The Iranian tribe that the Greeks called Sarangians or Drangians was first subjected by the Medes. The new rulers were, however, overthrown by the Persian kingCyrus the Great (550 BCE). Just like its predecessor, the Achaemenid empire was very loosely organized: we can best imagine these two kingdoms as tribal confederations under aMedian or Persian ruler.

The Drangians and other tribes in eastern Iran were related to the Medes and Persians, spoke the same language and had the same customs (e.g., the fire cult and the cult of the supreme godAhuramazda). They will not have thought about the Persian rule as an occupation by a foreign power.

According to the historians who describe the campaigns ofAlexander the Great, in Drangiana lived a tribe called Ariaspae. They were also known as 'the Benefactors' because they had saved the army of king Cyrus when it was crossing the desert.

Things started to change during the reign of kingDarius I the Great (522-486). He organized the Achaemenid empire and divided it into twenty tax districts. According to the Greek researcherHerodotus of Halicarnassus (fifth century BCE), the Sarangians were placed in the same district as the Utians, Thamanaeans,Myci,Sagartians and those deported to the Persian Gulf.^note[Herodotus,Histories 3.93.]

Except for the Thamanaeans, who are otherwise unknown, and the Myci, who lived in Oman, these tribes can all be found in Central-Iran. In later texts, the Utians are mentioned in theZagros mountains north of the Persian capitalsPersepolis andPasargadae, but it is possible that in the sixth century BCE, they lived a bit more too the east.

The Persians founded a capital among Drangians, which was called Phrada and may be identical to modern Farâh or the Achaemenid palace that was excavated at Dahan-i Ghulaman (near modern Zabol). Slowly, the region must have changed: it had been a tribal society of cattle drivers, but the Drangians became farmers and many people started to live in villages. One of the new economic activities was the extraction of tin, which is used to make bronze. Centuries later, the Greek topographerStrabo of Amasia was to write that the Drangians werepersisontes, which probably means "had become like Persians".^note[Strabo,Geography 15.2.10.]

The process of change must have been finished before the age ofAlexander the Great, who arrived in Drangiana in November 330 BCE. What he found was a well-organized province of the Achaemenid empire, ruled by a man named Barsaentes, who was satrap of both Drangiana andArachosia. Alexander appointed a new satrap, Arsames, and renamed the capital; it became known as Prophthasia, "Anticipation", because Alexander had here discovered a conspiracy against his life, said to be organized by his compagnionPhilotas.

After the death of Alexander, his empire fell apart and his generals divided the countries he had conquered. Drangiana was fell toSeleucus I Nicator, the founder of theSeleucid empire. For more than a century, the Seleucids remained in control of the region. There is some evidence that is was in Drangiana that the adherents of the religion founded byZarathustra came together to re-establish their faith and sacred text, theAvesta (more).

At the beginning of the second century,Bactria made itself independent from the Seleucid empire. Their leaders, who considered themselves to be Greeks, tried to conquer adjacent territories, and c.184 they seizedGandara and Drangiana. The Graeco-Bactrian overlordship did not last very long: after a generation, Drangiana was conquered by theParthians. It was put together withAria in one tax district. The Parthian reign did not last very long either: in 128, the country was taken over by theSacae.

This is the usual name for the nomad tribes of Central Asia. They had always been kept away from Iran, but had ravaged the Graeco-Bactrian kingdom three or two years before. Drangiana became known as Sacastane, a word that has changed into Sistan, its modern name.

• Jona Lendering

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• Afghanistan

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• Greater Iran

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• Geography
• History

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• Country