rise and fall of Gandhara civilization.pptx

origin of gandhara civilization detail view about religion, language, historical background, historical sites and what was the causes of decline of Gandhara civilization

1. Gandhara Civilization By Amna Sarfraz Masters in Education And Pakistan Studies

2. Content Origin of word Gandhara Introduction Geography Political history of Gandhara Language Religion Historical sites End of Gandhara Civilization

3. Introduction Origin of the Name Gandhara Origin of the word Gandhara The name of Gandhara may have several meanings the most prominent  theory relates its name to the word  Qand / Gand   which means "fragrance" and  Har  which means 'lands' hence the simplest definition being 'Land of Fragrance’. Word  Qand / Gand  is evolved from  Kun   which means 'well' or 'pool of water' and indeed the word  Gand   appears with many other place names associated with water i.e.  Gand-ao  or  Gand -ab  (pool of water)

4. Ancient civilization that emerged in the region of present-day northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. The Gandhara civilization emerged in the 6th century BCE. The Greeks established a number of cities in the area, including Taxila and Peshawar. Under the rule of the Mauryan Empire, which controlled much of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BCE, the Gandhara region became a hub of Buddhist learning and culture. The Gandhara civilization reached its peak during the rule of the Kushan Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. Introduction

5. Geography Including areas of northern Punjab and Kashmir and eastern Afghanistan. The Persian Empire’s easternmost area, Gandhara , was a vital trade hub between Persia, Central Asia, and India. Buddhism moved eastward from here, reaching as far as Japan and Korea. Gandhara was a region in Afghanistan that stretched from the Kabul River to Jalalabad. It included the northwest Frontier Province’s (NWFP) agencies of Mardan , Swat, Dir, Malakand, Bajuaur , Punjab’s Taxila, and parts of modern-day Pakistan. From Gandhara , Buddhism spread as far east as Japan and Korea.

6. Gandhara witnessed the rule of several major powers of antiquity as listed here: Achaemenids (~600-400 BCE) Greeks (~326-324 BCE), Mauryans (~324-185 BCE), Indo-Greeks (~250-190 BCE), Scythians (~2nd century to 1st  century BCE), Parthians (~1st century BC to 1st century CE), Kushans (~1st to 5th  century CE), White Huns  (~5th century CE) Hindu  Shahi (~9th to 10th century CE). This was followed by Muslim conquests by which time we come to the medieval period of Indian History. Political History of Gandhara

7. Language The language in the region is written on the earliest manuscripts discovered in Asia. A Prakrit language, it appears on coins, inscriptions, and texts – most of which were written on the bark of birch trees and kept in labeled clay pots. Some of these texts are also the earliest discovered Buddhist texts – the Gandharan Buddhist texts.

8. Religion Followed in Gandhara Religion Hinduism was supposed to be the predominant religion before the Persian rule as Gandhara had played an important role in the epic of mahabharata . During the 2nd century B.C., It was here that Buddhism was adopted as the state religion which flourished and prevailed here for over 1000 years, starting from 2nd century B.C., until 10th century A.D. After the Muslim invasion in 10th and 11th century, Islam prevailed in the region which is still the dominant religion since the last thousand years.

9. Historical sites Taxila, several sites illustrate Buddhist history and Gandhara architecture. As a result, history buffs like visiting this location. The following locations in the city are historical sites: Takht Bahi Jaulian Taxila

10. One of the main factors was the decline of Buddhism in the region. Buddhism had been the dominant religion in Gandhara for centuries, but by the 5th century CE, it had begun to wane in popularity, in part due to the rise of Hinduism and Islam in the region. Another factor that contributed to the decline of the Gandhara civilization was the invasions by the Huns and other Central Asian tribes in the 5th and 6th centuries CE. These invasions disrupted trade and commerce in the region, and led to the decline of many urban centers. End of Gandhara Civilization One of the main factors was the decline of Buddhism in the region. Buddhism had been the dominant religion in Gandhara for centuries, but by the 5th century CE, it had begun to wane in popularity, in part due to the rise of Hinduism and Islam in the region. Another factor that contributed to the decline of the Gandhara civilization was the invasions by the Huns and other Central Asian tribes in the 5th and 6th centuries CE. These invasions disrupted trade and commerce in the region, and led to the decline of many urban centers