle .... " . (Pyrrhus was the cousin of Alexander the Great, of the Molossian tribe and himself an ambitious conqueror, Pyrrhus is one of the most formidable adversaries of the early days of ancient Rome). Lorenzo Braccesi (Professor of Greek History at the University of Venice, Italy, in 1986) tells us: - "Olympias was originally from Epirus, on the part of the father who was king of Epirus, on the part of the mother also and that Illyrian blood 🇦🇱 circulated in the family, there is no doubt. " ( 9,01- 9,15 . The true story of Alexander the great ... - Gjurmë Shqiptare ) That the Epirotes are or are not Illyrians is a discussion that, from an archaeological point of view, is resolved. The Epirotes and the Illyrians have the same culture, if we consider the Iron Age, the use of tombs, fortifications with several rows of walls, their material culture, the shape of the pots or the ornaments which are identical to those of Korça (current Albania) and religion. Not only ancient authors like Thucydides, Strabo and others have called the Epirotic tribes barbarians (non-Greek) but also later serious publications based on documents and archaeological findings point out the same thing. The Molosses, were one of the Illyrian tribes of Epirus from where came the mother of Alexander the Great Olympias daughter of the king and the sister . The Molosses, were one of the Illyrian tribes of Epirus from where came the mother of Alexander the Great Olympias daughter of the king and sister of another well known Illyrian prince "Alexander the Molossus". I believe that all or part of the strong character of Alexander comes exactly from his mother, from the house that also gave birth to Pyrrhus. The powerful role of women in Illyrian society has been documented by many authors, including those who today identify themselves as Greeks, such as Athenaeus and Theompope. Olympias' influence on her son Alexander was so great. She believed that her son had divine blood and that he was born to rule the greatest kingdom of all time. But the mother's family was not the only Illyrian family to which Alexander was affiliated, his link with the Illyrians was stronger than that!

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = The family of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. This last, according to the data, had a Macedonian father, but not his mother. She was called Eurydice and came from the tribe of "Lyncestides". Who was the grandmother on the side of the father of Alexander the Great? The mother of Philip is the daughter of the daughter Of Arrhabaeus, daughter of king Sirras, says Strabo. Plutarch is very detailed on this subject. He insists that although Eurydice is Illyrian (🇦🇱) and barbarian in every sense of the word, she was educated to help children. He says very clearly that she is Illyrian, and barbaric in every way. (Plutarch, De liberis educandis. p.69) Lyncestides from where came the mother of Philip II, were a tribe which extended not far from the lake of Ohrid, somewhere in the area of Manastir where the ruins of one of their most important cities are today. (Illyrian, no doubt. It is the last province that has a border with Macedonia) As for whether it was an Illyrian tribe, this is clearly proven by ancient historians and geographers, including Titus Livy, Strabo, as well as Pliny who lists many in detail in the fourth book of the collection of 37 works entitled "Natural History", not to mention the great ancient geographer "Claudius Ptolemy" who also classifies the Lyncestrae among the Illyrian tribes . And the later authors have the same attitude since on several occasions, they mention Eurydice, the mother of Philip II and the grandmother of Alexander, as being illyrian etc... Here what Demosthenes says to us about Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great): - "And yet, with regard to Philip and his conduct, they don't feel that way, although he's not Greek and he's not related to the Greeks at all..." (The third Filipino) By Demosthenes (384-322 BC)

[@benzirzow3994]

Thanks man for putting in all the work on making these, love it

[@wompa3571]

I couldn't help but notice the irony that during the withdrawal from Kabul CH-46 helicopters were used, same as in the fall of Saigon.

[@MsCwebb]

It may have also helped you that that was the most copy and pasted comment on all of the videos about Afghanistan recently 👍

[@Jay-ho9io]

47s. M U C H bigger. 46s were used last by the Marine Corps, and we got rid of those not too awful long ago but we're not flying any anymore. A much smaller air frame that was also dual rotor. The army uses 47's for the most part and the Chinook's are much much bigger helos.

[@wompa3571]

@@Jay-ho9io I'm aware of the size difference, having been a passenger on a CH-47 several times. The reason I mentioned the CH-46's was the fact that the state department was using 7 CH-46's during the evacuation of Kabul. They've apparently referred them inoperable and abandoned them in country.

[@Jay-ho9io]

@@wompa3571 "inoperable" They meant old AF. My apologies then, I hadn't read that. And I see a lot of people confused 46s for 47s.

[@miserychickadee]

@@wompa3571 Yeah, he must've missed that news story floating around that explained that not only was the state dept using a CH-46, they were using one that was very likely to have been in a famous photograph from the Saigon evac. It's a funny little ol' world, sometimes.

