Parthians in the Oxus Valley. Struggle for the Great Indian Road

Abstract

The paper deals with the Parthian conquests in the East, including the eastern borders of the Parthian state. The author provides a range of evidence in favor of the idea that the middle Amu Darya (Oxus) River formed the eastern boundary of Parthia. It is possible, therefore, that for a period of time the Oxus valley as far east as the site of Kampyrtepa was in Parthian hands. According to the numismatic evidence, a section of the Amu Darya valley extending from Kampyrtepa to Kerki demarcated a portion of the Kushan state during Kanishka’s reign (i.e., the first half of the 2nd century AD).