Quick Facts
- Key People:
- Achaemenid Empire
- Zhang Qian
- Related Places:
- Uzbekistan
- ancient Iran
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Sogdiana
ancient country, Central Asia
Sogdiana, ancient country of Central Asia centring on the fertile valley of the Zeravshan River, in modern Uzbekistan. Excavations have shown that Sogdiana was probably settled between 1000 and 500 bc and that it then passed under Achaemenian rule. It was later attacked by Alexander the Great and may have been included in the Bactrian Greek kingdom until the invasions of Saka and Yuezhi peoples in the 2nd century bc. Sogdiana remained a prosperous centre until the Mongol invasions. Under the Sāmānid dynasty (9th–10th century ad) it was an eastern focal point of Islamic civilization.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.