[@christianyepez1016]

Creative videos like this are why I absolutely love your channel

[@jacobprice2579]

Alexander is actually fairly well remembered in Afghanistan. I remember watching a program about a British soldier who learned the local language while stationed in Afghanistan and the locals took to calling him Sekander (Alexander) as a mark of respect. Also it’s nice to see the retreat from Kabul of 1842 getting more attention from historians now. Personally I had never even heard of it until I first read Flashman.

[@PhilLesh69]

Most people today aren't even aware of the partition of Indian territory in 1947 right next door, either.

[@h____hchump8941]

I remember watching Michael Palin as a kid and was absolutely shocked and fascinated by the green-eyed Afghanis that saw themselves as descendants of Alexander

[@GreaterAfghanistanMovement]

@@h____hchump8941 No Afghan thinks they are they descendants of Alexander the Great, also green eyes has nothing to do with Greeks but rather is a native Aryan/Indo-European trait. People need to stop thinking Ancient Greeks looked like Northern Europeans when they didn't look that different than your average Southern European

[@mangopudding5979]

@@GreaterAfghanistanMovement Seven different Persian empires successfully ruled over Afghanistan for a total of 1300 yrs, Turks ruled over Afghanistan for 1000 yrs, Arabs successfully ruled over Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the "graveyard for em pires" in modern times only.

[@mangopudding5979]

Seven different Persian empires successfully ruled over Afghanistan for a total of 1300 yrs, Turks ruled over Afghanistan for 1000 yrs, Arabs successfully ruled over Afghanistan. Afghanistan is the "graveyard for em pires" in modern times only.

[@trj1442]

Another great episode. Thankyou for your awesome content.

[@Mark-uh3un]

Yet another amazing video. Keep it up!!!

[@etherospike3936]

Correction :There was no Afghanistan back then, but the province of Bactria ! There was no retreat of Alexander's army but a pierce through that province, in their way to India ! Alexander's wife Roxana was of Bactria origin !

[@wewenang5167]

people of Bactria were of diverse ethnicity but mostly were indo-iranian people with some greeks, not to mention many more small tribals ethnic group. In no part of history it is said what ethnic or group roxana id from.

[@tylerdurden3722]

I is speculated that Roxana's father was either Sogdian or Bactrian. We don't know. Nobility intermarried all over the place. But, guys appointed as Satraps were probably distant relatives of the Acheamenids, or from the inner circle of Persians. But they were basically all the same people anyway. They were all of Iranic ethnicity. Even today, many Tajiks, Afgans, etc speak a dialect of Persian. Roxana's father was with Darius when he was killed by Bessos. Meaning that he was in Babylon, when Darius was in Babylon. Roxana's father had his family with him. Meaning Roxana was located in Babylonia when Alexander initially invaded...living in the Persian court. So, she might as well be Persian.

[@atalbarak2543]

Alexander the Great himself said, in a letter to his mother, “I am involved in the land of brave people where every foot of the ground is like a wall of steel, confronting my soldiers. You have brought one son into the world, but everyone in this land can be called an Alexander.” Alexander didn't lose the amount of troops in his entire campaigns that he lost just in Afghanistan fighting the Pashtuns in Bacteria, Arakhosia and Gandara today's Afghanistan.

[@atalbarak2543]

@Gaurav Khanna there were, Pashtuns names in history are Batan, Bact, Bacterian, Pashtoons, Pakhtoon, Pathan, they were living in same Bacteria, Arakhosia, Gandara and some other around today's modern Afghanistan.

[@laodice_III]

@Gaurav Khanna Yes, Alexander's wife was Stateira II, the daughter of Darius III of Persia. Alexander had 3 Persian wives.

[@americanpaisareturns9051]

You know what comes next, “Circle Back”

[@richardglady3009]

Extremely informative video. Thank you.

[@interestinglife934]

"Graveyard of empires"? Never heard of an empire that perished over there. It's more like the playground of empires.

[@josedeltoro5288]

The Soviet Union

[@interestinglife934]

@@josedeltoro5288 the Soviet union didnt collapse because of Afghanistan. They lost way more people in an hour in Stalingrad then in the whole 10 years of being in Afghanistan.

[@butlerian2238]

@@josedeltoro5288 The Soviet Union isn't an Empire either

[@Durahan82]

Sassanid Empire: are we a Joke to you ?

[@dulguungantumur472]

@@butlerian2238 lol ok find me one definition of empire that can't be applied easily to the soviet union

[@mikemodugno5879]

Very well done. This is an absolutely fascinating piece of little appreciated history. I would definitely love to see a video on the Bactrian kingdom both before and after Alexander the Great.

[@JoelMartinez-ts1hr]

Basically his generals started to fight over his power after he passed away and a few years later then the Roman empire took over.

[@WellBattle6]

Honestly I thought the worst withdrawal was the British retreat from Afghanistan where only 1 man survived his injuries.

