25 Facts About Gandhara

Gandhara is the name of an ancient region located in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of south-east Afghanistan.

The region centered around the Peshawar Valley and Swat river valley, though the cultural influence of "Greater Gandhara" extended across the Indus river to the Taxila region in Potohar Plateau and westwards into the Kabul Valley in Afghanistan, and northwards up to the Karakoram range.

Gandhara "flourished at the crossroads of India, Central Asia, and the Middle East, " connecting trade routes and absorbing cultural influences from diverse civilizations; Buddhism thrived until the 8th or 9th centuries, when Islam first began to gain sway in the region.

Gandhara was conquered by the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, Alexander the Great in 327 BCE, and later became part of the Maurya Empire before being a centre of the Indo-Greek Kingdom.

Gandhara was a central location for the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia and East Asia.

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Region steadily declined after the violent invasion by Alchon Huns in 6th century, and the name Gandhara disappeared after Mahmud Ghaznavi's conquest in 1001 CE.

The name Gandhara occurs later in the classical Sanskrit of the epics.

Evidence of the Stone Age human inhabitants of Gandhara, including stone tools and burnt bones, was discovered at Sanghao near Mardan in area caves.

Gandhara's first recorded civilization was the Grave Culture that emerged c 1400 BCE and lasted until 800 BCE, and named for their distinct funerary practices.

Gandhara satrapy, established 518 BCE with its capital at Pushkalavati .

Alexander nominated officers as Satraps of the new provinces, and in Gandhara, Oxyartes was nominated to the position of Satrap in 326 BCE.

Gandhara remained a part of the Mauryan Empire for about a century and a half.

Gandhara became a Buddhist and is remembered in Buddhist records for his discussions with the great Buddhist philosopher, Nagasena, in the book Milinda Panha.

Gandhara's culture peaked during the reign of the great Kushan king Kanishka the Great .

Under Kanishka, Gandhara became a holy land of Buddhism and attracted Chinese pilgrims eager to view the monuments associated with many Jatakas.

Travel records of many Chinese Buddhist pilgrims record that Gandhara was going through a transformation during these centuries.

Gandhara was ruled by a king from Kabul, who respected Buddha's law, but Taxila was in ruins, and Buddhist monasteries were deserted.

Gandhara was ruled from Kabul by the Kabul Shahi for next 200 years.

Gandhara's empire extended from west of Kabul to the river Sutlej.

However, this expansion of Gandhara kingdom coincided with the rise of the powerful Ghaznavid Empire under Sabuktigin.

Gandhara recorded some events that took place in Gandhara, and provided details about its last royal dynasty and capital Udabhandapura.

Gandhara discovered separate Greek, Parthian, and Kushan cities and a large number of stupas and monasteries.

Excavation of many of the sites of Gandhara Civilization are being done by researchers from Peshawar and several universities around the world.

Gandhara's language was a Prakrit or "Middle Indo-Aryan" dialect, usually called Gandhari.

Gandhara is noted for the distinctive Gandhara style of Buddhist art, which shows influence of Parthian, Scythian, Roman, Graeco-Bactrian and local Indian influences from the Gangetic Valley.

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