A Walk Through Taxila
The ancient remains in Pakistan represent a glimpse into the history of two of India’s major religions
- By Ria Misra and Alexis Matsui
- Smithsonian.com, December 22, 2010
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(Ria Misra)
During the first century A.D., Greek philosopher Apollonious of Tyana wrote of Sirkap: “I have already described the way in which the city is walled, but they say that it was divided up into narrow streets in the same irregular manner as in Athens, and that the houses were built in such a way that if you look at them from outside they had only one story, while if you went into one of them, you at once found subterranean chambers extending as far below the level of the earth as did the chambers above.” While trade and agriculture were important draws to the area, as Taxila grew, it also became an increasingly popular education center, attracting students who wanted to study in the monasteries and religious centers in Sirkap.
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Comments (3)
I think the previous comment reflects a bias, a self-conscious bias amongst certain Indians of a recent vintage (Sanjay Subramanhyam might approve). A perceived slight where none is present or intended.
I think the Smithsonian and Stuart Cary Welch have been at the forefront of examining, researching, exhibiting and disseminating art from the sub-continent. India's influence all over S East Asia, China, Japan through Buddhism is well known as is the extension of this toward the North West, viz the Bamiyan Buddhas (sadly disfigured recently).
Greek influence, such as it was, between the 6 century BC and 2nd century BC, is what it is. The text mentions this clearly between 2nd C BC and 2 C AD.
Posted by sumeet sood on August 18,2011 | 03:44 PM
awesome
Posted by shaii ford on February 7,2011 | 02:25 PM
I can't believe how ingrained are the biases in the institutions like Smithsonian. Taxhashila was an Bharatiya Institution, that had predominantly builders and teachers from Hindu and Buddhist background. And yet the mention of Persia and Greek is expressed dominantly over here and Hindu is not even mentioned. That Greek has to be present every where, since European Euro centrism thinks world world would be a dark place without the light of the Greeks. Clearly the subjects taught in this institutions were also those developed within Indian domains. A predominantly Hindu Nation (including Buddha himself). But that won't do. I am highly disappointed with Smithsonian. Whose subscription I stopped because of this reason some time ago. Ravindra
Posted by Dr. Rabinder Kumar on January 12,2011 | 12:24 PM