Armenians in Middle Asia – Paris Herouni

Armenians came to Middle Asia in old time. But about it there is too little data. It is known that:

1. There was an old state called Baktria. This word has Armenian background and in Armenian means: B-ak-t-r-ia (P-wq-mep-}1w) =the country giving kind beginning =pwp}1 wqndi~ mqllIJ. hplWp.

2. Bactrians or Tohars routed the Greek State in Bactria in n century BC.

3. The territory (region) on the South of Middle Asia (South of the present Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and North of Afghanistan) was called Toharstan, beginning from I millennium BC.

4. Tohars were the people living in the Middle Asia at n century BC until I millennium AD.

5. Tohar in Armenian means: T-o-h-ar (S-n-h-wl1) =the place of sons of the Sun worshippers =Up-}1 hpqplllwqnqfihp}1 nJUlD.g qWJP (hplWp).

6. Both words Bactria and Tohar have Armenian interpretations showing that these people came from outside (from the country of the Kind Sun worshippers, so from Armenia).

7. Toharian language is the group of extinct languages of Indo European family. There are Toharian manuscripts of 5-8 cent. AD. Probably, present Tajiks and Afghans arose from Tohars (Armenians) and Iranians. Armenians in old Middle Asia lived in mountainous part and also in oases, where archaeologists found the developed old settlements and irrigation channels.

About the presence of Armennians in Middle Asia say also the old architectural monuments as the castle “Ark” (the half-Sun in Armenian) in town Bouhara (Pentehewp=pwp}1p ndip up-pa UlwZlJlIlIffi =well being has the Sun worshipper), the old town Samarkand, which is known from 329 BC as Markand (lIewpeQewaell = aw :qbutlt 1Ihp Upht! bwqtUl = it is to our Sunrise = it is to the East from us), the medieval (1428AD) observatory near Samarkand and other historical monuments.

An extract from the book “Armenians and Ancient Armenia” by Paris Herouni