The ancient region of Gandhara, with its prominent Buddhist heritage, has long fascinated scholars of art history, archaeology, and textual studies. Discoveries of inscriptions, text fragments, sites, and artworks in the last decade have redefined how we understand the region and its cultural complexity. The essays in this volume reassess Gandharan Buddhism in light of these findings, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach that illuminates the complex historical and cultural dynamics of the region. By integrating archaeology, art history, numismatics, epigraphy, and textual sources, the contributors articulate the nature of Gandharan Buddhism, its practices, and the significance of the relic tradition.
Table of Contents
Contents
Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction / Pia Brancaccio and Kurt Behrendt
1 Prologue: Some Debating Points on Gandharan Buddhism and Kusana History / John M. Rosenfield
Part I: Archaeology
2 Recent Archaeological Research in Gandhara: The New Evidence / Maurizio Taddei
3 Buddhist Presence in the Urban Settlements of Swat, Second Century BCE to Fourth Century CE / Pierfrancesco Callieri
4 Relic Shrines of Gandhara: A Reinterpretation of the Archaeological Evidence / Kurt Behrendt
Part II: Texts
5 Pilgrimage Route Changes and the Decline of Gandhara / Shoshin Kuwayama
6 New Manuscript Sources for the Study of Gandharan Buddhism / Richard Salomon
Part III: Art
7 Bodhisattvas in Gandharan Art: An Aspect of Mahayana in Gandharan Buddhism / Juhyung Rhi
8 The Nature and Use of the Bodily Relics of the Buddha in Gandhara / Robert L. Brown
9 Gateways to the Buddha: Figures under Arches in Early Gandharan Art / Pia Brancaccio
10 A Gandharan Relief with Two Scenes from Buddha’s Life / Anna Maria Quagliotti
11 Local Crafts in Early Gandharan Art / Doris Meth Srinivasan
12 Ananda and Vajrapani: An Inexplicable Absence and a Mysterious Presence in Gandharan Art / Anna Filigenzi
13 Design Diversity in Kaniska’s Buddha Coins / Ellen M. Raven
Contributors
Index