Afghan literature or literature of Afghanistan refers to the literature produced in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Influenced by Central and South Asian literature, it is predominantly written in two native and official languages of Afghanistan, Dari and Pashto. Some regional languages such as Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, and Pashayi also appears in Afghan literature. While Afghanistan is a multilingual country, these languages are generally used as oral compositions and written texts by the Afghan writers and in Afghan curriculum. Its literature is highly influenced by Persian and Arabic literature in addition to Central and South Asia. The history of the broader Afghan literature spans between ancient and modern Afghanistan. The earliest works of literature were orally transmitted. It's writing system is historically associated with Arabic script. The oldest extant records of the literature are believed derivative of the Nabataean variation of the Aramaic alphabet, dating to the 5th and 6th centuries. However, it primarily originated in the early Islamic centuries. Archaeological researches conducted since 1922 has shown fine art of the pre-Islamic scripts. The country's literature was originally written and transmitted in Arabic alphabet, making it to possess a rich linguistic legacy of pre-Islamic scripts, which existed before being replaced by the Arabic alphabet, including Sharada, Kharosthi, Greek, and Brāhmī following by the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan. Bactrian language is also associated with pre-Islamic scripts. Contemporary literature Afghanistan's contemporary literature has its deep roots in rich heritage of both oral composition and traditionally written texts. The natives of Afghanistan either living within the country or outside use major languages, Pashto and Dari. Both languages are used by the 32 million people in Afghanistan, making the two officially recognized languages cover a major part of Afghanistan's literature. Afghanistan's literature is historically recorded by poets and writers. In 1886, a French author James Darmesteter wrote about the historical context of Afghanistan's literature and the role of poets. It's argued that Pashtun poems, including Sher Zaman Taizi's book titled The Field (1988) had played a significant role in literature. In the modern era, Afghan poets and short story writers are actively engaged in writing poetry, comprising a detained account of literature. Medieval period literature Afghanistan's literature is historically associated with the civilizations of Iran, China, and India. The country witnessed development of artistic work during the Ghaznavids dynasty and the Ghurid dynasty between 10th and 12th century. However, the Timurid dynasty shaped culture