[@sherlocksmuuug6692]

He was the only *british* soldier to escape alive, but not the only survivor. Apart from him one camp follower, a greek merchant, also made it back but died of his wounds. A few scattered sepoys (indian soldiers) also reached british-controlled territory on foot in the following weeks and survived. Another sepoy, after being enslaved by the afghans for 21 months managed to escape and return to India alive. Then 115 prisoners were ransomed. And the british freed the ca. 2000 remaining still surviving prisoners when they took Kabul in the second Afghan war.

[@Mahbu]

@@sherlocksmuuug6692 I'm very impressed. Not many people remember the Kabul expedition or the second Afghan war. They only think of the first and gloat about how the Brits got their asses kicked.

[@ProjectEkerTest33]

@The Imperishable Star Then they turned up again and kicked back

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

@@Mahbu yeah but then they got their asses kicked again in the Tirah expedition which did what it intended by destroying settlements in the region but with a disastrous retreat. I mean I don't think its unfair to say they got their asses kicked, but not nearly as much as the Russians in Central Asia lol. I mean they launched several campaigns against Khiva (and even one against India by Paul) which were either pushed back or halted. I mean gloating is a bit pretentious but they did invade Afghanistan for little to no reason then to prop up Shujah to be an anti-Russian barrier, who had little to no support in the region. And the debacle of that retreat and the mob/protest/riot prior to it is so numerous that i think its fair to say they got their asses kicked.

[@Mahbu]

@@GuineaPigEveryday I'm not sure that's accurate. A Besieging force will almost always take more casualties than a defending force. That's how it plays out. You only need look at the American Civil War or the World Wars for recent examples. It's only recent that this paradigm has shifted thanks in large part to advances in technology and tactics. The British lost guys, yeah, but they still achieved their strategic goals. They still subjugated the area and averted a potentially greater crisis. It all comes down to what your tactical and strategic aims are and what you're willing to spend to achieve them. But I'd say you are probably right about the Russians. I'm not AS familiar with their little forays, but it does not appear they met reasonable strategic goals.

[@jordancannady9242]

Awesome video! Keep em coming!

[@thefisherking78]

Thanks for the perspective

[@deniscicic8074]

Withdrawal? Alexander conquered Bactria and it was Greek until 100 BC. After Alexander death it was part of Seleucid Empire and later was independent Greco-Bactrian Kingdom.

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Strabo (63 BC) tells us that Illyrians, Thracians, Bottians and Thesprotes shared the Macedonian territory (Tribes of Pelasgian origin 🇦🇱 ). Source: (Strabo, VII, Frg .n°.11) The Macedonians have just propagated the Hellenic culture and have adopted it little by little ... The ancient authors called the Macedonians Barbaros/non-Greeks... For example the great Thucydides... Example : Thucydides (II, 80- IV, 126) who qualified of Barbaros (not Greek) the MACEDONIANS, Thesprotes, Molosses, Châones Atintanes, Paravaiens, Orestiens etc! Moreover it is not the only one, far from there ....

