
Where did the Gandhara art originate?
Gandhara art, style of Buddhist visual art that developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1st century bce and the 7th century ce.
Who introduced Gandhara art?
KushanaThe correct answer is Kushana. Gandhara attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century under the Buddhist Kushan Kings.
What was the theme of Gandhara art?
This style of art was closely associated with Mahayana Buddhism and hence the main theme of this art was Lord Buddha and Bodhisattvas. Thus, it can be conjectured that in idea and conception this style was Indian and in execution it was foreign. One example of the Gandhara style of art is the Bamiyan Buddha statues.
Who ruled the country of Gandhara?
Gandhara was then successively ruled by Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Parthians, and Kushans. After its conquest by Maḥmūd of Ghazna in the 11th century ce, the region was held by various Muslim dynasties.
What is gandhar called now?
Once upon a time, Afghanistan was not how we see it today, that is what studies say. It was once known as Gandhara and the fact that it still has a city known by the name of Kandahar confirms the truth. As per the experts, the Gandhara kingdom covered portions of today's northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan.
Is Gandhar in Afghanistan?
Gandhara is a historical region that encompassed areas of present-day north-western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, broadly corresponding to the Vale of Peshawar and extending further into the lower valleys of the Kabul and Swat Rivers.
What was the religion of Gandhara?
Gandhara is the region that now comprise of Peshawar valley, Mardan, Swat, Dir, Malakand, and Bajuaur agencies in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Taxila in the Punjab, and up to Jalalabad in Afghanistan. It is in this region that the Gandhara civilization emerged and became the cradle of Buddhism.
What is meant by Gandhara?
The name of Gandhara may have several meanings, but the most prominent theory relates its name to the word Qand/Gand which means "fragrance", and Har which means 'lands'. Hence in its simplest form, Gandhara is the 'Land of Fragrance'.
During which period did gandhar art develop?
Gandhara school of art developed in the first century AD during the reign of Kushanas. The Gandhara school incorporated many motifs and techniques from Classical Roman art in interpretation of Buddhist legends.
What is unique about Gandhara art?
Gandhara artists created numerous statues of the Buddha in a relatively naturalistic (or realistic) fashion. He was represented in the style of the Greek god Apollo, with a youthful, rather sweet-featured face and wavy hair. The Buddha figures were dressed in garments like those seen on statues from the Roman Empire.
Who was the king of Gandhara answer?
1)Ambhi Kumar, who ruled as king of Gandhara was a descendant of Lord Raama and prince Bharat of Kosala Kingdom.
Which city was the Centre of Gandhara civilization?
PeshawarGandhara was located mainly in the vale of Peshawar, the Potohar plateau, and the Kabul River. Its main cities were Purushapura (modern Peshawar), literally meaning “The City of Man”, Varmayana (modern Bamyan), and Takshashila (modern Taxila).
Who introduced Mathura art?
Mathura school of art is a Buddhist visual art form that flourished in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, as a commercial and pilgrimage centre. During the reign of Kushan emperor Kanishka in the first century AD, the Mathura School of Art flourished. During the Gupta period (6th or 7th century), this art achieved its pinnacle.
Who built Gandhara Buddha?
Kanishka the GreatUnder Kanishka the Great (128–151), Buddhist stupas and monasteries were built in the Gandhāran city of Peshawar (Skt. Purusapura), the capital of the Kushan empire.
Who was the king of Gandhara during Buddha's time?
Most of the major Buddhist centers of Gandhara were founded during the second century A.D. under powerful kings like Kanishka (99.35. 3024).
Which king was responsible for the spread of Gandhara school of art?
It is considered a style of Kushan art as the school of Gandhara art flourished during the reign of the Kushan Dynasty, under the rule of emperor Kanishka from 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE.
When was the Gandhara civilization first discovered?
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. It was found along the Middle Swat River course, even though earlier research considered it to be expanded to the Valleys of Dir, Kunar, Chitral, and Peshawar.
Who conquered Gandhara?
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.
What is the Gandhara kingdom?
The Gandhara Kingdom was one of sixteen mahajanapadas of Buddhism. The primary cities of Gandhara were Puruṣapura ( Peshawar ), Takṣaśilā ( Taxila ), Sagala (Sialkot) and Pushkalavati ( Charsadda) - The latter remained the capital of Gandhara until the 2nd century CE, when the capital was moved to Peshawar.
What is the heart of Gandhara?
