New Light on Ancient Gandhāra

Abstract

History of Gandhāra is a well known subject. But considerable gaps, which could be filled in by correctly interpreting place-names, still exist. Here, for the first time, an attempt is made to interpret place-names, which throw light on various missing chapters of the history of Gandhāra. Similarly the name, Gandhāra, and its etymology is explained in the light of geographical environment in which it was located. It has also been suggested that Buddhism spread at the grass roots levels by the keen interest of some of the local chiefs who used their utmost financial resources to raise stupas and monasteries now witnessed in the galaxy of ruined structures found throughout the length and breadth of Gandhāra.