Hund (village)

Hund, known in antiquity as Udabhandapura is a small village in Swabi district, situated on the right bank of the Indus River about 15 km upstream of Attock Fort and at a distance of about 80 km to the east of Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, of Pakistan. It was the site of Alexander the Great's crossing of the Indus and an important site of Gandhara ruins.[1]

Hund
(Udabhandapura)
Buddhist Devata statue from Hund, 6-7th century AD. Museum of Oriental Art (Turin).
Shown within Hindu-Kush
Hund (village) (Gandhara)
Hund (village) (South Asia)
Hund (village) (West and Central Asia)
Hund (village) (Pakistan)
Coordinates34.016667°N 72.433333°E / 34.016667; 72.433333
TypeMonastery

Udabhandapura (modern Hund) was the Turk Shahi capital of Gandhara, which possibly fonctionned as a winter capital alternating with the summer capital of Kabul, within their kingdom of Kapisa-Gandhara in the 7-9th century AD.[2]

Hund was also the last capital of Gandhara under the Hindu Shahi rulers until the beginning of 11th century AD. when Mahmud of Ghazna defeated Anandapala, the last Hindu Shahi ruler in Gandhara. The Hindu Shahi capital was then shifted to Nandana in the Salt Range, Punjab.[3] It has also been said that the Mongol invader Changez Khan (Genghis Khan) also followed Khwarzim Shah up to Hund, before the prince jumped into the Indus River on his way to India.

Hund is also said to be the site of Khwarazm Shah's Army's last stand against Genghis Khan.


The village Hund is surrounded by a fort, remains of which are still visible. The fort was constructed by the than Mughal emperor Akbar the great in 16 Century AD. The fort used to serve as Garrison for Mughal troops. There were four gates of the walled city which are visible till to date and were used as entry / exit points. It is said that of the walled city a deep trench was also dug to control un authorized entry. The trench was crossed by a movable wooden bridge which used to be lifted at night by the guards of the gates and Garrison closed at night. According to some historians there was a tunnel inside the walled city which connected Hund Garrison with Attock fort so that both Garrisons can reinforce each other in case of attack and used the tunnel as a withdrawal route in case a Garrison fell into enemy hands.

Old relics and remains of ancient civilizations have been found in the village after excavation work was undertaken by the govt in recent past. The history and past glory of the Hund has been preserved by the govt by constructing a museum in the village on the bank of river Indus. A replica of tower of Olympia has also been constructed watching the mighty Indus in the memory of Alexander the great who crossed river Indus and stayed in Hund during his last military campaign of the Indian sub continent.

The settlements of Balar Khel are mainly in villages Zaida, Maini, Yaqubi, Yar Hussain, Hund, Ambar, Lahor, Kaddi and Panj Pir in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.

See also

References
  1. The Three Capitals of Gandhara . NWFP tourism site
  2. "The capital of the state of Kapisa–Gandhara (possibly, its winter capital) was Udabhandapura, now the settlement of Hund, situated on the right bank of the Kabul river. Most of the city was surrounded by a defensive rampart." in Harmatta, J.; Litvinsky, B. A. History of Civilizations of Central Asia: Tokharistan and Gandhara under Western Türk Rule (650-750). Unesco. p. 391. ISBN 978-92-3-103211-0.
  3. Cafeteria, rest house inaugurated at Hund Museum Wednesday, 7 January 2009 Nisar Mahmood. THE NEWS. Jang group
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