Gandhara

Gandhara was a state in Indus, Punjab and Kashmir (South Asia) that lasted from c. 600 to 518 BCE, about 82 years. Its people spoke Indo-Aryan languages (Vedic, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Sinhala).

The Mahajanapada of the Peshawar valley and the Potohar plateau, whose capital Taxila became a famous center of learning. Darius I made it an Achaemenid province.

See Gandhara on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates: c. 600 to 518 BCE
Duration: 82 years
Type: State
Region: Indus, Punjab and Kashmir, South Asia
Language family: Indo-Aryan
Capital: Taxila, Pushkalavati

Neighbours in South Asia

Kuru Kingdom c. 1200 to 500 BCE
Achaemenid eastern satrapies c. 535 to 330 BCE
Magadha (Haryanka dynasty) c. 544 to 413 BCE
Panchala c. 1100 to 350 BCE
Avanti c. 600 to 350 BCE
Vajji confederacy c. 700 to 468 BCE
Kosala c. 700 to 475 BCE
Shakya republic c. 650 to 480 BCE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

Carthage c. 814 to 146 BCE, North and West Africa
Greek city-states c. 800 to 338 BCE, Europe
Achaemenid Empire 550 to 330 BCE, Middle East

Questions

When did Gandhara exist?

c. 600 to 518 BCE, about 82 years. These dates are approximate, because the evidence for its beginning or end is uncertain.

Where was Gandhara?

Indus, Punjab and Kashmir, in South Asia. Its capital was Taxila, Pushkalavati.

What language did Gandhara speak?

Indo-Aryan. This family includes Vedic, Sanskrit, Prakrit, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Sinhala.