Conquest of Balkh

Balkh was conquered in 32 AH. From Marw Al-Rudh, Ahnaf bin Qais headed towards Balkh and besieged the residents [in the city]. In ancient times, Balkh was one of the most important cities of Khorasan and is the oldest city of present-day Afghanistan. The old part of the city is presently in ruins, located 12 kilometres to the right of the Balkh River. The residents of the city agreed to a peace treaty for 400,000 dirhams, which Ahnaf bin Qais accepted.

(Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Tabari, Vol. 5, Dhikr Sulh al-Ahnaf ma‘a Ahl Balkh [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Fikr, 1998], p. 131) (Yaqut Ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Hamawi, Mu‘jam al-Buldan, Vol. 1 [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah], p. 568)