Notes on Bamiyan


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Center of Buddhist religion for Afghanistan in the Pre-Islamic period. Important trade city guarding the Southern passes through which the Silk Route turned south to India. It was at the siege of Bamiyan in 1221 that Mutugen son of Chagatai son of Cingis Qan was killed by an arrow from the wall. Cengiz was so saddened by this death and the realization of his own mortality that he spent 18 months near Bamiyan and caused all people of the region to die. The area was repopulated by an incredible influx of slave women who were supplied for the pleasure of Cingis Qan's men. The descendents of those slave women are today's Hazara.
Ancient city destroyed by Cingis Qan.
Location of two giant stone Buddhas.
After the death of Mutugen at the siege of Bamiyan Cingis Qan ordered the death of all living things and the destruction of the town (1221 my date). Ratchnevsky, Genghis Khan. Page 164.
Bamian is about 8000 feet above sea level.

A Taliban fighter sits on a piece of rubble in front of one of the demolished statues in Bamiyan in this file photo taken on March 26, 2001. REUTERS/Sayed Salahuddin/File Photo

N.B. Some of my early research indicated that Cingiss Gan (Ghengis Khan) made camp near this statue for 18 months in about 1222 AD.