---
title: Sogdiana
author: Antoine Simonin
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/sogdiana/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---
# Sogdiana
_Authored by [Antoine Simonin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/Deathfinger/)_
Sogdiana (or Sogdia) is a region in Central Asia between the mighty rivers [Iaxartes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Iaxartes/) in the north and [Oxus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Oxus/) in the south. Its eastern and western limits are more difficult to determine, especially since the toponym *Sogdiana* covered different areas at different times.
At times it kept the Oxus as its southern border until the Pamir Mountains; in other times, the Sogdian Mountains and the beginning of the northern Ferghana Valley were the eastern frontline of the area. In the West, the Aydar Lake and the southeastern border of the Kyzyl Kum desert were Sogdiana's border. Except for the two major rivers that limit Sogdiana to the north and south, the area is also divided at his center by the "very revered Polytimetos" river, (Curtius VII.10.1-3 : *Polytimetum vocant incolae*), today Zerafshan, and by others whose ancient names are lost to us.
Sogdiana constituted the northern frontier of the sedentary world and thus was in constant contact with steppe nomads. Sogdian society was an agricultural one, based on the irrigation of very fertile loess soil. The area is known to have produced semi-precious stones, like lapis lazuli and carnelian or garnet.
Pre-[Achaemenid](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Achaemenid/) Sogdiana has known urban settlement phases before the arrival of Iranian speakers of the [Iron Age](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Iron_Age/) known as "Sogdians". The area passed under Achaemenid control under [Cyrus](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Cyrus/), between 546 and 539 BC (Herodotos I.153,177), but even if they probably first controlled it entirely, the northern point being the town known by the Greeks as *Kuropolis*, it seems that over time the Persian rule recentred south around Marakanda. The area was not turned into a satrapy, but was administered by the the Bactrian [satrap](https://www.worldhistory.org/Persian_Governor/). Sometimes Sogdiana, due to its Bactrian ownership, was given by the Great Kings to their sons that weren't destined to be heir or to their relatives. Examples are Masistos son of [Darius I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Darius_I/) (Herodotos IX.113.1-11), maybe Hystaspes son of [Xerxes I](https://www.worldhistory.org/Xerxes_I/) (Diodoros XI.69.3 ; Ktesias FGrHist 688F13), and then Bessos, relative of [Darius](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/darius/) III ([Arrian](https://www.worldhistory.org/Arrian/) III.21.5).
This last ruler made the subsequent Macedonian [conquest](https://www.worldhistory.org/warfare/) difficult: Having killed Darios III, Bessos named himself king and ruled over Bactria. After he fled to Sogdiana in 329 BC upon hearing [Alexander](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Alexander/)'s invasion on the Paropamisadai, he was betrayed and given to Alexander by the Sogdian Spitamenes. Spitamenes later waited for Alexander to pass through Sogdiana to Ferghana to rebel again, but had not better luck than Bessos. Both rebellions were motivated by the Bactrian and Sogdian nobles who were determined to maintain at all costs the privileged socio-political status that they had enjoyed under the Achaemenid regime. They were well-provided with military, money, manpower, and alliances with nomads in the north. Apama, the daughter of Spitamenes, became the wife of [Seleucos](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Seleucos/) in the spring of 324 BC. In 293 BC, [Antiochos](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/antiochos/) was appointed vice-king of the Upper-Satrapies by his father. He led an expedition against northern nomads around this date, but about 280 BC, those nomads made strong incursions into the [Seleucid Empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/Seleucid_Empire/), passing through Sogdiana. Antiochos expelled them, then tried to reinforce the northern border, bringin among other things a new wave of [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) colonists.
Nevertheless, the Greek dominion on the area was probably not strong, only concentrated in towns. The strong link of Sogdiana and Bactria emerged once again when the Greeks of Bactria became independent under [Diodotos](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/diodotos/). Sogdiana was incorporated into the [Greco-Bactrian Kingdom](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greco-Bactria/) until Euthydemos' late reign, in the 210's BC, when the Sogdians once more became independent. [Eucratides](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Eucratides/) of Bactria succeeded to take it back up to the area around Marakanda in the 170's BC, but soon after first the [Sakas](https://www.worldhistory.org/Scythians/) and then the Yuezhei overthrew Greek dominion. Even if the Yuezhei probably made their royal court in the Polytimetos Valley, the center of political events moved south once again, and Sogdiana kept its role of frontline area in the Kushan [empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/empire/) until the Middle Ages.
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- Arrien. *Anabase, Traduction : Savinel, P.* Les Editions de Minuit, Paris, 1984
- Coloru, O. *Da Alessandro a Menandro: il regno greco di Battriana.* Pise, 2009, 383.
- Diodore de Sicile. *Bibliothèque Historique - Livre XI, Traduction: Haillet, J.* Les Belles-Lettres, Paris, 2002
- Widemann, F. *Les successeurs d'Alexandre le Grand en Asie Centrale.* Paris, 2009
## About the Author
Passionate about ancient Central Asia. Maintains the website From Bactria to Taxila. Works in the Europa Barbarorum project.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoine-simonin/52/685/a9a/e)
## Timeline
- **Jan 329 BCE - May 327 BCE**: [Alexander](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Alexander/) conquers [Bactria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Bactria/) and [Sogdiana](https://www.worldhistory.org/sogdiana/).
- **293 BCE**: [Antiochos](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/antiochos/) is appointed vice-king of the Upper-Satrapies by his father [Seleucus I Nicator](https://www.worldhistory.org/Seleucos_I/).
- **c. 280 BCE**: Incursion of northern nomads ([Sakas](https://www.worldhistory.org/Scythians/)) on [Seleucid](https://www.worldhistory.org/Seleucid_Empire/) territories.
- **c. 209 BCE**: Sogdians make themselves independant, using the fact that Euthydemos I of [Bactria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Bactria/) was besieged in Bactra by [Antiochos](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/antiochos/) III.
- **c. 200 BCE**: [Sakas](https://www.worldhistory.org/Scythians/) [conquer](https://www.worldhistory.org/warfare/) the [Sogdiana](https://www.worldhistory.org/sogdiana/) part of the [Iaxartes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Iaxartes/).
- **c. 200 BCE - c. 100 BCE**: [Scythians](https://www.worldhistory.org/Scythians/) tribes migrate into [Bactria](https://www.worldhistory.org/Bactria/), [Sogdiana](https://www.worldhistory.org/sogdiana/) and Arachosia.
## Cite This Work
### APA
Simonin, A. (2012, January 08). Sogdiana. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
Simonin, Antoine. "Sogdiana." *World History Encyclopedia*, January 08, 2012. .
### MLA
Simonin, Antoine. "Sogdiana." *World History Encyclopedia*, 08 Jan 2012, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Antoine Simonin](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/Deathfinger/ "User Page: Antoine Simonin"), published on 08 January 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.