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great. But who was this woman who is said to have astonished the Macedonian king with her beauty ? I will write based only on facts, that is, on the quotes of famous ancient authors, mainly Greek. ( For me there is one thing in history, which with the facts are not said ... ) According to Plutarch, Alexander was a descendant of Ajax through his father Neoptolemos and this is accepted without discussion. According to Justin, Philip married Olympias, daughter of Neoptolemos, king of the Molosses. All the authors thus agree on the fact that Alexander the Great was the grandson of a Molossian. For those who do not know this tribe (the Molossians), who were they, what territory did they occupy and how were they considered by the ancient authors ? Let us stop for a moment to know more about the tribe of the Molossians from which the mother of Alexander the Great came. To make it simple, the tribe of Molossians is in Epirus somewhere in the region of Chamerie on the back of Thesprotians who dominated the coastal part. In addition to this, the Kaons who were in the south of present-day Albania and who constituted three of the great tribes of Epirus. Historically, tribes like the Molossians or others who composed Epirus like the Kaons, the Thesprotians, the Paraue, the Antintans and others, are historically linked to the Illyrian (🇦🇱) culture or to a part of it. As Thucydides tells us about the events of the Peloponnesian War that involved both actually in reality Illyrians and Illyria itself, these tribes were commonly considered barbarian (non-Greek) tribes. Thucydides: - "Among the barbarians there were about 1,000 Kaons who ruled without a king. Along with the Kaons, the Thesprotians also participated and were also ruled without a king. There were also the MOLOSSIANS, the Atintants and the Paraues. ( HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR ) All these tribes, mentioned by the historian of Athenian origin Thucydides for their participation in the famous Peloponnesian war in the 5th century B.C., are considered as barbarians, therefore not Greek! ( Thucydides II, 80- IV, 126 ) The Kaons, the Thesprotians of Chamerie, the Arintans and the Parauets constitute the backbone of what one called Epirus. Among them are of course the Molossians where are the roots of the family of the mother of Alexander the Great ! And Thucydides is not the only source which defines the Epirotes as non-Greeks. There are many others! According to the encyclopedia Basic Antiquity, composed of 86 volumes... Pauly Wissowa the Real "Encyclopedia Alterumswissenschaft" says that the Epirotes are of Illyrian origin 🇦🇱 and have strong links with the population of southern Italy! More concise on the issue, the only Nobel Prize in history 🎓 is none other than Theodor Mommsen author of the cycle "Corpus of Antiquity inscriptions" which says that: - "the brave Epirotes, the Albanians 🇦🇱 of antiquity supported with traditional loyalty the young and brave Pyrrhus or "the Eagle" as they called him " . Let us point out on this subject that the Albanians name themselves "Shqiptar", that is to say "sons or children of the eagle". The soldiers of Pyrrhus (3rd century BC / Epirote King), called their King "the Eagle" and that the latter retroqued them one day that they were his "children", so the Albanians are the children of the Eagle ... "Shqiptar = child of the Eagle .... " . (Pyrrhus was the cousin of Alexander the Great, of the Molossian tribe and himself an ambitious conqueror, Pyrrhus is one of the most formidable adversaries of the early days of ancient Rome). Lorenzo Braccesi (Professor of Greek History at the University of Venice, Italy, in 1986) tells us: - "Olympias was originally from Epirus, on the part of the father who was king of Epirus, on the part of the mother also and that Illyrian blood 🇦🇱 circulated in the family, there is no doubt. " ( 9,01- 9,15 . The true story of Alexander the great ... - Gjurmë Shqiptare ) That the Epirotes are or are not Illyrians is a discussion that, from an archaeological point of view, is resolved. The Epirotes and the Illyrians have the same culture, if we consider the Iron Age, the use of tombs, fortifications with several rows of walls, their material culture, the shape of the pots or the ornaments which are identical to those of Korça (current Albania) and religion. Not only ancient authors like Thucydides, Strabo and others have called the Epirotic tribes barbarians (non-Greek) but also later serious publications based on documents and archaeological findings point out the same thing. The Molosses, were one of the Illyrian tribes of Epirus from where came the mother of Alexander the Great Olympias daughter of the king and the sister . The Molosses, were one of the Illyrian tribes of Epirus from where came the mother of Alexander the Great Olympias daughter of the king and sister of another well known Illyrian prince "Alexander the Molossus". I believe that all or part of the strong character of Alexander comes exactly from his mother, from the house that also gave birth to Pyrrhus. The powerful role of women in Illyrian society has been documented by many authors, including those who today identify themselves as Greeks, such as Athenaeus and Theompope. Olympias' influence on her son Alexander was so great. She believed that her son had divine blood and that he was born to rule the greatest kingdom of all time. But the mother's family was not the only Illyrian family to which Alexander was affiliated, his link with the Illyrians was stronger than that!

[@Universal..]

Historical facts = The family of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great. This last, according to the data, had a Macedonian father, but not his mother. She was called Eurydice and came from the tribe of "Lyncestides". Who was the grandmother on the side of the father of Alexander the Great? The mother of Philip is the daughter of the daughter Of Arrhabaeus, daughter of king Sirras, says Strabo. Plutarch is very detailed on this subject. He insists that although Eurydice is Illyrian (🇦🇱) and barbarian in every sense of the word, she was educated to help children. He says very clearly that she is Illyrian, and barbaric in every way. (Plutarch, De liberis educandis. p.69) Lyncestides from where came the mother of Philip II, were a tribe which extended not far from the lake of Ohrid, somewhere in the area of Manastir where the ruins of one of their most important cities are today. (Illyrian, no doubt. It is the last province that has a border with Macedonia) As for whether it was an Illyrian tribe, this is clearly proven by ancient historians and geographers, including Titus Livy, Strabo, as well as Pliny who lists many in detail in the fourth book of the collection of 37 works entitled "Natural History", not to mention the great ancient geographer "Claudius Ptolemy" who also classifies the Lyncestrae among the Illyrian tribes . And the later authors have the same attitude since on several occasions, they mention Eurydice, the mother of Philip II and the grandmother of Alexander, as being illyrian etc... Here what Demosthenes says to us about Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great): - "And yet, with regard to Philip and his conduct, they don't feel that way, although he's not Greek and he's not related to the Greeks at all..." (The third Filipino) By Demosthenes (384-322 BC)

[@jonyhyder6506]

No.he lost the war.its well known.

[@deniscicic8074]

@@jonyhyder6506 Maybe in alternative universe.

