Ancient Pakistan

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Statue of a Bodhisattva in the Gandhara art, art style that developed in the Gandhara region of Ancient Pakistan.

Ancient Pakistan or Ancient Indus Valley[1] is the history of Pakistan from prehistoric times to the start of Medieval era. It includes many different cultures, languages, social systems, and religions, creating a special and lasting cultural identity known for tolerance, variety, and adaptation.[2][3] Since the beginning, the land of Pakistan has been shaped by the huge Indus River (Urdu: Darya-i-Sindh) and its smaller rivers, as well as the huge Himalayas, Karakoram, Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.[4] Surrounded by the sandy Thar and Cholistan deserts, the rough hills and valleys of Balochistan, and the shiny Arabian Sea, Pakistan's land has been a place where people have lived since ancient times and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited land in the world.[3][5] Ancient Pakistan has the oldest signs of humans outside Africa. Stone tools, over 2 million years old, were found in the Soan Valley.[6]

The history of Ancient Pakistan is seen in its valuable archaeological heritage, covering thousands of years of human effort and creativity. Proof of early human settlements, going back over 2.2 million years, has been found along the Soan River, near Islamabad, showing that this area is one of the oldest places where people lived.[7][8] The time known as the Neolithic period (6500–2500 BCE) saw the beginning of farming and the start of towns and cities, best seen in the old site of Mehrgarh in Sibi, where the earliest proof of farming and urban life in South Asia has been found.[9][10]

The etched carnelian beads in this necklace from the Royal Cemetery of Ur, Mesopotamia (2600-2500 BCE) were probably imported from the Indus Valley in Ancient Pakistan.[11]

Throughout its history, Ancient Pakistan has been a melting pot of civilizations and cultural sharing. The area saw the growth of the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3000–1300 BCE), one of the earliest urban societies and civilisations in the world. This civilization had well-planned cities, standard ways of measuring things, and a written language (Harappan language) that still hasn't been fully understood, showing how organized and advanced its society and culture were.[12][13] The cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were important centers for trade, culture, and government.[14] Later times saw the rise of the Vedic Civilization (c. 1500–500 BCE), started by the migration of Indo-Aryan tribes and the composition of the Vedas in Punjab, Pakistan.[15][16][17] The influence of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 518–330 BCE) extended into parts of ancient Pakistan, shaping its political and cultural landscape, while the Hellenic Period witnessed the establishment of Greek kingdoms in the region, blending Greek and local traditions.[18]

Seals of the Indus Valley civilization from Ancient Pakistan. The Indus script still hasn't been decoded and understood.

The Gandhara Civilization (c. 1500 BCE–500 CE) in the northwest of Pakistan emerged as a significant cultural and religious center, known for its unique artistic traditions (Gandhara art) blending Hellenistic and indigenous styles.[19][20] It became the second holy land of Buddhism after Magadha in Nepal and India.[21][22] Gandharan monks from Ancient Pakistan were the first to spread Buddhism in Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan.[23] Two of the worlds major religions, Hinduism and Sikhism originated in modern-day Pakistan.[24][25][26] The Mahayana, Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhism have roots in the Gandhara region of Pakistan.[27][28][29] The region of Pakistan has been known by various names throughout history, the oldest recorded name is Meluhha (Sumerian: 𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠), the Mesopotamian name for the Indus country.[30]

Names[change | change source]

𓉔𓈖𓂧𓍯𓇌 H-n-d-wꜢ-y "Hindus (Indus)" written in Egyptian hieroglyphs on the Statue of Darius I, circa 500 BCE.
See the main article: Names of Pakistan

