Name of Afghanistan

of North India According to ''Ta'rikh-i Yamini'' (author being secretary of Mahmud of Ghazni), Afghans enrolled in Sabuktigin's Ghaznavid Empire in the 10th century as well as in the later Ghurid Kingdom (1148–1215). From the beginning of the Turko-Afghan Khalji dynasty in 1290, Afghans are becoming more recognized in history among the Delhi Sultanate of India. The later Lodi dynasty and Sur dynasty of Delhi were both made up of Afghans, whose rule stretched to as far as what is now Bangladesh in the east. Other Afghan dynasties emerged during the 18th century, namely the Hotak dynasty and the Durrani Empire which covered huge swathes of Central and South Asia. ==Early references to Afghanistan==

The word Afghan is mentioned in the form of Abgan in the third century CE by the Sassanians and as Avagana (Afghana) in the 6th century CE by Indian astronomer Varahamihira. Al-Biruni referred to them in the 11th century as various tribes living on the western frontier mountains of the Indus River. Ibn Battuta, a famous Moroccan scholar visiting the region in 1333, writes: "We travelled on to Kabul, formerly a vast town, the site of which is now occupied by a village inhabited by a tribe of Persians called Afghans. They hold mountains and defiles and possess considerable strength, and are mostly highwaymen. Their principle mountain is called Kuh Sulayman." The earliest mention of the term "Afghanistan" appears in the 13th century in Tarikh nama-i-Herat of Sayf ibn Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Herawi, mentioning it as a country between Khorasan and Hind, paying tributes to the country of Shamsuddin. Furthermore the name "Afghanistan" is mentioned in writing by the 16th century Mughal ruler Babur, referring to a territory south of Kabulistan. The name "Afghanistan" is also mentioned many times in the writings of the 16th century historian, Muhammad Qasim Hindu Shah (Ferishta), and many others. The coined term of Afghanistan came into place in 1855, officially recognized by the British during the reign of Dost Mohammad Khan while he was forging his campaigns to re-unite Afghanistan following its 70 year civil war with the Barakzai-Durrani feud following the execution of Wazir Fateh Khan Barakzai. ==Last Afghan empire==

collection made by James Rattray in the early 1800s shows the name Afghaunistan on the front cover. Regarding the modern sovereign state of Afghanistan, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Iranica and others explain that the political history of Afghanistan begins in 1709 with the rise of the Hotak dynasty, which was established by Mirwais Hotak who is regarded as "Mirwais Neeka" ("Mirwais the grandfather"). The Encyclopaedia of Islam states: British India eventually became what is now Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. ==Modern names==

Modern terms for Afghanistan and Afghan in relevant modern languages: } ==See also==