[@billmiller4972]

Looking very much forward to the episode about Bactria!

[@idemandabetterfuture]

History of Sogdians is fascinating and extends from Charlemagne to the Tang Empire.

[@billmiller4972]

@@idemandabetterfuture Tang-Empire I can understand, but Charlemagne?

[@idemandabetterfuture]

@@billmiller4972 Interesting isn't it? Specifically, Beckworth cites a mission of Jewish traders accompanied with Sogdians who visited the court of Charlemagne as an example of direct contact. As you likely know Sogdians were the long running ethnicity based trading network of historic times. They persisted through at least a thousand years of regime change in Central Asia and traded with the Romans & Hans by going south around Parthia during the Kushan period. In the Early Middle ages it continued and there was a trading post, Sogdaya, on the coast of Crimea when it was part of Khazaria (a multi-ethnic Turko-Hunic-Jewish Kingdom on the Volga & Dneiper) with whom they had close relations. It seems once in Khazaria they traded south to Byzantium and north to the Carolingan Empire primarily through local intermediaries. For the Carolingans the intermediaries where primarily Jewish Traders that the Carolingans actively protected.

[@abidKhan-fi4jo]

According to Pashtun account the name of place was 'Bakht' or 'Bakhter'. which had been ,probably, greekicised by adding -ia like what they had done to other names like Alexandria from Alexander. And almost all other names of cities and regions carry suffix -ia. The names of Pakhto and Pakhtun derive from word 'Bakht'. 'Pashto' and 'Pashtun' as pronounced in Southern Pashto accent and familiarized as such in the world.

[@danielc7921]

This was an informative video 👍, great job👍👍

[@richardglady3009]

Thank you for the video.

[@thesnake2620]

I have to say just from the thumb nail alone this art work is amazing

[@WTFisDrifting]

Some 30,000 Greeks were already living there. After Persia moved the residents of Cyrene to the area. They didn’t take slaves. Only moved new citizens

[@piyushjaiswal9283]

No genetic trace. Seems a myth by white supremacists

[@ZeeZee9]

@@piyushjaiswal9283 There is some but not as much as people think.

[@TheSaneHatter]

I actually viewed a video about Greek Bactria only yesterday, so I was surprisingly well-positioned to hear this story!

[@albinlindmark1383]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@WardenOfTheGreatSaltLake]

14:30 You said the Greco-Bactrian kingdom is the eastern most hellenic state. What about that Indo-Greek one, is that not also a Hellenic-ish state? Idk how Hellenic it was but it has Greek in the name so thats gotta count for something

[@johnsmith-ir1ne]

Crazy how far the Greek cultural influence goes... All the way from what is today Spain and Morocco, to India

[@zefft.f4010]

Hellenic Bactria and the Indo-Greek kingdom are more or less the same entity. The Greco-Bactrians expanded eastwards, into India, but then lost their Bactrian holdings later on, shifting their power from Bactria to the Punjab. There's more to it than that, though, lots of invasions, plots and dynastic rivalries, which is why modern historians seperate the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms.

[@deusduran4901]

Not to mention the Hellenes that partook in the war of the heavenly horses

[@adamjones4606]

@@zefft.f4010 the Yuezhi migration ended both kingdoms, and the Saka ended up ruling the indo greeks for quite some time but they both absorbed a lot of Greek influence and culture

[@zefft.f4010]

@@adamjones4606 That's true, as well as the greeks adopting many local customs, wherever they went, as well as keeping and adapting many of their own. But as much as I'd like to, I can't cover it all in a single youtube comment :P

[@sikandar9313]

What a misleading title. This channel tried very hard to discredit Alexander the great conquest of Afghanistan. The way Alexander conquered the Afghanistan due to its terrain, weather and mountains is remarkable.

[@tomislavkefecek4443]

Awesome work!

[@IsThisHandleTaken]

Whoa awesome story man, you're right this is an overlooked part of history. Really good shit

[@user-gs5re1lr4c]

Well, after all that was said in this video, I still can't see actual "withdrawal" from Afghanistan - mutiny? Yes. rebellion? - Yes. Infighting between Hellenistic forces? Yes. But there was no actual withdrawal from Afghanistan. Greeks and Macedonians remained in Bactria, furthermore, as you said yourself, they formed Greco-Bactrian Kingdom next. It's like USA or USSR would've left half of their occupation force present and settled in Afghanistan to rule over the country, yeat called it "withdrawal" . P.S. for all modern day Greeks, who feel the need to reply to this comment because they think I shouldn`t have been separating Macedonians from Greeks: I did it simply because the Invicta himself did it 12:40 - 13:25, furthermore because it`s common sense to highlight Macedonians among other Greeks, because they were the prominent, dominant force in Alexanders conquests, while other Greeks were eather allies (Phessalians) , foes (Ionians and other mercenaries) or neutral (Spartans, Italian Greeks, Massalian Greeks etc.) in his war against Persia. Like in Thermopylae it was Spartan army and it`s Greek allies who fought with Persians, and Athenians and their Greek allies defeated Persians at Marathon - we don`t call them all just Greeks because it`s just confusing oversimplyfication. It`s like calling ancient Romans and their Italian allies - just Italians, which is not a lie, but we still call them Romans and their Itallian allies, because Rome was the dominant force here.

