Textbook
Our Pasts I, II & III (Classes 6–8)
The simplest possible start: short, illustrated and the base of countless exam questions.
Gandhara
Mahajanapada
Level 2
c. 1,200–518 BCE
Northwestern kingdom centred on Taxila, annexed by Achaemenid Persia.
- Capital
- Takshashila
- Region
- Northwest
- Duration
- 682 years
- Main period
- Vedic Period Polities
Approximate extent.
Key events
| Year | Event | Place |
|---|---|---|
| c. 400 BCE | Panini composes the Ashtadhyayi Sanskrit grammar was fixed in about 4,000 sutras. |
Shalatula, Gandhara |
Sites & monuments
Taxila
Capital / fort · c. 1,000 BCE
Centre of learning in Gandhara.
Personalities
📚 Recommended reading on the Gandhara
Textbook
Themes in Indian History, Parts I–III (Class 12)
Source-based chapters on Harappa, Vijayanagara, the Mughal court and 1857 — essential for UPSC.
Textbook
An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I (Class 11)
The standard base for art and architecture questions — stupas, temples and sculpture.
Textbook
India's Ancient Past
The expanded version of the classic old-NCERT ancient India text; clear and exam-friendly.
We may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See all recommended books →
Contemporaries
Powers that coexisted with the Gandhara for a significant part of its history.
Early Vedic Communities ★
Northwest · c. 1,500–1,000 BCE
Magadha ★
East · c. 700–321 BCE
Chalcolithic Cultures
Central · c. 3,000–700 BCE
Kuru
North · c. 1,200–350 BCE
Panchala
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,100–350 BCE
Kosala
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,100–460 BCE
Videha
East · c. 1,100–600 BCE
Matsya
West · c. 1,100–350 BCE
Later Vedic Polities
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–600 BCE
Kashi
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–500 BCE
Chedi
Central · c. 1,000–300 BCE
Vatsa
Gangetic Plain · c. 1,000–400 BCE
Avanti
Central · c. 1,000–345 BCE
Surasena
North · c. 800–350 BCE
Kamboja
Northwest · c. 800–330 BCE
Anga
East · c. 700–540 BCE
Assaka / Asmaka
Deccan · c. 700–350 BCE
Kalinga
East · c. 700–261 BCE
Vajji / Vrijji Confederacy
East · c. 600–468 BCE
Malla
Gangetic Plain · c. 600–400 BCE