Pakistan Heritage

Between 1958 and 1965, millions of potsherds of many categories of vessel shapes, fabrics and surface decorations were documented during excavations at Banbhore, a port-city on the Arabian Sea in Sindh which represents a long sequence of human habitation from about 2nd century BCE and 13th century CE. One category of pottery of the Buddhist-Brahmanical period stands out by its unique surface decorations produced with moulds of pottery. The paper highlights this specific pottery and its chronological and cultural significance with reference to other settlements in Sindh.

In the first decade of this millennium, a hoard of coppers came to light presenting a type of small coins called “bull and camel” coppers edited in the clearly legible name of maharaja vema takho (cf. Jongeward and Cribb 2015, nos. 221f.). There was never a doubt that this spelling refers to Wema Takhto, the second Kushan ruler, the son of Kujula Kadphises. Since then, further pieces appeared in auctions from time to time, but they remained very rare. It was clear from the first encounter that these coppers continue a type issued by Kujula Kadphises, who himself had copied a type of bull and camel coppers of the mahākṣatrapa Jihonika, alias Zeionisēs, a kṣatrapa ruling Kashmir before Kujula. On the reverse of the new coins the legend is written in Kharoṣṭhī and ends in maharajasa wema takho followed by a short stroke. There are also pieces with a legend ending in wema ta (+ stroke) or in wema takha (stroke or not), shortening, or even eliminating the tiny Ovowel stroke. .

This paper is an effort to rejuvenate the role of females and their active participation with males in all spheres of life (religious and secular) in Ancient Pakistan. Avoiding hierarchy of socio-religious order of men and women we laid emphasis on vitality of their relationship on all fronts. All religions credit male and female equally for creation of “Mankind”. Adam (Peace be upon him) and Hawa (Peace be upon her) in Islamic context or Adam and Eve in Christianity. Yet in Hinduism there is a legend of Shiva presenting himself before Brahma as Ardhanarishvara (half- man and half- woman) is an icon of the idea that male and female power unties for investiture and destruction of universe. Nirukta veda designates female as Yosha because she intermingles with man.One of the best ways to comprehend soul of a civilization and to acknowledge its excellence and realize its limits is to study the history of position and status of women in it. This paper focuses on the social status of females in ancient society of the present-day Pakistan where human being coexisted in harmony without any gender discrimination. Agreeing to this concept we hope for positive impacts of study from socio- religious, economical to political role of women.

A new piece of archaeological evidence adds more to the known information from the past, collected piece by piece for its reconstruction as history. Similarly, this paper attempts to gather all previous studies on the subject and strives to add more with updated and fresh archaeological data from District Ghizer. Field activities since 2014, in this connecting mountain area of Gilgit-Baltistan added everytime new to our previous understanding. Therefore, previously, a portion of this study was offered in a dissertation form, which is significantly furthered by our recent academic tours to Ghizer. Hence, it was necessary to present it again, with the addition of new data from Ghizer, under a specific topic on Buddhism. Therefore, here, once again, with further elaborations and updates about the data, we offer a discussion on the issue. This paper introduces the topic; acknowledges previous studies; explains the details of epigraphy, artwork, and structural remains; and offers a discussion leading the readership towards the conclusion of the study. Wherein, the results of the study are given, marking the existence of Buddhism in this area between the second to ninth century A.D. Further, fresh evidences force us to think that, this is a phase of transition, gradually shifting the centres of Buddhist learning from Gandhāra to Tibet. Therefore, this work offers a more to the known history of Buddhism on the routes connecting ancient Gandhāra and Central Asia.

Feminism, although, born and developed in the West in the populist use of the term, it travelled to the East with a distributed use and prevalence. In Pakistan, the feminist sensibility gained momentum in the 1980s, when General Muhammad Zia-ul Haq imposed Martial Law with a censorship policy curbing freedom of expression. The conservative approach to Islam furthered a kind of oppression and social injustice on women and as a result we observe various responses in literature and art. This paper shows how female artists of Pakistan highlighted the gender discrimination and social injustice in Pakistan. The paintings have been discussed in terms of their content and have been contextualized in the larger discourse of feminism and gender construction. It is argued that the expression of feminist perspectives in the paintings of 1980s and onwards is radical as it challenges institutions and engages the viewers into a dialogue with value system by showing suffering of women. .

