When it comes to ancient history, Pakistan contains its fair share of treasures, one of the prominent of these being the ancient metropolis of Taxila. It is a city of the Gandharan civilization, sometimes known as one of its capitals, whose history can be traced from early microlithic communities at the Khanpur caves up to almost 1000 CE. Taxila was a hub of Buddhism, a centre of learning, an urban metropolis and a meeting point of various cultures, namely the Achaemenids, Greeks, Mauryans, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans, Huns and eventually the Muslims.
Back in History
Although it was lost to time for nearly 1000 years following its decline, the metropolis and its multitude of treasures came to light in the late 1800s CE under Alexander Cunningham who was an antiquarian for the British Raj and more prominently under John Marshall, the first director of the Archaeological Survey of India in the early 1900s CE, a time when archaeology worldwide had became a much more disciplined field and new discoveries were coming to light from all over the world. Along with discovering the Indus Valley civilization, Marshall also did major work in Taxila which bring to light this ancient and mysterious culture.
Taxila is an ancient city located in the Rawalpindi district of Pakistan, about 30 kilometers northwest of Islamabad. The city dates back to the 6th century BCE and has been an important center of education, culture, and trade in South Asia for centuries.
Taxila was a major center of the Gandhara civilization, which flourished in the region from the 6th century BCE to the 11th century CE. The city was conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE and later became part of the Mauryan Empire under Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. During this time, Taxila was a hub of Buddhist learning and attracted scholars and students from all over the world.
The city continued to thrive under the Indo-Greek and Kushan empires, and many Buddhist stupas, monasteries, and other monuments were built during this period. Taxila was also an important center of the art of Gandhara, which produced some of the finest examples of Buddhist sculpture and architecture in the world.
In the 7th century CE, Taxila was conquered by the Arabs, and later by the Ghaznavids and the Mughals. The city gradually declined in importance as other centers of power emerged in the region, and by the 16th century, it had been abandoned.
Today, the ruins of Taxila are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination. The site includes several archaeological sites, including the ancient city of Sirkap, the Buddhist monastery of Jaulian, and the Dharmarajika Stupa, among others. The site is considered one of the most important and well-preserved examples of ancient civilization in South Asia.
Political Importance
Taxila and the region of 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).
- Muslims ( upto now )
Near by Places
Jaulian Text of this post has been taken from Muhammad bin Naveed