WI Alexander the Great dies in Central Asia

[Diego]

So, I think that everyone knows the history of Alexander and how he conquered almost everything that was conquerable [does this word exist?] and then died. My question is, what would happen if Alexander the Great died after the death of Darius, but before securing Central Asia and obviously before the invasion of India? Let's say in 329 BC.

What would happen with the silk road? How the lack of Greeks in Central Asia would affect the trade between China and the west? Would Buddhism spread as it did? Would it evolve differently? What would happen immediately with Macedonia, the former Achaemenid Empire, and the kingdoms that he didn't have time to conquer? Who would be the benefactors and who would be screwed by his death?

 

[Deleted member 114175]

Alexander's men might continue the fight against Bessus/Artaxerxes V. Bactria could turn into a frontier of what would have been the Seleucid Empire. Seleucus wouldn't rise to the same rank as he did or would rebel from someone else.

It's likely though that Greek conquests continue simply because there was so much momentum behind them. That said I could see the Achaemenian holdouts continuing and becoming an earlier Parthia.