During the last twenty years, more than 150 documents in Bactrian, the language of pre-Islamic Afghanistan, have come to light. These documents, which have been deciphered and published by Nicholas Sims-Williams, provide unique information on the history and culture of Afghanistan and neighbouring lands in the 4th to the 8th centuries, as well as revealing a Middle Iranian language which was hardly known before.

Part II of this volume includes letters, both official and personal, and Buddhist texts, as well as an outline grammar and a comprehensive glossary