Shahbaz Garhi

Shahbaz Garhi, or Shahbazgarhi, is a village and historic site located in Mardan District in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. It has an altitude of 293 metres (964 feet).[1]

Shahbaz Garhi
Shown within Pakistan
LocationPakistan
RegionKhyber Pakhtunkhwa
Coordinates34.235556°N 72.16°E / 34.235556; 72.16

It is about 12 km from Mardan city. It has mountains, green trees, open fields and a small river in the centre of the village.

In old times all these facilities made it attractive for the army and travelers to dig in their tents here, stay for few days and organize their further strategy. The historic Stones of Ashoka, and other sites like Mekha Sanda are worth visiting.

Location

Shahbaz Garhi is situated on the junction of three ancient routes;

  1. Kabul to Pushkalavati (modern Charsadda)
  2. Swat through Buner
  3. Taxila through Hund on the bank of Indus River.

Situated on the modern Mardan-Swabi Road, the town was once a thriving Buddhist city surrounded by monasteries and stupas.

Ancient rock edicts

Ashokan inscriptions
Main articles: Edicts of Ashoka and Major Rock Edicts
Detail of Edicts of Ashoka XII in Shahbazgarhi, Peshawar. Kharosthi script.

The town is the location of ancient rock-inscriptions[2] that are cut into two large rock boulders and written in the Kharosthi script.[3] They retain immense historical importance, as they appear to be the first examples of writing in South Asia.[3] They were constructed during the 3rd Century BC (272-231 BC), during the reign of Ashoka, the famous Mauryan emperor, inscribed in the Kharoshthi script.[3] The rock edicts were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 30 January 2004 in the Cultural category.[3][4]

The translation of the text is written on a board nearby the rocks. The sight is a famous tourist spot for people who are interested in history.

The town is the location of ancient rock-inscriptions[2] that are cut into two large rock boulders and written in the Kharosthi script.[3] They retain immense historical importance, as they appear to be the first examples of writing in South Asia.[3] They were constructed during the 3rd Century BC, during the reign of Ashoka, the famous Mauryan emperor.[3] The rock edicts were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 30 January 2004 in the Cultural category.[3]

  • Edict No.12
  • Edicts No.1 to No.11
  • Edicts No.13 and No.14
  • Protective housing
  • A rubbing of two of the inscriptions.
  • The words "Dhrama-Dipi" ("Inscription of the Dharma") in Kharosthi, in Edict No.1 of the Shahbazgarhi edicts.[5]

References
  1. Location of Shahbazgarhi - Falling Rain Genomics
  2. NWFP - Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 19, p. 149.
  3. Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts - UNESCO
  4. Prof Ahmed Hasan Dani'Ashoka Rock Edicts at Shahbaz Garhi Mardan' in Journal of Archaeological Study, QAU, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1982
  5. Inscriptions of Asoka. New Edition by E. Hultzsch (in Sanskrit). 1925. pp. 56–57.
Edicts of Ashoka
(Ruled 269–232 BCE)
Regnal years
of Ashoka		 Type of Edict
(and location of the inscriptions)		 Geographical location
Year 8 End of the Kalinga war and conversion to the "Dharma"
Location of the Minor Rock Edicts (Edicts 1, 2 & 3)
Other inscriptions often classified as Minor Rock Edicts.
Location of the Major Rock Edicts.
Location of the Minor Pillar Edicts.
Original location of the Major Pillar Edicts.
Capital cities
Year 10[1] Minor Rock Edicts Related events:
Visit to the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya
Construction of the Mahabodhi Temple and Diamond throne in Bodh Gaya
Predication throughout India.
Dissenssions in the Sangha
Third Buddhist Council
In Indian language: Sohgaura inscription
Erection of the Pillars of Ashoka
Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription
(in Greek and Aramaic, Kandahar)
Minor Rock Edicts in Aramaic:
Laghman Inscription, Taxila inscription
Year 11 and later Minor Rock Edicts (n°1, n°2 and n°3)
(Panguraria, Maski, Palkigundu and Gavimath, Bahapur/Srinivaspuri, Bairat, Ahraura, Gujarra, Sasaram, Rajula Mandagiri, Yerragudi, Udegolam, Nittur, Brahmagiri, Siddapur, Jatinga-Rameshwara)
Year 12 and later[1] Barabar Caves inscriptions Major Rock Edicts
Minor Pillar Edicts Major Rock Edicts in Greek: Edicts n°12-13 (Kandahar)

Major Rock Edicts in Indian language:
Edicts No.1 ~ No.14
(in Kharoshthi script: Shahbazgarhi, Mansehra Edicts
(in Brahmi script: Kalsi, Girnar, Sopara, Sannati, Yerragudi, Delhi Edicts)
Major Rock Edicts 1-10, 14, Separate Edicts 1&2:
(Dhauli, Jaugada)
Schism Edict, Queen's Edict
(Sarnath Sanchi Allahabad)
Lumbini inscription, Nigali Sagar inscription
Year 26, 27
and later[1]		 Major Pillar Edicts
In Indian language:
Major Pillar Edicts No.1 ~ No.7
(Allahabad pillar Delhi pillar Topra Kalan Rampurva Lauria Nandangarh Lauriya-Araraj Amaravati)

Derived inscriptions in Aramaic, on rock:
Kandahar, Edict No.7[2][3] and Pul-i-Darunteh, Edict No.5 or No.7[4]

  1. Yailenko,Les maximes delphiques d'Aï Khanoum et la formation de la doctrine du dhamma d'Asoka, 1990, p. 243.
  2. Inscriptions of Asoka de D.C. Sircar p. 30
  3. Handbuch der Orientalistik de Kurt A. Behrendt p. 39
  4. Handbuch der Orientalistik de Kurt A. Behrendt p. 39


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