The Gandhara Civilization was situated in today’s Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, lasting from the middle of the 1st millennium BCE to the start of the 2nd millennium CE. Many empires had control over this area in that time, but all shared a deep respect for Buddhism and the Indo Greek artistic style which was established after Alexander’s incursions into India.
Famous cities of Gandhara include Takshasila (Taxila), Purushapura (Peshawar) and Pushkalavati (Mardan), where archaeological finds can still be observed today.
Gandhara’s name could have multiple interpretations, but the most popular theory links it to the words Qand/Gand, meaning “fragrance,” and Har, meaning “land.” So, if you simplify it, Gandhara is the “Land of Fragrance”!
Gandhara was ruled by several major powers throughout history, including: