May 15, 818 Earthquake: Balkha, Hindu-Kush, Kazahkstan, Afghanistan, India

May 15, 818, 36.8 N, 66.2 E, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.5, intensity VIII. Balkha; cities in Balkh, Dzhudzdzhanefarnayab (Afghanistan) destroyed in highlands of Karabil; many victims; felt in Merv (Mary), Amol (Chardzhou), between the Amudar'ya and Syrdar'ya Rivers.

According to the information of the Arab author

Abul-Faradzha-Kudama [l].G. P. Gorshkov [GTI notes:

"...Al-Sidre i s near Balkh.... This place was once a

barren desert; there was only a mail station ..., but

when the year of the earthquake came in Khorasan. in

the vicinity of Merv and in Tokharistan more precisely

in the year 203 (of Khizhdra; that is 818-819) a

spring appeared from the earth and water flowed along

the valley ... extending to Merv and Am01 . ... A village

developed, and with much sowing came vegetation."

This earthquake is noted in more detail in the book of another Arab author Ibn-al-Asir [Z] (cited from

[GT]): 'I.. .and there were great earthquakes in Khorasan

lasting up to 70 days; the strongest of them occurred

in Balkh, Dzhuzdzhan. Farayab, Talakan, and Maverranakhr;

cities were ruined and buildings collapsed killing many people."' The earthquake was felt within the boundaries of present-day Turkmenia--in Mary, Chardzhou. Karabil , and in the villages along the Amurdar'ya seacoast [NSTI. A rather high (not less than 8) intensity that is somewhat uniformly distributed over a large area is typical for this earthquake. Taking into account that the effects of the earthquake may have been exaggerated in the manuscripts, the intensity at the epicenter is rated at 8 and the focal depth is considerable. The seismically active zone of the Bandi-Turkestan Range nearest Balkh has been adopted as the epicenter. (reference #223)

May 15, 818, 36.80 N, Balkh, 66.20 E, intensity VIII, magnitude 7.5. (reference #3437)

818 January 27 - 834 January 15. In 203 A.H.L., a violent earthquake occurred in Khorasan, and also in Mavara-un-Nahr, Balkh, Juzian, Fariab and Talaqan, with aftershocks lasting for 70 days and causing heavy damage (Sani'ud-Dovlah 1880). (reference #1217)

July 9, 818 to June 27, 819, Balkh, Afghanistan, intensity IX. (reference #1212)