Chapter:11 'Civilization of Gandhara and Potohar'

Gandhara is the name of an ancient region located in present-day north-west Pakistan and parts of north-east Afghanistan. Gandhara was one of 16 Mahajanapada of ancient India. The region centered around the Peshawar Valley and Swat river valley, though the cultural influence of "Greater Gandhara Civilization" 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. Famed for its unique Gandharan style of art which is heavily influenced by the classical Greek and Hellenistic styles, Gandhara attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century CE under the Kushan Empire, who had their seasonal capitals at Bagram (Kapisi) and Peshawar (Puruṣapura). 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. It was also the centre of Vedic and later forms of Hinduism.

Gandhara's existence is attested since the time of the Rigveda (c. 1500 – c. 1200 BCE),[9][10] as well as the Zoroastrian Avesta, which mentions it as Vaēkərəta, the sixth most beautiful place on earth created by Ahura Mazda. 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. The region was a major centre for Greco-Buddhism under the Indo-Greeks and Gandharan Buddhism under later dynasties. Gandhara was also a central location for the spread of Buddhism to Central Asia and East Asia.

Potohar plateau is located in the north of Punjab and west of Azad Kashmir i.e. north-eastern parts of Pakistan. It has a distinct language and culture. Attock District, Jhelum District, Chakwal District and Rawalpindi District constitute the Potohar Plateau. Potohar Plateau, tableland in Rawalpindi, Attock, and Jhelum districts, Punjab Province, Pakistan. Lying between the Indus and Jhelum rivers and bounded on the north by the Hazāra, Haripur and Margalla Hills and on the south by the Salt Range, its varied landscape is constantly affected by erosion. The Pothohar Plateau ,is a plateau in north-eastern Pakistan, forming the northern part of Punjab. It borders the western parts of Kashmir and the southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is located to the north east between the River Indus and the River Jhelum. The region was once the home of the ancient Soanian culture, which is evidenced by the discovery of fossils, tools, coins, and remains of ancient archaeological sites.

The existence of the Soanian culture finds its home on the plateau. The Indus Valley Civilization is known to have flourished in the same region between the 23rd and 18th centuries BC. Some of the earliest Stone Age artifacts in the world have been found on the plateau, dating from 500,000 to 100,000 years. The crude stone recovered from the terraces of the Soan carries the account of human grind and endeavours in this part of the world from the inter-glacial period. Potohar Plateau is bounded on the east by the Jhelum River, on the west by the Indus River, on the north by the Kala Chitta Range and the Margalla Hills, and on the south by the Salt Range.

The Kala Chitta Range thrusts eastward across the plateau towards Rawalpindi; the valleys of the Haro and Soan rivers cross the plateau from the eastern foothills to the Indus. The ramparts of the Salt Range stretching from east to west in the south separate Potohar from the Punjab Plain. The Potwar Plateau includes parts of the current four districts of Jhelum, Chakwal, Attock and Rawalpindi. The terrain is undulating. The Kala Chitta Range rises to an average height of 450–900 meters and extends for about 72 kilometres. The Swaan River starts from nearby Murree and ends near Kalabagh in the Indus river. Sakesar (Khushab District) is the highest mountain of this region and Tilla Jogian in Jhelum is second highest. Most of the hills and rivers are bordered by dissected ravine belts. The streams, due to constant rejuvenation, are deep-set and of little use for irrigation.

The native language of the region is Punjabi. Dhani dialect is spoken in Chakwal District, Majhi dialect in Jhelum District, Chhachhi and Ghebi dialects in Attock District, Pindiwal Majhi in Rawalpindi and Pahari Pothwari dialects are spoken in Gujar Khan Tehsil. Urdu language is also spoken in this area. This region is home to many different tribes like Rajputs, Awans, Khokhars, Gakhars, Gujjars, Khatris, Abbasi, Syeds, Jatts, Sattis, janjuas and others. Rawalpindi, also known as Pindi, has a long history spread over several millennia. Archaeologists believe that a distinct culture flourished on this plateau as far back as 3000 years. The first Muslim invader, Mahmud of Ghazni (979-1030), gifted the ruined city to a Gakkhar Chief, Kai Gohar. The town, however, being on an invasion route, could not prosper and remained deserted until Jhanda Khan, another Gakkhar Chief, restored it and named it Rawalpindi after the village Rawal in 1493.

The region around Rawalpindi has been inhabited for thousands of years. Rawalpindi falls within the ancient boundaries of Gandhara Civilization and Potohar Region and is thus in a region containing many Buddhist ruins. In the region north-west of Rawalpindi, traces have been found of at least 55 stupas, 28 Buddhist monasteries, 9 temples, and various artifacts in the Kharoshthi script. Rawalpindi is located on the Pothohar Plateau, known for its ancient Buddhist heritage, especially in the neighbouring town of Taxila – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In 1765, the ruling Gakhars were defeated as the city came under Sikh rule, and eventually became a major city within the Sikh Empire based in Lahore. The city was conquered by the British Raj in 1849, and in 1851 became the largest garrison town of the British Indian Army. Following the partition of British India in 1947, the city became home to the headquarters of the Pakistan Army hence retaining its status as a major military city.

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