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Gandhara is frequently described by all Chinese pilgrims as kien-to-lo1 , which is generally identified with Peshawar valley 2 . The earliest reference however, about this country occurs in the oldest literature of South Asia named Rigveda3 composed from 1500-1000 BCE4 . From where did ancient Gandhara derive its nomenclature, apparently seems hard to answer. Did the authors of Rigveda, who styled themselves as Aryans, render this name to the valley of Peshawar? Was the country of Gandhara already existed before the arrival of the Aryans seems hard to remark. If we look at the pattern of the nomenclature of this region where once Gandhara located we may be able to find out the possible reasons which contributed to the origin of its name. For instance, we frequently come across with a number names of tracts of land the second parts of which end with ‘hara’, meaning ‘land’, such as Nagarhara5 , Pothohar6 , Vanhar7 , Nirhar8 etc. So far as the first part of these nomenclatures is concerned, obviously, they have derived from the physical potential or location of the respective regions or lands or cities. Most probably, same happened with Gandhara when the Aryans (authors of Rigveda) named this country after observing its most striking physical as well as geographical feature i.e., Gand or Kand or Kund, means pond, or water reservoir. Interestingly, the last word Kund still survives as the lower course of the Kabul below Maushera where it joins the Abasin or Indus it is known as Kund (Pond). The heartland of Gandhara (Peshawar valley) was comprised of Modern division of Mardan through which the Kabul and Swat rivers are traversing in different channels and courses with a tendency of converging on into single stream above the town of Naushera before merging into the Indus. Particularly, during the rainy season these rivers swell out of their courses and convert the whole valley into a huge reservoir or lake or Kund, as it seems certain that in ancient times bursting of rivers would have repeatedly been happened and it became most prominent topographical as well as physical feature of Peshawar valley from which finally its name was derived i.e., Gandhara, Kandhar, Kundhara. Gandhara was infact situated or located between the Iranian plateau and the South Asian subcontinent.
Tauqeer Ahmad. (2016) ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE OF PAKISTAN: A CASE STUDY OF PALACES AS DEPICTED IN GANDHARA ART, Journal of the Punjab University Historical Society, Volume 29, Issue 1.
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