The heart of Gandhara, however, was always the Peshawar Valley. The kingdom was ruled from capitals at Kapisa ( Bagram ), Pushkalavati ( Charsadda ), Taxila, Puruṣapura ( Peshawar) and in its final days from Udabhandapura ( Hund) on the River Indus.
What is the weight of a Gandhara coin?
A monetary silver coin of the satrapy of Gandhara about 500–400 BCE. Obv: Gandhara symbol representing 6 weapons with one point between two weapons; At the bottom of the point, a hollow moon. Rev: Empty. Dimensions: 14 mm Weight: 1.4 g.
What language is spoken in Gandhara?
However, the local language of Gandhara is represented by Panini's conservative bhāṣā ("language"), which is entirely different from the Iranian (Late Avestan) language of the Kamboja that is indicated by Patanjali 's quote of Kambojan śavati 'to go' (= Late Avestan šava (i)ti).
What provinces are in Gandhara?
In addition to Gandhara proper, the province also encompassed the Kabul Valley, Swat and Chitral.
Where is the Gandhara style of art found?
One example of the Gandhara style of art is the Bamiyan Buddha statues. It mostly flourished in the areas of Afghanistan and present North-Western India. The prominent locations were Taxila, Peshawar, Begram, and Bamiyan.
What is the Greco-Roman effect on Gandhara art?
The Greco-Roman effect on Gandhara art can be traced through: Thus, Gandhara School of Art can be said as an influence and culmination of both the Indian as well as foreign traditions due to its strategic location. Read the difference between Gandhara School of Art & Mathura School of Art in the linked article.
What is the subject matter of Gandhara school of art?
The subject matter is predominantly Buddhist. Many sculptural motifs shows Greco-Roman influence.
What is the Gandhara School of Art?
Gandhara school of art was one of the major schools of art in the history of ancient India. Although being an intricate part of Indian history, it is uniquely associated with the Greco-Roman style of art.

Overview
Art
Gandhāra is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art, which shows influence of Parthian, Scythian, Roman, Graeco-Bactrian and local Indian influences from the Gangetic Valley. This development began during the Parthian Period (50 BCE–75 CE). The Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period, from the 1st to the 5th centuries. It declined …
Terminology
Gandhara was known in Sanskrit as Gandhāra (गन्धार), in Avestan as Vaēkərəta, in Old Persian as Gadāra (Old Persian cuneiform: 𐎥𐎭𐎠𐎼, Gadāra, also transliterated as Ga dāra since the nasal "n" before consonants was omitted in the Old Persian script, and simplified as Gandara), in Akkadian and Elamite as Paruparaesanna (Para-upari-sena), in Chinese as T: 犍陀羅/S: 犍陀 …
Etymology
One proposed origin of the name is from the Sanskrit word गन्ध gandha, meaning "perfume" and "referring to the spices and aromatic herbs which they (the inhabitants) traded and with which they anointed themselves.". The Gandhari people are a tribe mentioned in the Rigveda, the Atharvaveda, and later Vedic texts. They are recorded in the Avestan language of Zoroastrianism under the name Vaēkərəta. The name Gandhāra occurs later in the classical Sanskrit of the epics.
Geography
The boundaries of Gandhara varied throughout history. Sometimes the Peshawar Valley and Taxila were collectively referred to as Gandhara; sometimes the Kabul Valley and Swat (Sanskrit: Suvāstu) were included. The kingdom was ruled from capitals at Kapisi (Bagram), Pushkalavati (Charsadda), Taxila, Puruṣapura (Peshawar) and in its final days from Udabhandapura (Hund) on the River …
Early History
Evidence of the Stone Age human inhabitants of Gandhara, including stone tools and burnt bones, was discovered at Sanghao near Mardan in area caves. The artefacts are approximately 15,000 years old. More recent excavations point to 30,000 years before the present .
Gandhara’s first recorded civilization was the Grave Culture that emerged c. 1…
Ancient Era
The decline of the Mauryan Empire left Gandhara open to Greco-Bactrian invasions. Present-day southern Afghanistan was absorbed by Demetrius I of Bactria in 180 BCE. Around about 185 BCE, Demetrius moved into Indian subcontinent; he invaded and conquered Gandhara and the Punjab. Later, wars between different groups of Bactrian Greeks resulted in the independence of …
Later History
After the fall of the Sassanid Empire to the Arabs in 651 CE, the region south of the Hindukush along with Gandhara came under pressure from Muslims. After failure of multiple campaigns by Arabs they failed to extend their rule to Gandhara.
Gandhara was ruled from Kabul by the Kabul Shahi for next 200 years. Someti…