[4] Located currently at the Kabul Museum are Aramaic inscriptions that were found in Laghman which indicated an ancient trade route from India to Palmyra.

[9] In the seventh century, the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited Laghman, which he called "Lan-pro" and considered part of India.

He indicated the presence of Mahayana Buddhists and numerous Hindus, including Brahmins:[10] "For several centuries the native dynasty had ceased to exist, great families fought for preeminence, and the state had recently become a dependency of Kapis.

The country produced upland rice and sugar cane, and it had much wood but little fruit; the climate was mild with little frost and no snow.

"[11]The Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam which was finished in 982 AD mentioned the presence of some idol worshipping temples in the area, and describes the province as an emporium of Hindūstān.

Jaipal in retaliation marched with a large force into the valley of Lamghan (Jalalabad) where he clashed with Sabuktigin and his son.

[16] According to al-Utbi, Sabuktigin attacked Lamghan, conquering it and burning the residences of the "infidels" while also demolishing its idol-temples and establishing Islam.

[17] He advanced and butchered the idolaters, destroying the temples and plundering their shrines, even risking frostbite on their hands counting the large booty.

[21] Ghaznavid Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni built the Tomb of Lamech, amid gardens, over the site of his presumed grave, 50 kilometres from Mihtarlam.

Laghman was the base for expeditions against the non-believers and was frequently mentioned in accounts of jihads led by Mughal emperor Akbar's younger brother, Mohammad Hakim, who was the governor of Kabul.

In the late nineteenth century, Amir Abdur Rahman Khan forced the remaining kafirs (Nuristani people) to convert to Islam.

[25] As of 2007, an International Security Assistance Force Provincial Reconstruction Team led by the United States is based at Mihtarlam.

Other main crops in Laghman include rice, wheat and cotton as many people living in the area are involved in agricultural trade and business.Laghman also has an array of precious stones and minerals,[29] as it is well known for being a relatively untapped source of the Tourmaline and Spodumene gemstones which are reported to be in abundance at the northern portions of the province.

Sapi, Tajik, Nasir, Ibrahimkhail, Hoodkhail, Nuristani, Kharoti, Jabarkhail, Pashaie, Niazi, Pashtun, and Gujjars are the major ethnic groupings.