Gandhara (Taxila)
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Overview
Gandhara, in the north-west of the subcontinent with Taxila as its great centre of learning, was one of the sixteen mahajanapadas named in Buddhist and Jain texts.
The Persian king Darius I annexed Gandhara and the Indus region around 518 BCE as the 20th satrapy of his empire. Later it gave its name to the Greek-influenced Gandhara school of sculpture, which grew alongside the Mathura and Amaravati schools.
Geography and key facts
- One of the sixteen mahajanapadas
- Taxila: centre of learning
- Persian satrapy under Darius I (c. 518 BCE)
- Gandhara school of art (Greek-influenced)
Why it matters for UPSC
Asked on kingdoms linked with the Buddha's life (2015, 2014); the Gandhara–Mathura contrast is a favourite art-and-culture question.
Note for UPSC
North-west; centre of learning.
Mahajanapadas are asked with their capitals and present-day regions; positions are approximate.
Asked in PYQs
- UPSC Prelims 2015 · Q39Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha? Select the correct answer using the code given below.…
- UPSC Prelims 2014 · Q25Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha? Select the correct answer using the code given below.…
Questions from our Prelims bank whose text names Gandhara (Taxila).
Key facts
- Type
- Mahajanapada
- Coordinates
- 33.746°N, 72.787°E
- Asked in Prelims
- 2 questions · 2015, 2014
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
More mahajanapadas (approx.) nearby
All mahajanapadas (approx.) · Revision list · Most asked in PYQs