The region of Pakistan has been known by many different names throughout history. The Indus River, the national river of Pakistan, has shaped and is tied to much of Pakistan's ancient history. Ancient Pakistan was divided into many kingdoms and empires ruled by local or foreign dynasties, and different regions had different names.[31] The oldest recorded name of Pakistan is Meluhha (Sumerian: 𒈨𒈛𒄩𒆠), the Mesopotamian name for the Indus country.[30] Traditionally, the Indus is one of the seven sacred rivers of South Asia. It is known in Sanskrit as the Sindhu, the terms ‘India’ and ‘Indonesia’ were both derived from the Indus River in Pakistan.[32][33] The name of ancient Pakistan is also known as far as the Achaemenid province of Egypt where it was written "𓉔𓈖𓂧𓍯𓇌 (H-n-d-wꜣ-y)" on the Statue of Darius I, circa 500 BCE.[34] In Chinese sources, the region of Ancient Pakistan was referred to as “Shendu 身毒,” “Tiandu 天篤,” and “Tianzhu 天竺," specifically referring to the Indus Valley.[35] The Greeks referred to the region as Indós (Greek: Ἰνδός), which came from the Achaemenid name "Old Persian: Həndu" for the Indus River.[36][37] Another indeginous name for ancient Pakistan was 'Sapta Sindhu,' meaning the land of seven rivers, specifically referring to the Punjab region. This name has been used in the Rigveda, which was composed in this region of Pakistan as well.[38] In Zoroastrian Avesta it is mentioned as 'Hapta-Hendu', which also means the land of seven rivers.[39] Ancient and medieval Pakistan was known to the Arab historians as "Biladu al-Sind بلاد السند", meaning the Land of Sind (Indus), or simply Sind, which is also the name of modern-day Pakistani province of Sindh.[40][41] The Mongols with Genghis Khan invaded the Indus Valley (Pakistan) in 1241 CE, they reffered to the region as Šin (Sindh) and the Indus river as Šin Müren.[42][43]

Timeline[change | change source]

Cast of the Priest King of Mohenjo-daro, original kept in the National Museum of Pakistan, Islamabad.

Following is the timeline of history of Pakistan from the Prehistoric times until the medieval period. It covers the different cultures, groups, civilizations, kingdoms and empires that existed during that time in Ancient Pakistan:

Palaeolithic:[change | change source]

  • Riwat culture (c. 2,000,000 BCE – 1,000,000 BCE)
  • Soanian culture (c. 500,000 – 250,000 BCE)

Neolithic:[change | change source]

Statue of Greek goddess Athena in the Gandharan style from Ancient Pakistan, in the Lahore Museum.

Bronze Age:[change | change source]

  • Indus Valley Civilisation (c. 3300 – c. 1700 BCE)
    • Cemetery H culture (c. 1900 –1300 BCE)
    • Jhukar and Jhangar culture (1900 – 1500 BCE)
    • Rangpur culture (c. 1900 –1300 BCE)
  • Gandhara Civilization (c. 1500 BCE – c. 1000 CE)
  • Vedic Civilization (c. 1500 – c. 500 BCE)
  • Painted Grey Ware culture (c. 1200 or 700–300 BCE)
  • Achaemenid Empire (c. 550 – c. 330 BCE)
    • Gedrosia (c. 542 – c. 330 BCE)
    • Gandhara (c. 518 – c. 330 BCE)
    • Arachosia (c. 518 – c. 330 BCE)
    • Hindush (c. 517 – c. 330 BCE)
    • Sattagydia (c. 516 – c. 330 BCE)
  • Ror dynasty (c. 489 – c. 450 BCE)
  • Macedonian Empire (c. 329 – c. 323 BCE)
    • Arachosia (c. 323 – c. 312 BCE)
    • Gedrosia (c. 323 – c. 312 BCE)
    • Paropamisadae (c. 323 – c. 312 BCE)
    • Porus (c. 323 – c. 312 BCE)
    • Taxiles (c. 323 – c. 312 BCE)
  • Mauryan Empire (c. 322 – c. 200 BCE)
  • Seleucid Empire (c. 312 – c. 63 BCE)
  • Greco-Bactrian Kingdom (c. 190 – c. 140 BCE)
  • Indo-Greek Kingdom (c. 170 – c. 50 BCE)
  • Indo-Scythian Kingdom (c. 110 BCE – c. 95 CE)
    • Apracharajas (c. 25 BCE – c. 50 CE)
    • Paratarajas (c. 120 – c. 300 CE)
A stone palette of the Indo-Scythian style found in the Early Saka layer at Sirkap, in Gandhara, Pakistan.

