The main aim of this article is a holistic historiographical analysis of the studies dedicated to the history of Turan during its dependence on the Achaemenids (6th–4th centuries BCE), conducted by the world’s leading research centers and scholars. The study applies historical-comparative, systematic, and historiographical methods, as well as source criticism; research based on written and archaeological sources from the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic, Iran, China, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Tajikistan, and other countries is compared in chronological order. As a result, the main directions in studying the urban planning, craftsmanship, and architectural culture of this period, the activities of scientific centers, and the interconnections among them are identified; the historiographical schools formed since the 19th century and their mutual influence are revealed. Methodological shortcomings are also disclosed, particularly the interpretation of Turan as “Eastern Iran” in a number of Western works and the difficulties of combining written and material sources. In conclusion, the necessity of a holistic reconstruction of the region’s history and of interpreting Turan as an independent historical and cultural space is substantiated, since the history of the Bactrian satrapy has not yet been presented as a separate comprehensive study.

Iran, Achaemenid period, Turan, Bactrian satrapy, archaeological research, Persian inscriptions, Amu Darya treasures, satrapy system, irrigation structures.

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