Taxila is a city in Pakistan that has a rich and ancient history. It was once a flourishing center of learning, culture, and religion, attracting scholars and pilgrims from all over Asia. Taxila was especially revered by Buddhists and Hindus, who considered it a sacred site for various reasons. In this blog post, we will explore how Taxila became a spiritual hub for these two faiths and what remains of its legacy today.
Taxila’s Origins and Rise
Taxila was founded around 1000 BCE by the Indo-Aryan people who migrated to the region from Central Asia. The name Taxila means “City of Cut Stone” in Sanskrit, reflecting its impressive architecture and craftsmanship. Taxila was strategically located at the crossroads of the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia, making it a hub of trade and commerce. It also benefited from the fertile land and abundant water resources of the Indus River valley.
Taxila reached its peak of glory under the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE), which unified most of India under one rule. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka (268-232 BCE) was a devout Buddhist who patronized Taxila as a center of Buddhist learning and art. He built many stupas, monasteries, and schools in Taxila, where monks and scholars studied various disciplines such as philosophy, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and law. Ashoka also sent Buddhist missionaries from Taxila to spread the teachings of the Buddha to other parts of Asia.
Taxila continued to prosper under the successive kingdoms that ruled over it, such as the Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, Kushan, and Gupta empires. Each of these dynasties added their own cultural and religious influences to Taxila, making it a cosmopolitan and diverse city. Taxila also attracted Hindu pilgrims and sages, who revered it as the birthplace of the god Krishna’s son Pradyumna, and as the site where the epic Mahabharata was composed by the sage Vyasa.
Taxila’s Decline and Destruction
Taxila’s downfall began in the 5th century CE, when it was invaded by the Huns, a nomadic tribe from Central Asia. The Huns sacked and burned Taxila, destroying many of its monuments and libraries. They also persecuted the Buddhists and Hindus, forcing many of them to flee or convert. Taxila never recovered from this devastation, and gradually faded into obscurity.
Taxila’s ruins were rediscovered in the 19th century by British archaeologists, who excavated and restored some of its sites. In 1980, UNESCO declared Taxila as a World Heritage Site, recognizing its cultural and historical significance. Today, Taxila is a popular tourist destination, where visitors can admire the remnants of its glorious past.
Taxila’s Significance for Buddhists and Hindus
Taxila is still considered an important and highly ranked site for Buddhists and Hindus for several reasons:
It is one of the oldest and largest Buddhist archaeological sites in the world, containing more than 50 stupas, monasteries, and schools that span over 1,000 years of history.
It is associated with many prominent figures in Buddhist history, such as Ashoka, who promoted Buddhism as a state religion; Chanakya (or Kautilya), who wrote the influential treatise on statecraft called Arthashastra; Nagarjuna, who founded the Madhyamaka school of philosophy; and Xuanzang (or Hsuan Tsang), who visited Taxila in the 7th century CE and wrote a detailed account of its condition.
It is a source of inspiration and knowledge for Buddhists, who can learn from its rich heritage of art, literature, science, and ethics.
It is a place of pilgrimage and devotion for Buddhists, who can pay respect to the relics of the Buddha and his disciples that are enshrined in some of its stupas.
It is a symbol of harmony and tolerance for Buddhists, who can appreciate how Taxila accommodated different sects and schools of Buddhism, as well as other religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and Greek paganism.
t is one of the oldest and most sacred Hindu sites in Pakistan, containing several temples and shrines dedicated to various gods and goddesses.
It is linked to many legends and stories in Hindu mythology, such as the birth of Pradyumna, the son of Krishna.
