MEDIEVAL PESHAWAR (1000—1526 AD)

Abstract

MEDIEVAL PESHAWAR (1000—1526 AD) March 2013 Peshawar is located at a geographical fault line of Asia; any sort of political or cultural jerks or tremors in Central Asia, subcontinent, Middle East or sometimes even Europe never fail to express itself over here. From the Persian Achaemenid Empire in the 6th Century BC till the advent of the Ghaznavids tell us a recorded story of life that Peshawar shared with its different rulers. For some of them it was important enough to serve as the capital of their empires. Actually its location at the confluence of Central Asia and India gave it a unique politico-military position in the area. India being known for its riches and wealth did attract fortune seekers from far and near both as a halting or striking ground. For individuals as well as armies, both peace and plenty were always available here. All the fortune seekers passing through Khyber Pass had to trade through Peshawar that provided multiple facilitations to the travelers and their transportation beasts alike. For the invading armies it was essential to secure control of Peshawar in the first place as it was an excellent military base and a launching pad for the furtherance of their military and geographical designs. This central status of Peshawar was also proved right and acknowledged for the transportation of Buddhist and Islamic philosophies in their respective ages. It played reckonable role for the growth and promotion of Buddhism. After its birth in 520 BC Buddhism reached Peshawar (then Gandhara) somewhere around the 3rd century BC during Ashoka's reign. Second round of popularization of Buddhism at Peshawar came under the Kushan king Kanishka (128-151 AD) who not only patronized the religion but 8 the valley of Peshawar (then Gandhara) as well. Peshawar became the capital of a great and strong empire stretching from Bengal to Central Asia. Besides Buddhiusm, Peshawar also happened to be an important launching base for the promotion of Islam in India. Though Islam was introduced earlier in India but the Muslim rulers and generals who passed through Peshawar to India turned out to be more effective and lasting for the Islamic change in India. This role of Peshawar for Islam would be highlighted in the present study from different new directions. The political and military cover provided by the Ghaznavids and Ghorids further cemented the chances of success of the case of Islam forwarded through Peshawar. The Pukhtoons also played an undeniable role, who not only joined the ranks of Muslim generals but also by en-block conversion to Islam made it a case of their own. The situation was so that it carried promises of success for them in this material world along with the life after death. It was this win-win attraction that helped them migrate to Peshawar in big numbers. The coming of Mongols not only deprived Peshawar of its central, important and attractive status but also drew a dark curtain of anonymity and pain. No news of any law or prosperity at Peshawar till the coming of Babur is reported. In the power struggle between the Sultans of Delhi, the Mongols of Central Asia and some petty chieftains in the region, Peshawar and its inhabitants had to undergo some unimaginable hard times and miseries. Once the bride and darling of rulers, politicians and thinkers; was lying bruised, hungry and weak with no one to notice. However, history and time has proved it repeatedly that in regional as well as international politics Peshawar had remained and remains even today as one fulcrum with capacity to make things revolve around and attend to its dictates.