The ancient civilisation of Gandhara stretched across parts of present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan and attracted Alexander the Great in 326 BC. Alexander’s occupation was followed by Mauryan period which was a significant and decisive period in the history of Gandhara; during this time Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor, and his missionaries converted the country to Buddhism. Ashoka is credited with the building of 84,000 religious edifices in different parts of this country, some of which are still traceable.

During this time, Gandhara was a jewel of Buddhist civilisation, though Buddha himself never came here nor was his religion ever preached here before Ashoka’s time. Huge monasteries and universities began to spring up and Gandhara gained special renown for sanctity through the association of many of its sites with Jataka stories. Scholars of Gandhara travelled east to India and China and were influential in the development of early Mahayana Buddhism.

Gandhara region had once been the spiritual centre of Buddhism, the cradle of the world famous Gandhara sculpture, culture, art and learning. The archaeological remains found in Taxila, Peshawar, Charsadda, Takht Bahi and Swat and rock carvings along the ancient Silk Road (KKH) have well recorded the history of Gandhara. Of the vast remains of Gandhara, monasteries and city-sites of Taxila, Takht Bahi and Swat take priority. In ancient times, their fame was rivalled and sometimes outstripped by many others, particularly in and around Peshawar.

Large number of pilgrim routes to holy spots, which dot the country, often marked by colossal rock-carved Buddhas, attest to the veneration in which this land was once held by Buddhists. This place was held in such high esteem in the Buddhist world that some Chinese pilgrims did not feel the necessity of visiting any other part of the subcontinent.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, artists of Gandhara began to sculpt and paint Buddha in ways that have influenced Buddhist art ever since. Earlier Buddhist art did not depict Buddha. Instead, he was represented by a symbol or an empty space. But Gandharan artists pictured Buddha as a human being.

In a style influenced by Greek and Roman art, Gandharan artists sculpted and painted Buddha in realistic detail. His face was serene. His hands were posed in symbolic gestures. His hair was short, curled and knotted at the top. His robe was gracefully draped and folded. These conventions spread throughout Asia and are found in depictions of Buddha to this day.

In spite of its importance to Buddhism, much of the history of Gandhara was lost for centuries. Modern archaeologists and historians have pieced together some of the story of Gandhara, and fortunately much of its wonderful art is safe in the world's museums.