Classical Pakistan:[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ McIntosh, Jane (2008). The Ancient Indus Valley: New Perspectives. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1-57607-907-2.
  2. ↑ Paracha, Nadeem F. (2017-02-02). "Pakistan: The lesser-known histories of an ancient land". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Ancient Pakistan". Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Athens, Greece.
  4. ↑ Ancient Pakistan. Chairman, Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar. 2002.
  5. ↑ Ahmed, Mukhtar (2014-05-29). Ancient Pakistan - An Archaeological History: Volume I: The Stone Age. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1-4954-9047-7.
  6. ↑ "Oldest Tools Outside Africa Found, Rewriting Human Story". Science. 2018-07-11. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  7. ↑ Salim, Muhammad (2006). "Palaeolithic Cultures of Pakistan". Lower Palaeolithic in the Soan Valley, Rawalpindi, Pakistan – via University of Peshawar.
  8. ↑ Dennell, R.W.; Rendell, H.; Hailwood, E. (1988). "Early tool-making in Asia: two-million-year-old artefacts in Pakistan". Antiquity. 62 (234): 98–106. doi:10.1017/S0003598X00073555. ISSN 0003-598X.
  9. ↑ Ali, Zakeriya. "ANCIENT HISTORY OF PAKISTAN". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  10. ↑ Possehl, Gregory L. (2002). The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective. Rowman Altamira. ISBN 978-0-7591-0172-2.
  11. ↑ British Museum notice: "Gold and carnelians beads. The two beads etched with patterns in white were probably imported from the Indus Valley. They were made by a technique developed by the Harappan civilization" Photograph of the necklace in question
  12. ↑ "Ancient Pakistan Civilization Remains Shrouded in Mystery". Voice of America. 2010-07-20. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  13. ↑ Meister, Michael W. (2010-07-26), "Temples of the Indus: Studies in the Hindu Architecture of Ancient Pakistan", Temples of the Indus, Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-19011-5, retrieved 2024-04-13
  14. ↑ Wheeler, Mortimer (1968-09-02). The Indus Civilization. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-0-521-06958-8.
  15. ↑ Allchin, Bridget; Allchin, Raymond (1982-07-29). The Rise of Civilization in India and Pakistan. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-28550-6.
  16. ↑ Ahmed, Shoaib (2021-10-06). "'All Vedas of Hinduism were written in Lahore'". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  17. ↑ Jairazbhoy, Rafique Ali (1995). Foreign Influence in Ancient Indo-Pakistan. Sind Book House. ISBN 978-969-8281-00-7.
  18. ↑ André-Salvini, Béatrice (2005). Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-24731-4.
  19. ↑ "Gandhara | Buddhist Art, Greco-Buddhist, Taxila | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  20. ↑ "Gandhara". asiasociety.org.
  21. ↑ "Gandhara Civilization". International Research Journal Commerce arts Science.
  22. ↑ National History & Literary Heritage Division (2016). "Pakistan's Heritage: Glorious Gandhara" (PDF). Life Story of Buddha Etched in Stone – via National History and Literary Heritage Division, Government of Pakistan.
  23. ↑ Samad, Rafi U. (2011). The Grandeur of Gandhara: The Ancient Buddhist Civilization of the Swat, Peshawar, Kabul and Indus Valleys. Algora Publishing. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-87586-858-5.
  24. ↑ Singh, Amardeep (2016). Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan. Nagaara Trust. ISBN 978-81-7002-115-5.
