Bamyan is the centre of Hazarajat in Central Afghanistan, famous for her Buddhas carved into the cliff. The Bamyan valley was also part of the ancient Silk Road, and it marks the most westerly point of Buddhist expansion. Built in 507 AD (smaller) and 554 AD (larger) by the Kushan, and the caves supports up to 2000 monks for meditation. Like the caves in Dunhuang, Buddhist art were painted on walls, albeit less preserved. The region was only converted to Islam with the Ghorid Dynasty in the 11th century. Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Persian Nader Shah, Afghan King Abdur Rahman Khan had their shares on destroying the Buddha on the pretext that Islam forbid Idolism. It was the Taliban who dynamited the Buddha in March 2001.
Chinggis Khan was pursuing Mingburnu, the last ruler of the Khwarezmian Empire, and his newly raised forces in Afghanistan. Bamyan was holding fine during Chinggis siege in 1221. The defense of the citadel was betrayed by the daughter of the king who decided to bethrol to the Mongols in rebellion of the king‘s decision to take a new wife. She was beheaded by the Mongols and the scream was shrilingly loud. Mutukan, son of Chagatai, was killed in the campaign and Chinggis Khan ordered Bamyan be completely destroyed. “City of Screams” reflect this historical account.
A common belief is that after the local Bamyan population was wiped out, Chinggis repopulated the area with some of his Mongol troops and their slave women, in order to guard the region while he continued his campaign. These settlers would become the ancestors of the Hazara people - with the word “Hazara” most likely derived from the Persian word “yek hezar” (“one thousand”), for the Mongol military unit of 1000 soldiers. This story introduces Bamyan and its Hazara population.