[@huguesdiceva]

Thank you. This video title is inaccurate af. Greco-Baktrian and Indo-Greek kingdoms survived for CENTURIES after Alexander's conquest, with a unique syncretism of Indo-Buddhic, Hellenic and Iranian cultural influences...

[@1685Violin]

@@huguesdiceva I don't think it's misleading when the title has a question mark.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

The title was obvious clickbait. At worst that area was the one that gave Alexander the most headaches in pacifying it.

[@chesterparish3794]

@@1685Violin even if its a question mark it should still have to do with a withdrawal.

[@Dourios_96]

"Greeks and Macedonians" Why say Greeks two times? Just plain Greeks are fine unless you want to state their exact kingdom and city state they derive from which would take time since there many city states

[@mk9650]

The army withdrew but it returned and the Greeks remained there for another 200 years so it's a W

[@extratropicalcyclone8567]

Greek refuges coming to Afghanistan in 300 bc

[@mk9650]

@@extratropicalcyclone8567 lmao

[@mk9650]

@Akio jayyid they had Greek names, Greek gods were worshiped and the city's infrastructure was built in a Greek style

[@GreaterAfghanistanMovement]

They didn't

[@johnnyc613]

Great video

[@collintrytsman3353]

nicely done yet again

[@wiremonkeyelectric]

If that were an hour and a half long, I still would have been glued to it. 👍

[@dementiasorrow]

You should make a game with the world map divided into small Territories. Kinda like War or risk.

[@a.e.1965]

Except in this game unlike risk where you should conquer, this time you have to retreat with minimum disaster

[@DiviAugusti]

@@a.e.1965 Rebel Inc.

[@prozergter2]

Dude, Crusader Kings 3.

[@infernonigh0]

Solid video. As always.

[@dom3549]

Great vid 👍

[@gowensbach2998]

Where did you get those excellent graphics of the soldiers on the pedestals? Ive been looking for images like those!

[@christopheraliaga-kelly6254]

Check out the superb 'Osprey Men-at-arms' books, available in good book shops and via Amazon.

[@alexr3156]

I love the outlining of the modern borders. I wish more people would do this, it's a very helpful teaching tactic.

[@vennb1137]

Nice Video! A really interesting topic to cover

[@LeePenn2492]

Very informative and interesting

[@the2dudes1]

The British withdrawal from Kabul in 1842 was pretty awful. 16500 people left Kabul to march to Jalalabad. Literally 1 single person made it back. The rest were killed, captured or missing

[@meatiest1989]

I was born in Jalalabad. L to the 1 guy who lost everyone.

[@the2dudes1]

@@meatiest1989 Dude that was a massive W for the one guy who made it back. He had a 1 in 16,000+ chance of making it back alive. He also nearly died after getting a part of his head cut off by an Afghan attacking him with a sword. Big L for the other 16,499 unfortunate individuals

[@meatiest1989]

@@the2dudes1 It makes me proud to be from Jalalabad. Usually it'd be the Panjshiris acting like total badass warriors.

[@AchillesWrath1]

Imagine walking 1000's of miles to fight in those wars that never seemed to end. It was never enough no matter how many they won.

[@Mr.E.Shoppa]

Thanks! Very interesting.

[@zeuscaesar4845]

Great video.

[@andreuortega425]

Seems that the rebellion of Spitamenes could be related with the refundation of Ciropolis as Alexandria Eschate. Alexander first managed to overcome the Bessus issue, then he marched north into Sogdiana as you said. He fought an scythian army north of the Yaxartes and then when he came back he refounded Ciropolis at the entry of the Ferghana valley. This was view as a control point for scythian and bactrian locals which did not like as they previously crossed the Yaxartes in both directions more freely.

[@carlramirez6339]

8:06 TBF, most Westerners nowadays would consider it an insult if their government offered them a "reward" of land in Afghanistan.

[@George-cr6jq]

Most westerners considered it an insult even back then

[@faithlesshound5621]

@@George-cr6jq The Romans did the same: their soldiers latterly retired to plots of land in "coloniae" in far-flung outposts of the empire, including Britain and North Africa.

[@Neofilmcritic]

Great video!!!

[@rosmundsen]

Very good vid.

