Gandhara
Gandhara was an ancient civilization in northwest Pakistan. The main part of Gandhara was in Peshawar and Swat valleys. But the cultural impact of "Greater Gandhara" went beyond the Indus river to Taxila in Potohar Plateau and to the west in the Jalalabad valley in Afghanistan and Central Asia.[1]
Gandhara had a significant impact on the development of Tibetan and Han Buddhism, playing a important role in spreading Buddhism to China, Korea, and Japan.[2][3][4]
In the Iron Age, Gandhara became a major power around 550 BCE under King Pushkarasarin. It was later conquered by Cyrus I and Alexander the Great. Gandhara went through different rulers, including the Maurya Empire and the Indo-Greek Kingdom. It thrived as a center for Greco-Buddhism which later formed Gandharan Buddhism, influencing regions like Central Asia and East Asia.[5][6]
Gandhara Media
A modern satellite view of Gandhara (October 2020)
Mother Goddess (fertility divinity), possibly derived from the Indus Valley civilization, terracotta, Sar Dheri, Gandhara, 1st century BCE, Victoria and Albert Museum
Cremation Urn with Lid LACMA AC1994.234.8a-b
Kingdoms and cities of ancient Buddhism, with Gandhara located in the northwest of this region, during the time of the Buddha (c. 500 BCE)
Xerxes I tomb, Gandāra soldier, c. 470 BCE
Athens coin discovered in Pushkalavati
Major Rock Edict of Ashoka in Mansehra
The founder of the Indo-Greek Kingdom Demetrius I (205–171 BCE), wearing the scalp of an elephant, symbol of his conquest of the Indus valley
One of the Buner reliefs showing Scythian soldiers dancing. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Ancient Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) constructed by the Indo-Parthians
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References
- ↑ "Gandhara | Buddhist Art, Greco-Buddhist, Taxila | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-11-23. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ↑ Khaliq, Fazal (2023-12-18). "Discovery of pre-Buddhist monument sheds new light on Swat's history". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ↑ Ali, Kalbe (2023-07-11). "Monks, scholars reach Islamabad to attend Gandhara symposium". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ↑ "Buddhist Channel | Pakistan". buddhistchannel.tv. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ↑ Eggermont, Pierre Herman Leonard (1975). Alexander's Campaigns in Sind and Baluchistan and the Siege of the Brahmin Town of Harmatelia. Peeters Publishers. ISBN 978-90-6186-037-2.
- ↑ "University of Washington Press". University of Washington Press. Retrieved 2023-12-20.