Amlukdara is a valley where an elevated Buddhist stupa is standing aloof at the foothill of mount Ilam in a narrow valley surrounded by high hills. The discovery of the Buddhist Stupa was followed by several excavation and restoration campaigns resulting in the discovery of a large number of votive stupas and other structures, as well as a great number of sculptures consisting of decorative relief panels, narrative relief panels, sculptures of Buddha and other divinities as well as other miscellaneous artefacts of archaeological importance. The present paper is based on the identification and reinterpretation of selected narrative relief panels published in the recent report “Amlukdara, Swat, recent excavation and conservation report 2019-2020" published by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums (DOAM), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The present author has made an attempt to re-identify and reinterpret the scenes in the selected narrative relief panels.

This paper presents a panorama of reassessing the historical record of palaeographic research in the Swat valley of Pakistan. The research is grounded on data of ancient inscriptions previously published by wellknown European Indologists like G. Bühler, H. Lüders and S. Konow since Colonial time. It also elaborates epigraphic research contributions of the native epigraphists in the region, while contemporary research on the subject have also been analysed. Present state of preservation and possible threats to the existing list of inscriptions in the area has also been highlighted. This paper reproduces outlines of a research paper presented by the author at Zhiguan Museum of Fine Art, in the Second Round of the Cross-Himalaya Cultural Lecture Series entitled ‘Oddiyana: The Hidden Valleys of the Buddhist Treasure in Swat’ organized by Tsinghua University Center for Pakistan Cultural and Communication Studies, Beijing China on 21 July 2019. In this regards I am thankful to Prof. Dr. Li Xiguang, Director, Tsinghua-Pakistan Culture and Communication Center for his cordial invitation to Beijing. I would also like to thank Dr. Luca M. Olivieri (Leader Italian Archaeological Mission Swat), for the photo of the Talang Brahmi inscription.Swat valley is a well-known district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Ancient Uddiyana (present Malakand Division) of the Chinese pilgrims captured by mountain peaks all around. The valley has been exhausted by many hilly streams from the surrounding hills that joined the river Swat. In Vedic sources River Swat was known as Suvāstu or Subhāvastu (Bhargava 1964: 124). This wonderful physical location, productive plains with its excellent water resources and means that the valley was an ideal for human settlement and Buddhist community. The plains of the valley are extensively irrigated by the river Swat, and the mountainous terraces are rich, fertile and productive even nowadays. In previous time, it would have provided enough diet extra to its populations. It was also due to its exceptional position that settlers from the Central Asian counties, came down and captured the valley at different periods (Stacul 1969: 82-85). It remained a gorgeous place for foreign intruders and a sacred place for spiritual travelers. It remained a melting container, and became the center of the merger and adjustment of different races and dynasties including the Persians, Greeks, Mauryans, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans (Yuehchih), White Huns, Turks, Hindu Shahis, and Muslims, who went through this valley on their passage to the Sub-continent (Smith 1924: 53-55)..

In the first half of the 19th century Peshawar was coveted by the Saddozai and Barakzai rulers of Afghanistan, Ranjit Singh (the Sikh ruler of Punjab) and the Mujahidins led by Syed Ahmad Barelvi. It was a great period of unrest for the people of Peshawar. Since its occupation by Ahmad Shah Abdali, Peshawar remained in the Afghan hands till 1823 when it was seized by Ranjit Singh after the battle of Pir Sabak. Meanwhile the Mujahidins reached Peshawar in 1827 and found the spirit of revolt fiercely burning in theYusifzai plans. When all the three had exhausted themselves in constant strife, the British moved in quietly, first as advisor to the Sikhs and then, after the treaty of 1846 as rulers in their own right

Jainism, an ancient Indian religion that once had a noticeable number of adherents in Punjab and Sindh, became almost extinct in post partition decades in Pakistan. Along with their eastward migration, the understanding of the deeper meaning of the art and architecture of the Jain heritage and the knowledge of their contributions to the society in different fields waned away from the collective memory in Pakistan. The study of their heritage remained an ignored field until recent years. The artefacts of the Jain gallery of Lahore Museum are an example of it. In the second half of 19th century, Vijayānandasūri (1837-96), a renowned Jain Achārya helped the Jain community of Punjab to reorganize, build new temples, schools, libraries, repair the older temples, revive orthodox Jain teachings and introduce Jainism to the western world. After his death, in the recognition of his efforts for the community, his followers not only erected a Samādhi in his memory but also dedicated some beautiful marble sculptures, impressive footprint pavilion and a huge tirthpatta (symbolic map of pilgrimage sites) to him that are now placed in Lahore Museum’s Jain gallery. These artefacts, with Devnāgri inscriptions on them, are rare examples of Jain art in Pakistan that help in studying Jain iconography and tradition of depicting their pilgrimage sites. The present paper throws light on the contributions of Vijayānandasūri for the Jain community in brief and the identification of the key elements of Jain iconography carved on the aforesaid artefacts...