[@jawolf257]

I gotta say the thumbnail looks awesome, to see the macedonian solider, which looks awesome on its own, next to a modern soviet tank ist just cool combination you have never thought off and I love it

[@user-ln8eh5nq3q]

cool profile bactria from rome 2 total war

[@shanedoesyoutube8001]

I was like "worst Afghanistan withrawal? (330 BC) *Russian tank from the 1980's AD"*

[@kentchamberlain5720]

Hate to well ackshyually such a good channel, but the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom was not the easternmost Greek state. There was a Greco-Indian Kingdom that split off from it and existed for at least a century, if memory serves. These kingdoms ended up being hugely influential to the development of Buddhism, weirdly enough. The Greeks didn't invent the idea of depicting the Buddha (probably), but they did deploy their own artistic conventions to the effort, because it became their state religion. So they depicted Siddhartha Gautama in a way similar to Zeus or Apollo. And when Buddhism became their state religion, it reportedly did so after an extensive dialogue between a Buddhist monk and King Menander. At the end of the dialogue, which is recorded as a sutra, Menander converts to Buddhism. I believe that the Greco-Bactrian form of Buddhism went on to influence the Buddhism of the Kingdom of Ladakh, which went on to send missionaries to Japan whose ideological descendants would found the Pure Land (Zen) school of Buddhism.

[@rgogstad]

So... Alexander the Great indirectly created anime?

[@fullmetalpwn]

The guy you are showing a few clips of in the Wondrium ad at the beginning I happened to recognize from watching a few Great Courses videos years ago, I immediately recognized his animated hand motions while he's speaking!

[@InvictaHistory]

he is a personal favorite lecturer of mine

[@JR-jp7mi]

When i was over there, we saw one of his structures on this hilltop, it was pretty cool.

[@tcxnt5442]

The quality of this channel is definitely dropping.

[@leoburton77]

If the 1842 British Army withdrawal blew your mind, read FLASHMAN, by George Macdonald Fraser for a soldiers eye view of the retreat and massacre. Very eye opening! A fantastic book, and a fantastic book series!

[@Crashed131963]

Good story. In the days when the British made anyone old man with connection a general.

[@labeedtore7590]

Congrats on a million

[@MBP1918]

Truly amazing

[@rc59191]

That picture of the Greek soldier with the tank and chopper in the background looks really cool kudos to your graphics designer.

[@gornichevo]

Macedonian soldier not Greek.

[@rc59191]

@@gornichevo Macedonia is in Greece

[@vanmars5718]

@@gornichevo And most importantly, if you don't believe modern history read the text from the ancient Persians and Indians. Macedonians as all the other Greeks described under the same name. Not separately! Can we stop with this already? Is truly tiring😫😫

[@gornichevo]

@@vanmars5718Separate and distinct from each other is the reality. You can stop now

[@vanmars5718]

@@gornichevo But they never were mentioned by foreign civilizations as separate and distinct. Only the Greeks mentioned themselves separately. Athenians, Thebans, Ionians, Syracusians, Thessalians, Acarnians, Samians, Rhodians, Macedonians....

[@MrSamBowers]

The Greeks established settlements that lasted over 200-years. I don't call that a withdraw.

[@barnettmcgowan8978]

I can't wait for the next video.

[@tonymcnamara9368]

Brilliant!

[@TheManCaveYTChannel]

Will you ever make videos about the eastern Roman Empire?

[@DiviAugusti]

Kings & Generals just put out a new one.

[@adolphbismark4331]

Well Afghanistan was conquered by Persian Empire, Alexander the Great for a short time ( Bactrian kingdom is not included because it was mostly ruled by locals and had mostly local culture) , it was conquered by Parthians and later on by Sasanids and also by Mongols. So the myth that it wasn't conquered by anyone is an idiocy. They repelled and destroyed the British pretty bad in 1842 though.

[@talyn3932]

Its not that they were never conquered. Its obvious that they were, it is that they have never been held for long by foreign rule.

[@13141Scott]

@@talyn3932 could say that for dozens of nations though.

[@ekulerudamuru]

@@talyn3932 alot of nations are like that though

[@sercravenmohead3631]

That’s the majority of other countries, Afghanis just love to wank the geopolitical history of the area they live in, the idea of Afghanistan is not that old. That area has went through so much resettlement that the people living there now are not the same as the ones back then.

[@LuisAldamiz]

Anglos could never overcome that humiliation it seems. Rather than "graveyard of empires" it should be called "graveyard of Anglo arrogance".

[@papaGimis22]

Is there any way i can find the soundtracks playing in this video? Great content btw

[@lakedaimonios480bc]

can you tell me the name of the soundtracks that we could hear during your documentary?

[@domingodeanda233]

That was pretty damn good

[@jacktheripper4558]

7:20 you mentioned Alexander crossing Caucasus mountains... Isn't it a mistake? I also read it in Alexander's biography and can't understand it... He never entered Caucasus and old Georgian Kingdoms... So why are those mountains mentioned?

