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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Peshawar Museum Is a Rich Repository of the Unique Art Pieces of Gandhara Art in Stone, Stucco, Terracotta and Bronze

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Peshawar Museum Is a Rich Repository of the Unique Art Pieces of Gandhara Art in Stone, Stucco, Terracotta and Bronze ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Peshawar Museum is a rich repository of the unique art pieces of Gandhara Art in stone, stucco, terracotta and bronze. Among these relics, the Buddhist Stone Sculptures are the most extensive and the amazing ones to attract the attention of scholars and researchers. Thus, research was carried out on the Gandharan Stone Sculptures of the Peshawar Museum under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali, the then Director of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of NWFP, currently Vice Chancellor Hazara University and Muhammad Naeem Qazi, Assistant Professor, Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar. The Research team headed by the authors included Messrs. Syed Ayaz Ali Shah, Muhammad Ashfaq, Abdul Hameed Chitrali, Muhammad Zahir, Asad Raza, Shahid Khan, Muhammad Imran Khan, Asad Ali, Muhammad Haroon, Ubaidullah Afghani, Kaleem Jan, Adnan Ahmad, Farhana Waqar, Saima Afzal, Farkhanda Saeed and Ihsanullah Jan, who contributed directly or indirectly to the project. The hard working team with its coordinated efforts usefully assisted for completion of this research project and deserves admiration for their active collaboration during the period. It is great privilege to offer our sincere thanks to the staff of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums Govt. of NWFP, for their outright support, in the execution of this research conducted during 2002-06. Particular mention is made here of Mr. Saleh Muhammad Khan, the then Curator of the Peshawar Museum, currently Director of the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of NWFP. The pioneering and relevant guidelines offered by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Govt. of NWFP deserve appreciation for their technical support and ensuring the availability of relevant art pieces. Messrs Qazi Ijaz Ahmad, Senior Chemist, Irshad Zameel, Research Officer and Irfanullah Durrani, Incharge Gandhara Collection are duly acknowledged for their support. Mr. Khan Faraz took all the Photographs and Messrs. Tahir Ahmad, Mufarrih Khan, Khalid Khan, Mehir Gul and their team remained present, regularly extended their support for the execution of the project during the period. The inspiration and support was further enhanced with the significant help of Mr. Shakil Durrani, the then Chief Secretary, Govt. of NWFP, currently Chairman WAPDA, likewise, Maj. (R) Sahibzada Khalid, the then Secretary Culture, Govt. of NWFP, currently Chairman Tobacco Board, Govt. of Pakistan. We are also indebted to the support of all the successive secretaries of the department along with the administrative staff for their cordial support. We are bound to extend our profound sense of gratitude to Dr. Heather Miller, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Brian Hemphill, California State University, USA and Dr. Robert Nicholas, Associate Professor, Richard Stockton College, New Jersey, USA, who scrutinised the text and made pertinent suggestions. We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Ms. Humaira Alam, Deputy Curator, Lahore Museum, Lahore and Dr. Gul Rahim Khan, Assistant Professor, Department of Archaeology, University of Peshawar who readily helped the team whenever they were approached. We also take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to all the successive curators and supporting staff of the Peshawar Museum starting from Sir Aurel Stein in 1906 till date. They all have very carefully handled, preserved and protected the classical collection of Gandhara Art. It may be further pointed out that in such a specialized way, today the Peshawar Museum is known due to these efforts, to be housing the most extensive and unique collection of the Buddhist Art in the whole world. Last, but not the least, we are thankful to Hazara University for facilitating the final touches and publication of this volume. Professor Dr. Ihsan Ali Vice-Chancellor Hazara University, Mansehra NWFP – Pakistan Muhammad Naeem Qazi Assistant Professor Department of Archaeology University of Peshawar NWFP – Pakistan XII FOREWORD It is a genuine revelation that the subject matter of Gandhara Art is the Buddha's Life Story, as depicted in the stone panels described in this volume. The story of the Buddha image in Gandhara Art started in the 1st century BC and reached perfection in the 2nd century AD. Peshawar Museum exhibits the most extensive variety of Gandharan Sculptures, discovered mainly from excavations carried out by numerous renowned scholars such as, Sir Aurel Stein, H. Hargreaves, D.B. Spooner, Sir John Marshall and others. A good number of the