Buddhism in Pakistan
Buddhism has a long history in the Pakistan region — over time being part of areas within Bactria, the Indo-Greek Kingdom, the Kushan Empire, Ancient India with the Maurya Empire of Ashoka, the Punjab Region, and Indus River Valley cultures — areas now within the present day nation of Pakistan.
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[edit] Buddhism in antiquity
The region and nation, today known as Pakistan, once had a large Buddhist population and many religious structures in antiquity.
[edit] Regions
- Gandhara
The majority of people in Gandhara, present day Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were Buddhist. Gandhara was largely Mahayana Buddhist, but also a stronghold of Vajrayana Buddhism. The Swat Valley, known in antiquity as Uddiyana, was a kingdom tributary to Gandhara. There are many archaeological sites from the Buddhist era in Swat.
- Uddiyana
The Buddhist sage Padmasambhava is said to have been born in a village near the present day town of Chakdara in Lower Dir District, which was then a part of Uddiyana. Padmasambhava is known as Guru Rinpoche in Tibetan and it is he who introduced Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet.
- Punjab region
Buddhism was practiced in the Punjab region, with many Buddhist monastery and stupa sites in the Taxila World Heritage Site locale. It was also practiced in the Sindh regions.
[edit] Islam and Hinduism
Gandhara remained a largely Hindu-Buddhist land until around 10th century CE, when Sultan Mahmud invaded the region and introduced the Islamic religion.
Most Buddhists in Punjab reverted to Hinduism from 600 CE onwards. Buddhism was the faith practiced by the majority of the population of Sindh up to the Arab conquest by the Umayad Caliphate in 710 CE.
[edit] See also
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[edit] External links
[edit] References
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