[@InvictaHistory]

These were referred to as the "Caucasus Indicus", you can see that reflected in the naming of the city "Alexandria in the Caucasus" located in modern Afghanistan

[@RadioCorbeau]

@@InvictaHistory That is, indeed, how the Greek called these mountains ; but really, wasn't their name the Hindu Kush ? Wouldn't it be more accurate & less confusing to call them that or at least - if you really want to present this from the Greco-Macedonian perspective - add the 'Indicus' after the 'Caucasus' ?

[@Filterite5]

Love this!

[@juliollontop4812]

very interesting

[@thenoobprincev2529]

"Grave yard"of the Empires is just a western centric and new notion.the area has been ruled by many people,in particular Iranians from mainland Iran and various central asian people in more or less all its history. For example in early modern era(1500-1750)the region was divided between safavid Iran,uzbek khanates,and moguls of the subcontinent.

[@Ruhrpottpatriot]

Even from the western perspective the terminology is completely and utter BS. The USSR didn't collapse because of AFG, but because they were broke and the British empire only had trouble the first time, while later they conquered the country, made it stable (until the communists ousted the Emir) for 100 years.

[@pissfather6798]

the term has been thrown around so much recently and it always makes my blood boil lol, its not historically accurate whatsoever

[@1153khan]

The pashtune hinterland was never conquered by the Iranians, to capture the trading posts never means conquest

[@Playerone1287]

I mean how could people forget 150year rule of Mauryans

[@melissalydon3681]

I knew the overall story,but always got a crazy feeling that the enemy we fight are from alexaander's army and thats why they never give up.

[@sparrowparas7156]

You are correct Melissa Lydon

[@sparrowparas7156]

Friend me at Melissa Lydon.. I like people with sharp historic perception. Facebook and let me know if your name is different. Thanks )

[@lakshmipraveen8734]

Can you make video of full History of Achaemenid Empire.

[@cortobrown7919]

This day is getting better

[@goro2867]

Why are you keep referring Macedonians as non Greek everyone agrees they were Greek with Greek identity....

[@alexantoniades5416]

@GreatEurasia What a dumb comment.

[@dimitriosvlissides5781]

@GreatEurasia go and read History turcoalbanobulgarian

[@rrnsensei9240]

because the channel here probably has a problem admitting it , greek city states it was

[@goro2867]

@@rrnsensei9240 Yep

[@emmanouilachladiotis5272]

@GreatEurasia was a greek kingdom. You cant say sparta wasnt greek cause it isnt athenians. Stupidity. Athenenian city state is not greek cause its athenian? 😂😂😂

[@exoplanet11]

"The conquest of the Earth ... is not a pretty thing, when you look at it too much." -Joseph Conrad

[@timmcclymont3527]

Oh this is finna be another good one *grabs muh popcorn*

[@emilbj23]

Fubar? Not the word i expected to hear (twice!) in an historic video about the hellenistic world. I love your channel and i’m sure you can find more appropriate adjectives :)

[@quantustremorestfuturus5434]

Perfect timing!

[@comradekenobi6908]

We should recruit Afghans as Imperial Guards milord

[@kenm3855]

I was in AFG in 2010 to 2012 I actually had a firefight inside one of the castles built by alexander located just outside of Gardez, Paktya Its surreal

[@meatiest1989]

I was in Afghanistan for a holiday in 2012

[@kenm3855]

@@meatiest1989 nice. Its a beautiful country

[@meatiest1989]

@@kenm3855 I was four years old but the place where I lived smelled so bad (like gas) I still remember it to this day

[@terryhughes7349]

Fascinating story.

[@PersianImm0rtal]

You should do one on Nader Shah Afshar, the Napoleon of Central Asia and the Caucus!

[@terrynewsome6698]

but they came back, and turned the area into one of the longest lasting free Greek kingdoms of antiquity. with some parts of the area still speaking Greek into the 9th century AD.

[@idemandabetterfuture]

They didn't "come back" the original Greco-Bactrian Kingdom consisted for a mix of local Anatolian Greeks previously re-settled there by Medians and Persians and remain behind Alexandrian Greeks. It's more like they kept a Greek society going as the rest of the empire descended into civil war.

[@terrynewsome6698]

@@idemandabetterfuture the Macedonian kingdom of seleucid empire returned in force after the first few war of succession.

[@narxes]

Can't wait for the video on the Neanderthal withdrawal after their occupation of Pleistocene Afghanistan.

[@comradekenobi6908]

Dang those Proto Pashtuns are dang fine warriors

[@para-tanker]

I've been near Alexander hill, where Alexander crossed the Helmand River.

[@QuantumNoir]

Very timely video! You gotta flex though