  25. ↑ Toppa, Sabrina. "Sikhs mark Guru Nanak's 550th birth anniversary in Pakistan". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  26. ↑ California State University, Long Beach. "Hinduism". home.csulb.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-14. The birthplace of Hinduism is Indus River Valley which runs through northwest India into Pakistan. The Indus Valley civilization, or "Harappan civilization" originated sometime around 4,500-5,000 B.C.E. and reached its zenith between 2300 to 2000 BC.
  27. ↑ "Art of Gandhara: Buddhas and Bodhisattvas". asiasociey.org. Retrieved 13 April 2024. Many of the concepts characteristic of Mahayana Buddhism—the form of Buddhism which later spread widely across East Asia—appear to have developed in Gandhara.
  28. ↑ "Remembering Pakistan's Buddhist past | The Express Tribune". tribune.com.pk. 2022-06-11. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  29. ↑ "Padmasambhava | Tibetan Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche, 8th Century | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-04-01. Retrieved 2024-04-14. The founder of Tibetan Buddhism, Padmasambhava was from the Oddiyana region of Pakistan.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Possehl, Gregory L. (2002). The Indus Civilization: A Contemporary Perspective. Rowman Altamira. ISBN 978-0-7591-0172-2.
  31. ↑ Ancient Pakistan. Chairman, Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar. 2002.
  32. ↑ "Indus". Oxford Reference. doi:10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100002100. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  33. ↑ Post, The Jakarta. "India-Indonesia: Allies on a journey of (mutual re)discovery - Opinion". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  34. ↑ "Susa, Statue of Darius - Livius". www.livius.org. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  35. ↑ 余太山著 (2021-07-01). A STUDY OF MONOGRAPHS ON THE WESTERN REGIONS IN THE OFFICIAL HISTORY BOOKS OF THE WESTERN & EASTERN HAN, WEI, JIN, SOUTHERN & NORTHERN DYNASTIES. Beijing Book Co. Inc. ISBN 978-7-100-19038-1. The "Xi'nanyi liezhuan 西南夷列傳" of Shiji 史記(ch. 116) records that there was a state of Shendu 身毒 to the west of Qiong at a distance of about 2,000 li里. The "Dayuan liezhuan 大宛列傳" of Shiji 史記 (ch.123) records that the state of Shendu 身 毒"lies several thousands of li里 southeast of Daxia 大夏....and the state borders on a large river". The "large river" is a reference to the Indus, and so it seems that Shendu 身毒 specifically refers to the Indus Valley.
  36. ↑ Mukherjee, Bratindra Nath (2001). Nationhood and Statehood in India: A Historical Survey. Regency Publications. ISBN 978-81-87498-26-1.
  37. ↑ Henning, Walter Bruno (1970). W. B. Henning Memorial Volume. Lund Humphries. ISBN 978-0-85331-255-0.
  38. ↑ Virdee, Pippa (2021). Pakistan: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-884707-6.
  39. ↑ Thakur, Pradeep (2012-01-06). Vikram & the Vampire (Improvised Edition). Lulu.com. ISBN 978-1-105-42303-1.
  40. ↑ Nizam, Muhammad Huzaifa (2023-01-15). "HOW THE INDUS VALLEY FED ISLAM'S GOLDEN AGE". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  41. ↑ RAHMAN, KOÇYİĞİT, Zabihur, Tahsin (2018). "EARLY MUSLIM RELATIONS WITH INDUS VALLEY AND THE EXPEDITIONS DURING THE GUIDED CALIPHATE PERIOD". DEUİFD XLVII/2018, ss. 323-346.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  42. ↑ Rachewiltz, Igor de (2022-11-07). The Secret History of the Mongols: Volume 2. BRILL. p. 943. ISBN 978-90-04-53175-8.
  43. ↑ Gilmour, James. Among the Mongols. Boston University School of Theology. London, Religious Tract Society.
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