Balkh

Balkh, long the chief town, situated in a district intersected by canals and ditches, by means of which the waters of the Balkh-ab, or Dehâs, are dissipated and prevented from flowing towards the Amu-Daria, only 45 miles distant. It is surrounded by a mud wall; but though bearing the imposing title of 'mother of cities,' it has not in recent times had any of the grandeur of ancient Bactra, on the site of which it is built. It was twice destroyed by Genghis Khan and Timur. A terrible outbreak of cholera in 1877 caused the capital of Afghan Turkestan to be transferred to Mazar, west of Balkh; since which Balkh has been an insignificant village. West of Balkh are the petty Uzbeg states of Maimana, Andkhoi, Akcha, and Shibarghan, all absolutely ruled by Kabul, except Andkhoi; east of Balkh, between it and Badakhshan proper, are the towns and khanates of Kunduz and Khulm. All these Uzbeg khanates are in the basin of the Amu-Daria, and together with Wakhan, east of Badakhshan, constitute Afghan Turkestan (see map of AFGHANISTAN).