collection came through purchases and donations. The other worthwhile contribution made by the reputed scholars was the publication of the collected antiquity, exhibitions and preservation of this gorgeous and rear collection. The explorations and excavations carried out in the Peshawar Valley were mainly published in the Annual Reports of the Archaeological Survey of India, Frontier Circle particularly, those of Takhti Bahi, Jamal Garhi, Sahri Bahlol and Shah-Ji ki Dheri etc. These excavation reports, like other issues, also highlight the Gandharan Sculptures. H. Hargreaves has written a hand book about the Sculptures in the Peshawar Museum. Another book was published by Prof. Fidaullah Sehrai, "The Buddha Life Story in Peshawar Museum". Sir John Marshall and Harald Ingholt have also published the selected sculptures from the Peshawar Museum in their research works. Likewise, many smallscale attempts have also been made by scholars to conduct research on the Gandharan Sculptures in the Peshawar Museum. Keeping in view the importance of the collection, in September 2002, a research project was launched aiming at cataloguing and documenting the antiquity of the Peshawar Museum. In this regard, besides other issues, the Gandharan Sculptures were one of the most selected areas and the authors felt obliged to compile a comprehensive report on the same. The idea was to bring the published and unpublished sculptures lying in the Peshawar Museum to the forefront for scholars. In the first phase, all the displayed sculptures were identified, labels were carefully examined and permanent labels were provided to all the displayed objects. Then the important aspects of Gandhara Art such as, the Jatakas and the Birth Scene till the Mahaparinirvana/Death Scene were addressed, moreover, around 321 sculptures were selected from the displayed and reserved collection on the subject. It is worthwhile to note that this attempt was made after a long break aiming to explore new themes and ideas and to share it with all those interested in Gandhara Art. Recognising those sculptures, which were not properly identified, was a tough task to accomplish. It is however, utmost important to make a mention here that this humble attempt will bring to the forefront all that collection for research work. This effort will open a new chapter in the field of Buddhist sculptures and will attract the Gandharan Art scholars for further debate on this particular topic. There might XIII be some shortcomings in the present work but a gallant attempt has been made to discuss minute details through direct approach to the original collection. This attempt under the prevailing circumstances may be considered as a modest attempt to put forward the research and it is hoped that students and scholars will benefit to a great extent to add many new ideas, not addressed earlier. It is worthwhile to elaborate that the entire team deserves appreciation and encouragement to have done such a monumental job during a short span of time. It is sincerely hoped that research on the subject will continue to be carried forward for the benefit of all, as we believe that the Peshawar Museum collection still deserve attention from scholars, researchers and Ph.D. students. Prof. Dr. Ihsan Ali XIV 1 GANDHARA, ITS HISTORY AND ART GANDHARAN SCULPTURES IN THE PESHAWAR MUSEUM (LIFE STORY OF BUDDHA) 1.1 THE TERM GANDHARA The word Gandhara is variously recorded in the ancient texts. It is the combination of two Sanskrit words, "Gand" meaning fragrance and "hara" defining land or region. Thus, the term Gandhara literally signifies, "the land of fragrance". The region of Gandhara is described as a lush green or flowery area. The same description also applies for Udhyana (Swat), Kanishkapura or Pershapura (Peshawar), and Pushkalavati (Charsadda). Such descriptions support the claim that these flowery valleys were generally known for their good smell. The term Gandhara was reported for the first time in the Rigveda, in which the term is used to identify clearly a region located on the Northwest Frontier of India (Khan: 1998: 57). The Atharva Veda is a second notable compilation that mentions the Gandharans and relates them with the Mujavants. Other significant references are found in the Apastamba, such as Angas and Magadhas, and in the Srauta Sutras Hiramyakesi and Baudayana. An array of historical evidences indicate that the Gandharans have inhabited the southern bank of the Kuba (river Kabul) since the Vedic Age. According to the Vedic literature, the Gandharan dialect was celebrated for its purity, and a king of Gandhara is associated with the orthodox Soma cult. Besides the accounts listed above, the word Gandhara is also mentioned by celebrated Greek historians, such as Herodotus, Hekataios, Ptolemy and Strabo, who record it in various forms as Gandarioi, Gandarae, and Gandaritis (Brown: 1908: 3; Burgess: 1897: 75). 1.2 GEOGRAPHY OF GANDHARA Gandhara is a mountainous region located below the meeting point of the
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